89 TBIRD
1st Gear Poster
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2023
- Messages
- 53
- Age
- 59
- Location
- Woodbridge, VA
- Vehicle Details
- 1989 Thunderbird Base N/A V6
![United-States Country flag](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/files/misc/flags/shiny/32/United-States.png)
Original thread: 1989 Base Cluster Fu- ah Swap | TCCoA Forums (https://www.tccoa.com/threads/1989-base-cluster-fu-ah-swap.189491/#post-2053595)
I'll repost just the highlights here.
After 30 years of looking at my lame 3 gauge instrument cluster, it's time to upgrade. I obtained a sport cluster from a '93 Cougar, and the '89 and '93 EVTMs.
The '93 book has a very nice wiring chart, much more handy than the schematics.
![1 - fx7VHD3.jpg 1 - fx7VHD3.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/324-7d17563ef211f0699cb2c98d412db94d.jpg)
The '89 book has no such chart, so I did some copy/pasting on the '93 scan to depict the '89 wiring. This made it so much easier to switch the wiring around.
![2 - Rmqn5Od.jpg 2 - Rmqn5Od.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/325-df0100ef8773521a88ac120cc0343442.jpg)
Notice the red text. My car has no tach, therefore no wire for it. The number 1 slot in that connector is empty, so I'll insert the tach wire there when it's added.
Since this is my only car I can't have it undriveable for very long. So just in case something goes wrong with the rewiring I have to be able to swap back to the original cluster while I figure out the problem. I decided to make an adapter harness, just like you would use for an after market radio. I picked up an extra cluster from an '89 SC. It was pretty beat up and missing the speedo, so it was cheap.
![3 - AHNtwp1.jpg 3 - AHNtwp1.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/326-7b564f52f39a59163afc1393d556d3d1.jpg)
I cut the harness connector sockets from the back of the SC cluster. Then I made new circuit traces with 1/8" copper foil tape.
![4 - ny20gP0.jpg 4 - ny20gP0.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/323-66e4b8ecf164f5550ab05362b52dceca.jpg)
Copper tape https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L0BTAX...olid=2EEWEMBS87FGW&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
I tacked down the wires with super glue, to prevent the copper tape from being pulled up if the wires get tugged on. It also made soldering easier.
![5 - SBvvUI7.jpg 5 - SBvvUI7.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/327-3bac8ce805249acbcaa5cd5159e1a382.jpg)
Then I soldered all the connections. Some wires had to be doubled up on one trace, and even triple on one.
![6 - Iri5eve.jpg 6 - Iri5eve.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/328-1a023f9dfedd932c27fbeb89db2dd836.jpg)
![7 - NRyGmvh.jpg 7 - NRyGmvh.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/329-192ad6ad98117d7a4c7c03d3530c0f82.jpg)
Now it's test time, glad I studied! I removed the old cluster.
![8 - lPMGIiX.jpg 8 - lPMGIiX.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/330-81c5ab10cc96ed5ff87a43ce92ebce77.jpg)
Plugged in my custom harness adapters.
![9 - 6tAg6uR.jpg 9 - 6tAg6uR.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/331-8b10211001bf712871a82629e05b52fe.jpg)
And hooked up the new cluster.
![10 - vjL5fl9.jpg 10 - vjL5fl9.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/332-271c0409133086a383a4021eef12c292.jpg)
Tach and oil don't work as they are not wired to anything yet, I assume that's why the "Check Gauges" light is on. Everything else seems to work though.
The gauge lighting also works.
![11 - PbLL4YG.jpg 11 - PbLL4YG.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/333-25e053753d89dadc66f117a0c8d59837.jpg)
Even the speedo and turn signals work, which I verified with a trip around the block. It was cool to drive with the new cluster, almost like a different car (with the same squeaks and rattles though). But I didn't want to go too far with a busted odometer gear, so I'll replace that tonight. And reset the numbers to match the old one while I'm in there.
![12 - JzYH6Tb.jpg 12 - JzYH6Tb.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/334-bf55d3d4d2ae3f32f3affb844a05b1d9.jpg)
I got the new odo gears in, no need to cover it as it's well documented. I also reset the numbers to match my old odo, also documented but the picture links are dead on that thread. I looked at it for a while, trying to figure out how it goes together, and I noticed that one end of the axle pin for the number wheels is retained by what looks like a tang nut. The end of the pin protrudes past the nut, so a regular screw driver won't work. I don't have the appropriate tool but I managed to get it started with a pair of pointy hook-nosed tweezers. A few turns got the nut clear of the pin so I could finish with a screw driver.
Here's the nut. It got nicked a bit by the tweezers but no real harm done.
