1990 to 1995 Cheyenne Gauge Swap

[ShnooDoo]

Hello all! I’m new to the site and hope to learn all I can about these trucks.

So recently I acquired a 1990 2500 (6 lug) manual trans from an auction. I wasn’t familiar with these trucks, but it was a pretty good price and I needed a truck. Good news, it runs and drives and is fairly clean. Bad news, I didn’t know at the time that the 454 (carbed) was swapped into this truck so who knows if everything was done correctly. On top of that, it has the grill and interior from a ~1995 model. The swap seems to be very well done, but my gauge cluster doesn’t work except for the volt and temp. I assume they just didn’t attempt to try and wire it correctly and was banking on it just working when plugged in.

So, does anyone have any information that would be helpful with my situation? From what I understand the ECM would normally be required for these clusters, but since it has a carbed 454, doubt that’s an option. Would it be possible to just hard wire all the wiring to the cluster plug and have the gauges work?

Sorry for the long post, but it’s a pretty complicated situation to me so I just want to try and give all the information I can.

Any suggestions or diagrams are greatly appreciated!

 

[AK49BWL]

Well, 95 by default came with a DRAC module for vehicle speed that fed the cluster, so you can probably pick one of those up from a junkyard (92-95 came with them, they're a little white box behind/under the glove box compartment, chances are you won't get one that matches your particular configuration but the modules can be modified to work), tach signal can be gotten from whatever ignition system is in use I'm sure... Fuel gauge can be wired direct to the sender as long as it's a 0-90 ohm sender, that's default on both 90 and 95 so should work, and the oil pressure gauge you'll have to get a proper sender for to hook it up. But it should all be doable, an ECM is not "required" to run these old clusters.

 

[ShnooDoo]

Well, 95 by default came with a DRAC module for vehicle speed that fed the cluster, so you can probably pick one of those up from a junkyard (92-95 came with them, they're a little white box behind/under the glove box compartment, chances are you won't get one that matches your particular configuration but the modules can be modified to work), tach signal can be gotten from whatever ignition system is in use I'm sure... Fuel gauge can be wired direct to the sender as long as it's a 0-90 ohm sender, that's default on both 90 and 95 so should work, and the oil pressure gauge you'll have to get a proper sender for to hook it up. But it should all be doable, an ECM is not "required" to run these old clusters.

Awesome! I’ll have to see if they happen to have swapped in the DRAC when they did the interior.

Just to clarify, the DRAC module is only required to operate the speedometer? So theoretically if they made a GPS module that could send the signal that would work as well?

 

[AK49BWL]

Correct, I think a couple on here have done exactly that. Cluster just needs a 4000 pulse per mile input.

 

[ShnooDoo]

Correct, I think a couple on here have done exactly that. Cluster just needs a 4000 pulse per mile input.

That’s great news. You wouldn’t happen to know of any diagrams that show color/function of the wires in the plug?

 

[AK49BWL]

Certainly.

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It says 1997 but 95 is the same minus the PCM for the vehicle speed sensor.

 

[ShnooDoo]

Certainly.

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It says 1997 but 95 is the same minus the PCM for the vehicle speed sensor.

Thank you! Hopefully I can find time either this weekend or the next to see what I can do. If all else fails, I guess aftermarket gauges are always an option.