67-72 Stock gauge cluster with a LSx Engine

[dec010974]

Hello to all. I hope all of us trucksters are safe during this pandemic. I installed an LSx/4L60e and I’m looking to run my stock gauge cluster. Yes I did a search. I like the look of the stock cluster and I wanna make it work. I’m sure there are others that agree with me. Maybe this thread can become a sticky for all LSx enthusiasts with 67-72 C10s. Let’s discuss all the gauges. I’ll start with the coolant Temperature. The thread size of the temperature sensor plug on LSx is M12x1.50. What sender can I use to make the engine temperature gauge work? We can also discuss the speedometer. I see that speedhut sells a converter to make the mechanical gauge work with the electric LSx signal. Has anyone tried this? Oil pressure is easy to make work just like the fuel gauge. Please chime in on this thread. I would like to know what everyone is doing.

[Pitpig]

I know I sound vague, but I used an autometer sender direct to gauge, it works. Also used basically stock oil pressure lines with an adapter on block. Used the gas sender from Tanks, inc

[mongocanfly]

For water temp, drill and tap the pass head where the plug is at the back of the head, to the correct npt for your stock temp sender..easy..
The ecm needs the one that's on the drivers side head..
I used Dakota digital convertor box to go from pulse to cable drive speedometer.
For oil sender autometer sells the metric to standard adapter..you can use your orig sender there also

[dec010974]

Thanks for the info @mongocanfly and pitpig. Looks like I’m gonna have to pull off a cylinder head and tap it. I bought a couple of adapters and original temperature sender is huge. Which autometer did you use? Was it accurate? I used as LS1 sender and temperature gauge won’t move. It stays to the left.

[ls1nova71]

You dont need to remove the head to drill and tap it. Just put some grease on the drill bit and tap to catch the shavings and you'll be fine. Done it many times with no problem at all. The stock sender is big, but there's enough meat in the head to drill and tap it.

[mongocanfly]

And if you do pull a head, keep in mind the bolts are tty... one time use only..
I did one that I didnt have enough room in the truck for the drill and bit...if I had a 90deg head drill I would have been ok...but I shortened a drill bit and took the motor mount loose on pass side..jacked the engine up a little bit, and it worked fine..

[kglowacky]

For speedo fix i used a guy on ebay that modified my 460 tail housing and it works great. it converts it to factory cable drive .

[JMac11]

I drilled the water pump and tapped it. I have a cheap sending unit, so mine reads a tad high by the gauge, but have a Scangauge on my dash to double check.

For the oil gauge I tapped the oil cooler line and cobbled up ferrules to run factory gauge.

No luck on the the Ammeter, but still trying.

Just got a Vacuum Gauge, still plotting where to hook into the engine.

I also plan to put my CEL in the Engine light socket next time I pull the cluster.

[kglowacky]

I like the CEL idea wish I would of thought of it when I had it apart.

[ls1nova71]

This is what I did, pic didn't come out very well, but the 'check engine' light is on the right side of the gas gauge.

JMac11, I wouldn't bother trying to get the factory ammeter to work, they're hard to make work, don't really tell you much and are a fire hazard. Find a voltmeter out of a square body and run that, much better gauge.

[pilotXC]

Originally Posted by JMac11

I drilled the water pump and tapped it. I have a cheap sending unit, so mine reads a tad high by the gauge, but have a Scangauge on my dash to double check.

For the oil gauge I tapped the oil cooler line and cobbled up ferrules to run factory gauge.

No luck on the the Ammeter, but still trying.

Just got a Vacuum Gauge, still plotting where to hook into the engine.

I also plan to put my CEL in the Engine light socket next time I pull the cluster.

The ammeter will work just fine. Take a look at my thread, mine works just fine.

https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...d.php?t=796095

Page 2, post #49.

[dec010974]

@pilotXC, I'm having trouble understanding your ammeter/alternator diagram.
Could you explain that diagram in words? I was able tap the cylinder, which was doable, with the 1/2 NPT sender. The cylinder head was not on the motor. are you all installing the 1/2 temp sender while the LSx engine is in the engine bay?

[pilotXC]

Originally Posted by dec010974

@pilotXC, I'm having trouble understanding your ammeter/alternator diagram.
Could you explain that diagram in words? I was able tap the cylinder, which was doable, with the 1/2 NPT sender. The cylinder head was not on the motor. are you all installing the 1/2 temp sender while the LSx engine is in the engine bay?

