My camaro tach cluster-done!

[68 TT]

Looking at the way the supplemental gauges all have the same shape and construction mechanical section on the back I think it may be possible to just fit the truck oil pressure gauge with the Camaro fuel level gauge ballast resistor looking piece and change its function from oil pressure to fuel level. No drilling or re-fastening of the pieces required, just a simple face overlay or repaint to change the readings to its new purpose.

I will give this a try with some of the other spare parts I have but it will be a while before I can test it out to see if it works. I should be able to just pull out the stock large fuel level gauge and stick in the modified oil pressure gauge to see if it reads right but won't have my dash panel off any time soon.

[78-5.3]

Originally Posted by 68 TT

Use the Camaro tach with its integrated oil pressure gauge in place of the stock truck large fuel gauge. Then take your now un-needed truck oil pressure gauge and use its face plate as the new support for the Camaro fuel level gauge mechanism. Drill out the rivets in both gauges that hold the face plate to the mechanism (after marking the Camaro fuel level gauge housing where E, 1/2, F should be so you don't assemble it upside down) and fit the Camaro fuel level gauge mechanism to the truck oil pressure gauge face panel. Now the Camaro fuel level gauge will bolt into the truck cluster perfectly. You will need to re-mark the gauge face to show fuel level markings but that is pretty easy.

ok i finally got that now !!
how did you remark the face plate? you mean make the lines again!!!

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by menace121978

WOW! that looks sweet!! very nice job man!

Thanks, I appreciate that.

I knew all those years of college and all the time I spend creating stuff in AutoCAD was good for something.

[78-5.3]

Originally Posted by 68 TT

Thanks, I appreciate that.

I knew all those years of college and all the time I spend creating stuff in AutoCAD was good for something.

yeah it looks really sharp, hope mine comes out 1/2 as nice!!!! credit to you and thanks for your help

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by 78-5.3

ok i finally got that now !!
how did you remark the face plate? you mean make the lines again!!!

I chose to use sticky back paper that I could run through my inkjet printer and make a complete overlay for the gauge face. I already made a few for the tach, so doing the speedo & fuel level gauge was no big deal. 30 sheets of the paper is only $12 at Staples and it only takes one sheet to do all the gauges.

You could just as easily sand the face smooth so no markings telegraph through then spray the face satin black & put down some premade vinyl lettering & fine line tape if you don't have a drawing program to create the face design with.

You could even hand paint the markings & lettering if you have a steady hand.

[78-5.3]

hey i got my camaro cluster today can i use the camaro fuel gauge in place of the oil gauge on the camaro tacho and keep my factory truck gauge where it is?
and call it job done or is that too easy?

[78-5.3]

no its different!

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by 78-5.3

hey i got my camaro cluster today can i use the camaro fuel gauge in place of the oil gauge on the camaro tacho and keep my factory truck gauge where it is?
and call it job done or is that too easy?

I think the original poster of this thread clipped the edges of the Camaro fuel gauge and flattened it out so it would fit into the tach in place of the oil pressure gauge. It turned out OK but needed a little refinement to clean up the edges and get it straight in the opening so the lettering was parallel with the tach lettering.

It looked like more work than it was worth at first to get the gauge out and the other one in but I might tear into a spare tach I have to see if I could swap out the resistor pack or install the gauge housing and do a gauge face overlay to turn the proper fitting Camaro oil pressure gauge into the fuel level gauge like I did with the truck oil pressure gauge in my cluster.

[78-5.3]

ok i started my Cluster conversion i have the tachometer sitting in but none of the tabs line up ???? im gonna get some stong expoy ! any ideas??? im gonna use the factory tacho cluster fuel gauge in place of the oil gauge in the under right hand side of the smaller gauges !! my question is do i use any off the circiut board i will of replaced the oil , fuel , and add a tacho how much of the factory ciruit would i use??? oh my cluster is a 91 its going into my 78

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by 78-5.3

ok i started my Cluster conversion i have the tachometer sitting in but none of the tabs line up ???? im gonna get some stong expoy ! any ideas???

