seat and dash swap

[Pampas56]

I have a 1989 K2500eclb with a 40/60 bench seat, A friend has a wrecked late 90's truck with a Tan/Brown 60/40 seat with the fold down center console.

How much work will it be to swap the front and back seats from one to the other?

I also want to get rid of the hacked wiring, moon gauges and internal DRAC in my dash. Would it be possible to swap the WHOLE wiring harness from a 92-94 truck into my dash?

I know wiring, but wonder how similar the harnesses will be.

Steve

[Palf70Step]

Seats are easy swap, just unbolt old and rebolt the newer stuff. I believe there is wiring difference betweeen the 2 style dashes, what they are and how hard it is t swap between the 2 I do not know.

[Pampas56]

I do know the DRAC is in a different location, but am curious if there are any other major differences.

I am a retired Electrician, so soldering and changing connectors is not a problem. I plan on changing out the WHOLE harness if possible.

[Second Series]

I wired a DRAC into my '88 k2500, so I have spent some time looking at the schematics. Both schematics are available on this site in a post in the FAQ section. I just looked at the '90 and '93 and it looks like the bulkhead connectors and the ECM connectors have the same pin numbers. Of course you will want to confirm every pin. The cluster connector and DRAC connector will be on the donor harness so you wont have to repin under the dash if you get everything.

[hatzie]

95 up will be quite different from 94 and prior.
1989 is TBI. 95 and later has Vortec spider injection. The dash pod itself is quite different.

Can it be done? Sure. It's a bunch of work.

You'll need the service manuals for the donor chassis to sort out the wiring differences or just swap the whole enchilada over to your '89 including the Vortec heads and fuel system.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by hatzie

95 up will be quite different from 94 and prior.
1989 is TBI. 95 and later has Vortec spider injection. The dash pod itself is quite different.

Can it be done? Sure. It's a bunch of work.

You'll need the service manuals for the donor chassis to sort out the wiring differences or just swap the whole enchilada over to your '89 including the Vortec heads and fuel system.

95 was TBI still. Its also a bastard child that everyone should avoid lol.

[hatzie]

Originally Posted by Tom

95 was TBI still. Its also a bastard child that everyone should avoid lol.

1995 still had ALDL onboard diagnostics using an OBDII jack. The Tech2 was almost the only diag tool that would talk to the 1995 T400 trucks.
I'd guess the old Snap On MT2500 Red Brick with the correct domestic cartridge and personality key(s). The MODIS EEMS300, Solus EESC310, & Solus Pro EESC316 would talk to it too as long as you had the correct personality key(s).

I remember reading somewhere that the 1995 4L60E transmission was 1995 only too for some reason. I've forgotten why.

[sntrym95]

Originally Posted by hatzie

1995 still had ALDL onboard diagnostics using an OBDII jack. The Tech2 was almost the only diag tool that would talk to the 1995 T400 trucks.
I'd guess the old Snap On MT2500 Red Brick with the correct domestic cartridge and personality key(s). The MODIS EEMS300, Solus EESC310, & Solus Pro EESC316 would talk to it too as long as you had the correct personality key(s).

I remember reading somewhere that the 1995 4L60E transmission was 1995 only too for some reason. I've forgotten why.

95 was still the OBD I connector with the new dash. I've had a couple of them. 8192 baud rate.

The 95 transmission was the first to use PWM and has a unique valve body that is not like any other year.

[pjmoreland]

An easier way to get rid of the moonies and gain a tach is to install a 1991 cluster.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=313815

[special-K]

The only problem I've had in the 9 1/2 years I've owned my bastard is replacing the heater controls, due to being one year only connections. That was easily remedied with adapting 95 harness to 96-00 control.

I'm reading that Pampas56 has an '89 he wants to install a 92-95 cluster in. So, physically the same dash. That should be a non-issue with simple harness adapting/converting.

[Pampas56]

I am trying to replace my dash with a 92-94 dash. The reason is to get the tach dash AND move the DRAC for the cluster to the glove box.

I was told by a guy in a local wrecking yard that only 92 dashes would work because that was the last year that they had the 700R4/4L60 transmission.

I disagree, because the VSS communicates with the DRAC then to the cluster and possibly the ECM. It does not matter if it comes from an automatic or manual, electronic or not vehicle. What matters is what I have. My 700R4 and ECM will get the same info regardless.

Even if I change to a 6 speed Allison, the info is going to be the same. My BIL/family mech has installed Allisons in various rigs with no problems.

Do you agree? please send me ANY questions/comments/concerns that you may have.

Thanks
Steve

[sntrym95]

Originally Posted by Pampas56

I am trying to replace my dash with a 92-94 dash. The reason is to get the tach dash AND move the DRAC for the cluster to the glove box.

I was told by a guy in a local wrecking yard that only 92 dashes would work because that was the last year that they had the 700R4/4L60 transmission.

I disagree, because the VSS communicates with the DRAC then to the cluster and possibly the ECM. It does not matter if it comes from an automatic or manual, electronic or not vehicle. What matters is what I have. My 700R4 and ECM will get the same info regardless.

Even if I change to a 6 speed Allison, the info is going to be the same. My BIL/family mech has installed Allisons in various rigs with no problems.

Do you agree? please send me ANY questions/comments/concerns that you may have.

Thanks
Steve

The dash by itself doesn't matter. For all intents and purposes, any dash from any year will bolt into any GMT400 model. The wiring, DRAC, cluster, etc is where the differences lie. If you are bringing the harness, DRAC, and anything else from the donor vehicle, then outside of some minor tweaks and maybe reuse of a few things from the original, then it will work.

I swapped a 97 dash into my 95 with no issues. I reused all the electronic components from the 95 with the 97 dash as the shell.