I would direct you to this thread with multiple diagrams and explanations on what stock wiring should be to the variations when doing a swap. VetteVet is one of, if not the, resident electrical expert and does a much better job than I could ever do explaining and diagraming. I'm assuming your ammeter worked before you began the swap when I say it will work with the swap also, should have mentioned that in my first post. If it did not, you'll need to figure out why it didn't. Mine didn't when I first got the truck and I thought it was some wiring issue, but the fuse was blown, still has the original fuse so I got a new and it worked.

https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...d.php?t=738404

As far as the temp sending unit, I did not drill anything out on mine, I found an adaptor and it threaded into the head on passenger side and original temp sending unit threaded into that and I plugged in the female connector to it. I think I linked to it on my swap thread, but if not let me know and I can find it and send you what I used. I installed after I set the engine in, but only because I didn't get to that detail until then, I should have done it before I installed the engine. Same with the oil pressure sending unit. I drilled out and tapped the stock one on the back of the block of the 6.0L after I installed the engine. Not super fun, but doable. Would have been significantly easier if I did it before I installed the engine. Live and learn I guess? Let me know anything else and hope that link above helps on the wiring for the ammeter...

[dec010974]

Just to update and document this info, so that others will be able to have answers to the questions I had, here we go. The oil pressure was covered. The ammeter was replaced with a cheap volt meter. I pulled it a part and used the actual volt gauge and mounted it in the stock gauge cluster. I haven’t tested it but it’s wired like TBone has stated in his thread. The fuel gauge is self explanatory. For the Temperature gauge I bought a 3/8 to M12X1.5 adapter, and Temperature sending unit from a square body c10 that had 3/8 threads I’m gonna test it out Tomorrow, Sunday and monitor the temperature. The next hurdle is the tachometer. I’m open for suggestions.

[ls1nova71]

There should be a white wire coming out of the PCM for the tach signal, just hook it up, and if you are using an 8 cylinder tach, you have to change the tach resolution from 6 to 3 in the tune to get it to read right.

[nsb29]

I didn’t have room to tap or use an adapter on passenger side so I moved the ls sender to passenger side and used an adapter and the 65 sensor on driver side

[dec010974]

As I update this thread its apparent that this stock gauge cluster has cost me a few coins. As we all, fix our trucks, we need working gauges to keep us out of trouble. I made the necessary updates and I'm not impressed. For the money spent, I still don't have a volt meter, I don't think the coolant temp works (it barely Moves), I want a tachometer and I need speedometer. how can I check to see if the coolant temp works? Ooohh, I used a 3/8 temperature sending unit from a squarebody. Somebody on another thread said they had great results.

[dec010974]

Just thinking, is this old gauge cluster worth it? I know its pricey. I invested because I like the look of the old Gauge Cluster. After all the math, Dakota Gauges(HDX) are looking real nice and affordable. A member of the board said he'll help me out. What do I have to lose? Another $400.00 I guess.

New Circuit board-$65.00
New Bezel- $60.00
New Temp gauge-$45.00
New Oil gauge-$66.00
New Fuel Gauge-$ 60.00
Numerous Adapters & Sending Unit $100.00
S10 gauges and speedo Kit-At Least $125.00

[mongocanfly]

Is your temp sender and your temp gauge the same ohms.?
I like stock looking gauges, but the new shiny ones are really nice to...

[Captainfab]

A square body temp sender likely isn't the correct ohms for the '67-'72 gauge. If it was, people wouldn't be having one of our forum members machine down the factory sender to 3/8" NPT.

[dec010974]

@captainfab, I bought (1) and it was it was shipped out today. Thank you for chiming in. I am definitely in the the right place to resolve my gauge cluster blues. Hopefully I can get it right.

[dec010974]

I picked up one of the senders that was machined down to the 3/8 NPT by my be of our board members & I gotta say the coolant temperature works on my stock gauges. I guess it’s all about the ohms. I’m gonna buy another one just for good measure. Now it’s Time to focus on the speedo, voltage, and tachometer. Shot out to A1971blazer. He’s the board member machining down the stock senders to 3/8 NPT.

[prodjay10]

Who sells the speedo conversion decal? I need one.
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