Re: Help With New Instrument Cluster, please
 

You can simulate the sender in the empty position by grounding the tan wire post on the gauge with ignition on.

Since the gauge doesn't move to 3:00 with the tan wire disconnected from the sender and ignition on, this indicates the problem is not with the sender.

I wonder if the gauge needle is mechanically stuck somehow.

Re: Help With New Instrument Cluster, please
 

The amp meter doesn't usually move very much. Mine will twitch to the left a little if I turn on my headlights with the engine off. It will move slightly to the right for a few seconds immediately after starting the engine.

There are two fuses for the amp gauge up in the front two corners of the engine compartment. They are inside inline black rubber holders that are connected to the headlight/alternator harness.

Re: Help With New Instrument Cluster, please
 

I did ground the tan wire out, Stay right where its. I noted that when I unpacked the cluster, the fuel gauge showed in the 9 o"clock position. Don't know if that means anything or not.

Re: Help With New Instrument Cluster, please
 

Did pull that sending unit. It went from 4 to 96 Ohms. Knew it. Plastic float is doing fine

Re: Help With New Instrument Cluster, please
 

There's gotta be something wrong with that new gauge.

I took some more measurements on my OEM gauge. I believe there are two windings inside the gauge that push the needle in opposite directions. One winding is between the power post and tan post, and it pushes the needle toward Empty. The other winding is between the tan post and the ground post, and it pushes the needle toward Full. With the tan wire disconnected, the needle goes way past Full (3:00) and I measured 8.55V on the tan post.

Since your needle isn't moving toward Full, this might be because the empty-pushing winding is pushing too hard, or the full-pushing winding is too weak. You measured only 57 Ohms for the full-pushing winding resistance, whereas I measured 103 Ohms. That seems odd to me.

Re: Help With New Instrument Cluster, please
 

I just noticed something interesting. The needle can be spun by hand an unlimited number of times around. If you spin the needle by hand while the gauge is powered, at first it will fight and want to return back to its original position. As you turn it farther, it reaches a point where it is no longer fighting, and then it starts pushing the other way to return to its original position. If you position the needle exactly 180 degrees out from where it wants to be, it gets stuck there until you help it along a little in either direction, and then it will finish moving to the desired position on its own.

I wonder if your gauge is stuck in this position (9:00) opposite from the normal resting place for a disconnected tan wire (3:00). Now normally if you connected the brown wire to ground, then this would unstick the needle and move it to Empty. I wonder if for some reason your gauge has a flaky connection between the tan post and the tan wire. Maybe the nut securing the gauge to the flexible printed circuit just needs to be tightened a little.

Re: Help With New Instrument Cluster, please
 

At this point, I say I've done due diligence. I've paid a premium price for a fully functioning instrument cluster. Not one that needs tweaking or requires me to tear it apart or put a replacement part in. Brother's Truck Parts has a real nice sounding statement about customer service and treating folks right when you call them. Now I'll find out if they're going to man-up an make good on this by sending a me replacement in a timely fashion.

Re: Help With New Instrument Cluster, please
 

Sounds like a good plan

Re: Help With New Instrument Cluster, please
 

The photo you posted of the back of the gauge shows star washers under at least two of the nuts. Is there a star washer under the tan wire post nut?

Re: Help With New Instrument Cluster, please
 

Yes. The tan wire input, and the key on power poles have two star washers and two nuts each sandwiching the gauge to the housing and the printed circuit down.
The ground has a nut and star washer as well. All are nice and snug.

Re: Help With New Instrument Cluster, please
 

Okay. so I finally got my new dash cluster in and working. I might add that Brothers Truck Parts got the replacement unit out to me PDQ and picked up the shipping on the defective unit. Good on them!

Here's where it gets interesting. If you look at the attached photos you'll note that in addition to my shinny, new stock look dash cluster are a few images of what's left of the coli, rotor, and cap on my Accel Super Coil 140003. It's absolutely fried through! It had nothing to do with the new cluster other than I pulled a bit too much on the line to my oil pressure gauge when putting the new dash in and busted it at the block. I discovered my error about one minute and 1.5 quarts of oil after starting the engine! It was too hard to get at so I took the truck my go to garage and they discovered it when trying to get at the oil pressure line fitting. It had apparently been that way for quite some time. What really astounded all of us was that it managed to run quite well, with no (I mean zero) symptoms! Ever hear of anything like that?

I feel very lucky that this didn't manifest itself in the form of some catastrophe while I was rolling down the Loop 101, towing the boat to Bartlett Lake! Best 1/8 inch line failure I've experience to date.

I still need to fix the ammeter wiring but that will have to wait as I have appoint with the body & paint folks.

Re: Help With New Instrument Cluster, please
 

Yikes! Well I'm glad to hear Brothers took care of you.