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Topic: 83 84 digital cluster members (Read 4555 times) previous topic - next topic

83 84 digital cluster members

Reply #15 –
Jcassity, my cluster had a fuel level issue which was cured by a wiring repair(lovely little rodent)  my spare cluster if I remember correctly has a functioning fuel level display but an inop speedo display. Also I might still have a coach lamp bird laying around if thats what you were speaking with dragon about. I think it buzzed but didnt light.

83 84 digital cluster members

Reply #16 –
If I'm looking at the 83-84 digital cluster correctly it appears that the only digital thing about it is the speedometer and gas gauge? It's not like the 85-88 digital cluster which has full instrumentation.
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.

83 84 digital cluster members

Reply #17 –
Yep. Even the odometer is mechanical, lol.
CoogarXR : 1985 Cougar XR-7

83 84 digital cluster members

Reply #18 –
Quote from: thunderjet302;430952
If I'm looking at the 83-84 digital cluster correctly it appears that the only digital thing about it is the speedometer and gas gauge? It's not like the 85-88 digital cluster which has full instrumentation.

Quote from: CoogarXR;430957
Yep. Even the odometer is mechanical, lol.
1980-83 Conti Mark VI's and 1981-89 Town Cars were the same way. Because of that, I almost prefer the buttstuffog cluster in those. But those did have that cool, along the lines of the Tripminder's functions, built into the cluster.
Current: 1986 Thunderbird, 105k 3.8/C5, 2 tone  Midnight Wine/Medium Taupe, wing windows, wire wheel covers.


Former: 1985 Cougar GS 115k Oxford White/Regatta Blue, 5.0, full console, 14" 8 hole aluminum T-Bird rims, Edelbrock valve covers.

83 84 digital cluster members

Reply #19 –
Quote from: thunderjet302;430952
If I'm looking at the 83-84 digital cluster correctly it appears that the only digital thing about it is the speedometer and gas gauge? It's not like the 85-88 digital cluster which has full instrumentation.

yeah, and the link I posted earlier to Lumpycheeseman's diy write up shows all the internals as well and showing it powered up.


dan,
if you can part with it it would be nice to have, id like to have a pair of them.
If you can ,, look around the house for a power supply like those that come with your chordless phone or whatever,, look for one that has around 5vdc output. 
not sure why yours is buzzing, dragon did all the hard work discovering how those light up and such so if you do send me one,, ill have to dig up his older threads about them and get it working again.

another thing I am  after for my personal stock is lighted cougar emblems.
 

83 84 digital cluster members

Reply #20 –
Quote from: jcassity;431078
yeah, and the link I posted earlier to Lumpycheeseman's diy write up shows all the internals as well and showing it powered up.


dan,
if you can part with it it would be nice to have, id like to have a pair of them.
If you can ,, look around the house for a power supply like those that come with your chordless phone or whatever,, look for one that has around 5vdc output. 
not sure why yours is buzzing, dragon did all the hard work discovering how those light up and such so if you do send me one,, ill have to dig up his older threads about them and get it working again.

another thing I am  after for my personal stock is lighted cougar emblems.

I didn't do too much work, unfortunately I never got around to rebuilding the inverter that died. If you hear the inverter buzzing when you apply voltage across it, that means it will illuminate the panel if the panel is still good. From there it's just a matter of buying a new panel and cutting it to size and putting it all back together to make it look pretty. I'm not sure what the input voltage is supposed to be, but I can tell you that 12 volts wasn't too much for it. Didn't know they only needed 5 volts until after the fact. The inverter takes the DC voltage and turns it into a very high frequency AC voltage. I didn't have my oscilloscope to check the actual frequency or voltage. I'll be doing some more research eventually, it'll be pretty simple to make a circuit to replace the inverter. The only problem will be the form factor, the ones Ford used were about half the size of a AA Battery, and were a completely sealed unit within the emblem itself.

*Edit


http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?27250-Electroluminescet-Emblems&highlight=

Here's a link to the thread where I was playing around with them, pictures are gone though. I guess I did have an oscilloscope on hand while I was testing. Also, how the hell has it been 4 years since I made that thread?
2002 Honda Civic EX

1984 Ford Thunderbird Elan
5.0 CFI, T5, Dual Exhaust

83 84 digital cluster members

Reply #21 –
4 years may have slipped but my memory of who does what cool projects here has not.

83 84 digital cluster members

Reply #22 –
I will bring this back from the past... my '84 Elan has one and its fully functioning!