I took my old fuel gauge face plate and trimmed out the middle to clear the Camaro tach guts on the back side then folded over the Camaro tach mounting tabs and secured them to the truck fuel gauge bezel so it could then bolt up to the housing. A little silicone sealant will hold the two pieces securely together but they can still come apart if you need them to.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by 78-5.3

im gonna use the factory tacho cluster fuel gauge in place of the oil gauge in the under right hand side of the smaller gauges !! my question is do i use any off the circiut board i will of replaced the oil , fuel , and add a tacho how much of the factory ciruit would i use??? oh my cluster is a 91 its going into my 78

I think you can just repin the dash harness connector to change the function of the oil pressure gauge terminals so it feeds the fuel level gauge what it needs.

Worse thing you do is separate the terminals at the original oil pressure gauge location from the printed circuit and wire the new fuel gauge terminals to the original fuel gauge terminal clips.

[78-5.3]

Originally Posted by 68 TT

I think you can just repin the dash harness connector to change the function of the oil pressure gauge terminals so it feeds the fuel level gauge what it needs.

Worse thing you do is separate the terminals at the original oil pressure gauge location from the printed circuit and wire the new fuel gauge terminals to the original fuel gauge terminal clips.

im gonna have to re-pin anyway because of the 91 elec speedo
the circuit board looks confusing though !!!

[Jim85IROC]

Has anybody tried using the camaro speedo as well? Seems like it would make a better visual match, plus if you have a 110 or 140mph speedo, well, that would be sweet.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by Jim85IROC

Has anybody tried using the camaro speedo as well? Seems like it would make a better visual match, plus if you have a 110 or 140mph speedo, well, that would be sweet.

Neither one of the Camaro large gauges has any warning lamp windows in it. They are all on a strip below the gauges in the Camaro so you would lose any of those you needed like the check engine light, brake warning light, etc...

All of the ones I find intact at the pull it yourself wrecking yard are the weird double sided needle 85 mph / kph speedos that look lame.

I had a 145 mph speedo in my 83 that came out of a newer one but had to buy it at a regular wrecking yard at a much higher cost. It looked really cool but the usable range of the thing was so small it was tough to be precise at how fast you were driving.

[Jim85IROC]

That just means you're not driving fast enough.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by Jim85IROC

That just means you're not driving fast enough.

Can't outrun a radio or photo radar.

[78-5.3]

i think ive asked this but is there a schamatics of any year cluster?

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by 78-5.3

i think ive asked this but is there a schamatics of any year cluster?

I saw one but the pin numbers and wire colors didn't match my cluster so I disregarded it.

I don't remember where I saw it.

[78-5.3]

where do these blue marked termials go

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by 78-5.3

where do these blue marked termials go

The ones in the center are connected to the Camaro dash spring clips but don't line up with the truck cluster spring clips on mine. Close but not quite and I don't think they would be able to be fed proper inputs due to the way the truck fuel level gauge is connected on the printed circuit. I don't know if they even are connected to anything in the Camaro. They may be for alignment purposes for all I know.

The one on the lower right is the Camaro oil pressure gauge sensor input line.

[78-5.3]

Originally Posted by 68 TT

The ones in the center are connected to the Camaro dash spring clips but don't line up with the truck cluster spring clips on mine. Close but not quite and I don't think they would be able to be fed proper inputs due to the way the truck fuel level gauge is connected on the printed circuit. I don't know if they even are connected to anything in the Camaro. They may be for alignment purposes for all I know.

The one on the lower right is the Camaro oil pressure gauge sensor input line.

i see!!! mine line up and are clipped?? is that lower one for the oil line that comes from the sending unit is that what you mean ??

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by 78-5.3

is that lower one for the oil line that comes from the sending unit is that what you mean ??

Yes.

[78-5.3]

Originally Posted by 68 TT

Yes.

so im sure i will need to run wires from the oil gauge to the connector and then re-pin the factory oil gauge wiring to use it for the fuel gauge when work out the elec speedo !

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by 78-5.3

so im sure i will need to run wires from the oil gauge to the connector and then re-pin the factory oil gauge wiring to use it for the fuel gauge when work out the elec speedo !

I need to look into re-pinning the oil pressure gauge area to see if it can function for the fuel level gauge. Many of the printed circuits are shared with other gauges and the inputs may not be right for the fuel gauge. I will take a look at it this weekend.

[78-5.3]

here is where i am with my camaro tacho and oil gauge i have it wired up i was going to use a 91 cluster now im using my 78 cluster and cut the back out where the 91 elec. speedo will come out