digital to buttstuffog cluster

Topic: digital to buttstuffog cluster (Read 3411 times) previous topic - next topic

digital to buttstuffog cluster

February 27, 2010, 02:45:35 PM

I can't seem to find the answer when I searched, so if this is old news, just point me in tehe right direction. The 85 cougar has two plugs on the back of the instrument cluster for the base digital dash. I just found a nice looking cluster from an 88 V8 cougar with a full buttstuffog set up. The 88 cluster only has one connector. I didn't grab the connector for it and forgot they were different. Is it worth going back for the connector and trying to wire this in, or should I keep looking for an 85, possibly with a full digital dash? A good schematic for the 88 would help if someone has the EVTM and is willing to share. Thanks

digital to buttstuffog cluster

Reply #1 – February 27, 2010, 04:49:40 PM

I added cluster info for everyone
http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f162/jcassity_bucket/

however, can anyone confirm where in the shop manual details about the buttstuffog cluster resides? My 87 shop manual / chassis electrical secion 33 is lacking in this area and I can not figure out why.

the buttstuffog cluster is covered briefly for pony/bird/coug/markvii but there seems to be no single cluster connector detail that i can see.

digital to buttstuffog cluster

Reply #2 – February 27, 2010, 07:20:15 PM

Are the 87/88 clusters the same? Maybe someone else has done this conversion to an 85 who may have more insight than I.

digital to buttstuffog cluster

Reply #3 – February 27, 2010, 07:53:04 PM

It has been a long time since I did this. But if I remember, it just involves switching some wires around, from both your plugs, into the plug on the right side, as your looking at the dash. You can still use the plug you have, and the other plug just gets stuffed up in the dash after you switch wires to the other plug. You also have to solder a resistor in between the two charging wires to get the altenator to work. Foxthundercats use to have charts for this swap, but the links don't seem to work anymore, maybe someone has them copied somewhere. :D

digital to buttstuffog cluster

Reply #4 – February 27, 2010, 08:41:43 PM

also,
here is the buttstuffog connector pin out

http://www.coolcats.net/tech/general/8588buttstuffog_v8.html

I had a reason why I posted the evtm for you but if you'd rather someone else help then thats fine as well. I suppose my little bit of posts on here and having been tinkering with all the wiring off and on still warrents you to question that I may have just simply out of no where provided you with dope information,,therefore you can just ignore it all,, lol. jk

I was just trying to get you a resource that shows you what you have,, and be able to compare to what you need / where you want to be.

good day.

digital to buttstuffog cluster

Reply #5 – February 27, 2010, 08:59:42 PM

no offense intended.
I appreciated the EVTM links, just wasn't sure about 87/88 wiring being identical or not. The old EVTM info doesn't give the connector part numbers that I have seen, and I didn't know if I should go back to the jy to retrieve the original connector or not.
I guess I've gotten used tio the GM wiring over the years. I can read the schematics quite well and feel confident about the swap but only so long as I have the information in front of me(getting too old to remember everything in my head anymore).
The more information that I have gathered, the quicker I will gain the motivation to proceed. Thanks for all the knowledge and info from your experience

digital to buttstuffog cluster

Reply #6 – February 27, 2010, 09:10:34 PM

your going to need that connector for sure as you already know.
its going to contain the clues by way of wire colors what condition or what function resides on what pin of the buttstuffog cluster.

from there, using the EVTM and other resouces to cypher your 85 car cluster connectors x2 and groom in the required wiring into your single connector.

I found the Single conn application within the shop manual but it lacked the detail i was going to scan.

I cant be sure about who has done this yet, i do know that using using the search function then select advanced search presented me with more hits.
when you go to advanced search, go over to the left and enter the phrase and then select within thread titles or thread titles only (this will allow you to see thread titles with this type of project. If you select within all posts or whatever the other one is,, you will get hits on threads that may contain one of the words which in respect to all the threads,, really has nothign to do with your project.
"buttstuffog"
"digital to buttstuffog"
"buttstuffog swap"
"buttstuffog cluster">>> yields the highest amount of threads associated with this topic
ect ect,, then you will see other threads.

I dont think there is a spoon fed diy write up that will simply tell you what you need to do step by step. Trust me,, if i needed to do this, it would get done without a write up.

your very best buttstuffog selection would be from a mustang because it had a jumper setting to select 4,6 or 8 cyl while the coug/birds did not . you would have to do the parallel 100k resistor mod or install a 50k high tolerance resistor to swap it in.

digital to buttstuffog cluster

Reply #7 – February 27, 2010, 09:58:39 PM

I think the mustang uses cable driven speedometers don't they? Luckily, this cluster I picked up is from a V8 vehicle so the tach should be correct

digital to buttstuffog cluster

Reply #8 – February 28, 2010, 01:19:16 AM

Yes, Mustang speedo's are cable, at least up till 93.
If you have a V8 Tbird/Cougar tach, you're golden.

Just run a wire for the tach from the coil to position 15 on the connector, if you haven't stumbled upon that yet..

ANY V8 buttstuffog cluster from 85 through '88 will work, it's ONLY a matter of repinning 4 or 5 wires in your car for the new cluster.

This ONLY applies if you have the Base digital cluster, the full digital cluster has a different fuel sender that will NOT work with an buttstuffog fuel gauge.

If I can do this, anyone can. Wiring is NOT my strong point...

digital to buttstuffog cluster

Reply #9 – February 28, 2010, 01:28:12 AM

actually, the fuel sender will work. we worked on it for a while and its obvious the sender would just need to be wired backwards and at worse case,, a small calibration to the empty / full reading.

digital to buttstuffog cluster

Reply #10 – February 28, 2010, 01:48:14 AM

Quote from: jcassity;311904

actually, the fuel sender will work. we worked on it for a while and its obvious the sender would just need to be wired backwards and at worse case,, a small calibration to the empty / full reading.

It's not that simple for the electronic cluster fuel gauge is it? Because mine reads backwards... Full reads empty and vice versa...

digital to buttstuffog cluster

Reply #11 – February 28, 2010, 05:36:40 AM

Quote from: jcassity;311904

actually, the fuel sender will work. we worked on it for a while and its obvious the sender would just need to be wired backwards and at worse case,, a small calibration to the empty / full reading.

Yes, you are correct

:D, and anything can be made to work given enough time or money lol. I was just meaning plug 'n' play

digital to buttstuffog cluster

Reply #12 – February 28, 2010, 11:08:48 AM

i am still waiting for someone to send me a digi sender to mod,, either i or Dr D have it figured out ,,

digital to buttstuffog cluster

Reply #13 – February 28, 2010, 11:45:31 AM

I used to have one, a few years ago. Car got scapped, didn't think to save the fuel tank.

digital to buttstuffog cluster

Reply #14 – June 14, 2010, 05:35:41 PM

will the oil pressure/amp guage sender that is in use from a base cluster mate up correctly with an buttstuffog cluster? I know the base cluster only has an idiot light that comes on when pressure/amperage is too low, but I don't know if that is detirmined by the ecu or by the cluster, so does anyone else know?