Evening guys, I'm fairly new to the site, don't have a Hamb friendly....yet (got my eye on a '54 chevy though) But I sure enjoy this site and hope to tap into the wealth of knowledge here. I am helping my buddy wire his 66 ford with a "one size fits all" harness. We got everything working however now the gas gauge reads 3/4 full when the tank is full and the oil pressure gauge is lower than it was with the old harness. I have read that I may need to wire in a resistor inline for both gauges to "match" the sending unit to the gauge. Does this sound right? If so, how big of a resistor? I've sure have learned when given the option, buy the more expensive harness. Thnx, Dust
did you change the gauges or fuel sender or oil sender? if you are using all the original gauges and senders then you should check the switched B+ (positive) voltage at the gauges. also check for good grounds for the gauges. do not ground to the easiest dash support. run the ground to a thick area on the sides of the dash /pillars. try to attach in the same area as the factory (original) locations. make sure the fuel sender is grounded and that the engine is well grounded.
If you are using the stock Ford gauges, they are 6 volt and require an IVR (instrument voltage regulator) which came stock with the truck. You will need to put that in line between the 12V switched power feed and the gauges. One can be sourced from NAPA for a 1959 Ford and uses spade connectors as opposed to later models which use a snap attachment to the printed circuit board. The gauges will function just like Henry designed them to.
Okay great. He purchased an NOS factory correct gauge and we did not replace the sending unit. The gauge did have a IVR on it but I will switch it with the one that is on the original cluster to test. A better ground is an excellent idea too. The way it's set up the cluster just grounds to the dash. Got allot to do tonight, if I could only get off work. Thanks for the ideas, Dust
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