Installing 87 JX gauge cluster (with tach)...
added 11/26/98
It seems that very few of the second-generation Sammies (88.5
and later) came with tachs, versus the earlier ones. I had
noticed several of the earlier gauge clusters in the junk
yards, but the dash was different, so I just figured they
wouldn't fit in mine.
Well, one day I got a burr (that happens a lot with me, ask
anyone who knows me), and decided to try to put one in my
dash, since the yard only wanted $20 for it.
To make a long story short, they don't fit. That's right,
the earlier clusters don't fit in the later, "square vent"
dash. But where there's a will, there's a way, so I made it
fit, cleanly. And as it turned out, it's not really that
hard to do.
Here's the skinny on mounting the early cluster
in the later dash:
Stuff you will need:
- 2 #8x3/8 screws self-tappping screws, with speednuts
- strip of steel: 3/16 thick, 3/8 wide, 8 long
- M6 tap
- keyhole saw or Dremel tool, to cut plastic - 2 M5 nuts
- A diagram of the wiring colors for the two plugs in the
donor vehicle - A wiring diagram for your Sammi
For clarity's sake, let's call the early dash with tach, the
"JX" dash and the existing dash (88.5 and later, without
tach) the "later" dash, OK?
Pull the later cluster out of the dash. There are 2
phillips-head screws in the top of the dash, near the
defroster vent, 2 phillips-head screws just under the lower
edge of the cluster, speedo cable (unscrews), and two
electrical plugs. There may also be 3 wires coming from the
back of the cluster leading to a small switch attached to
the body structure, just remove the switch from the body.
Assemble the JX cluster and cover together as a unit using
the 4 allen head screws. This whole unit, you'll notice,
fits into the hole in the dash. What you'll need to do now
is fabricate the upper brackets to hold it in place in
there. However, in order to accurately gauge how long to
make those brackets, you've got to modify the later gauge
cover to act as a trim bezel for the early cluster/cover.
What you have to do is completely cut out the later cover
plastic that is flush with the clear guage covers, leaving
the "ridge" at the edges. Then, you have to notch it out at
the bottom so the JX idiot lights will be visible.
There's no turning back once you've cut your later bezel, so
be sure you want to go on! Once you've done this, you'll be
able to gauge how long to make the upper brackets so that the
later bezel will mount flush against the JX bezel.
The idea with the brackets is this: They attach at one end to
the ends of the top two allen head screws, using the M5 nuts,
and then are bent in such a way that they extend to the holes
in the top of the dash where the two flush phillips-head
screws were. Once you've got them the right length, mark,
drill and tap holes in them for the screws.
Now the JX cluster should mount securely in the dash. You
don't need to make any brakets for the bottom, it seems to
stay in place on it's own. Now to mount the modified later
bezel. Take the two spped nuts off the bottom flange of the
later cluster and put them on the "slots" in the bottom of
the dash. Using the original screws should mount the bottom
of the bezel securely.
The top is another matter. What I did was drill two holes in
the top flange of the JX cluster and put speednuts on them.
Then I drilled two cooresponding holes in the top of the
later bezel, thru which I ran the self-tapping screws. It
sounds confusing, but once you see it, it'll make sense.
The wiring is really straightforward. The two plastic plugs
should plug right into the JX cluster, but you'll probably
need to move some wires to get the tach to work. The plugs
are designed to be able to be snapped open, at which point
the wires can be shifted to different positions in the plug.
If memory serves, there are only one or two wires that need
to be moved to make it work on my 88.5. Just look at your
wiring diagram for you Sammi to determine which one is the
tach signal from the coil.
That should do it for you. I'll have to disassemble it
someday and take photos, as I've had several people inquire
about this conversion, but as of now I don't have any.
E-mail me directly if you have any specific questions:
tdgraham@npcc.net
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