![13 - sI5pu6v.jpg 13 - sI5pu6v.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/335-67c256815e888e813bfbd18f6137b0b3.jpg)
Removing the nut frees the axle pin to wiggle a bit in the hole, and allowed it to be pulled away from the wheels just enough to turn them one at a time to reset them. So the "new" 75k odo now matches my 142k original.
I'll repost just the highlights here.
After 30 years of looking at my lame 3 gauge instrument cluster, it's time to upgrade. I obtained a sport cluster from a '93 Cougar, and the '89 and '93 EVTMs.
The '93 book has a very nice wiring chart, much more handy than the schematics.
![1 - fx7VHD3.jpg 1 - fx7VHD3.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/324-7d17563ef211f0699cb2c98d412db94d.jpg)
The '89 book has no such chart, so I did some copy/pasting on the '93 scan to depict the '89 wiring. This made it so much easier to switch the wiring around.
![2 - Rmqn5Od.jpg 2 - Rmqn5Od.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/325-df0100ef8773521a88ac120cc0343442.jpg)
Notice the red text. My car has no tach, therefore no wire for it. The number 1 slot in that connector is empty, so I'll insert the tach wire there when it's added.
Since this is my only car I can't have it undriveable for very long. So just in case something goes wrong with the rewiring I have to be able to swap back to the original cluster while I figure out the problem. I decided to make an adapter harness, just like you would use for an after market radio. I picked up an extra cluster from an '89 SC. It was pretty beat up and missing the speedo, so it was cheap.
![3 - AHNtwp1.jpg 3 - AHNtwp1.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/326-7b564f52f39a59163afc1393d556d3d1.jpg)
I cut the harness connector sockets from the back of the SC cluster. Then I made new circuit traces with 1/8" copper foil tape.
![4 - ny20gP0.jpg 4 - ny20gP0.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/323-66e4b8ecf164f5550ab05362b52dceca.jpg)
Copper tape https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L0BTAX...olid=2EEWEMBS87FGW&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
I tacked down the wires with super glue, to prevent the copper tape from being pulled up if the wires get tugged on. It also made soldering easier.
![5 - SBvvUI7.jpg 5 - SBvvUI7.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/327-3bac8ce805249acbcaa5cd5159e1a382.jpg)
Then I soldered all the connections. Some wires had to be doubled up on one trace, and even triple on one.
![6 - Iri5eve.jpg 6 - Iri5eve.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/328-1a023f9dfedd932c27fbeb89db2dd836.jpg)
![7 - NRyGmvh.jpg 7 - NRyGmvh.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/329-192ad6ad98117d7a4c7c03d3530c0f82.jpg)
Now it's test time, glad I studied! I removed the old cluster.
![8 - lPMGIiX.jpg 8 - lPMGIiX.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/330-81c5ab10cc96ed5ff87a43ce92ebce77.jpg)
Plugged in my custom harness adapters.
![9 - 6tAg6uR.jpg 9 - 6tAg6uR.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/331-8b10211001bf712871a82629e05b52fe.jpg)
And hooked up the new cluster.
![10 - vjL5fl9.jpg 10 - vjL5fl9.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/332-271c0409133086a383a4021eef12c292.jpg)
Tach and oil don't work as they are not wired to anything yet, I assume that's why the "Check Gauges" light is on. Everything else seems to work though.
The gauge lighting also works.
![11 - PbLL4YG.jpg 11 - PbLL4YG.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/333-25e053753d89dadc66f117a0c8d59837.jpg)
Even the speedo and turn signals work, which I verified with a trip around the block. It was cool to drive with the new cluster, almost like a different car (with the same squeaks and rattles though). But I didn't want to go too far with a busted odometer gear, so I'll replace that tonight. And reset the numbers to match the old one while I'm in there.
![12 - JzYH6Tb.jpg 12 - JzYH6Tb.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/334-bf55d3d4d2ae3f32f3affb844a05b1d9.jpg)
I got the new odo gears in, no need to cover it as it's well documented. I also reset the numbers to match my old odo, also documented but the picture links are dead on that thread. I looked at it for a while, trying to figure out how it goes together, and I noticed that one end of the axle pin for the number wheels is retained by what looks like a tang nut. The end of the pin protrudes past the nut, so a regular screw driver won't work. I don't have the appropriate tool but I managed to get it started with a pair of pointy hook-nosed tweezers. A few turns got the nut clear of the pin so I could finish with a screw driver.
Here's the nut. It got nicked a bit by the tweezers but no real harm done.
![13 - sI5pu6v.jpg 13 - sI5pu6v.jpg](https://forum.birdcats.com/data/attachments/0/335-67c256815e888e813bfbd18f6137b0b3.jpg)
Removing the nut frees the axle pin to wiggle a bit in the hole, and allowed it to be pulled away from the wheels just enough to turn them one at a time to reset them. So the "new" 75k odo now matches my 142k original.
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