wiring rallye gauges

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Offline MAXcuda

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wiring rallye gauges
« on: December 21, 2004 - 05:31:08 PM »
Well my restored rallye cluster arrived yesterday from Autoinstruments.com.  It looks great.  I spent yesterday and today reading the wiring diagrams, checking each wire on my rallye harness for continuity and labeling each connector.  I pulled out my old cluster and will probably have the entire dash out tomorrow for paint prep.  A couple of things I have noticed:

I need to run a wire from the negative post of the coil to #17 on the bulkhead connector to run the tach.  What about the dark blue wire that connects to the tach also?  Is it just a common ground that the rallye harness will take care of or do I need to hook something else up? 

Is the oil pressure sender different from idiot light to gauge?  Do I need to change that for the rallye cluster or just hook it up as the wiring diagram shows?

Are the only real differences between the harnesses the tach and oil gauge hookups and clock power?  I'm asking b/c I am going to have to do some hand wiring either way, as the rallye harness I have is not A/C so I have to make the vacuum switch electrical connections anyway, and maybe I could just modify my existing harness and $ell the rallye harness.




Offline MEK-Dangerfield

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Re: wiring rallye gauges
« Reply #1 on: December 21, 2004 - 05:57:37 PM »
I'll start you out. For the tach. The case is ground. There is a wire from the neg. side of the coil, and the +12 that comes on with the ignition. I can't recall what color the wires were, but the power goes to a cap over one of the screws, while the "-" from the coil is a tab that fits under another screw. If this makes no sense, I can E-mail you some pictures and a better description.

 As for the oil light question. What year of car do you have, and what engine? My 70 big block has an oil pressure cannister near the back of the engine, behind the carb.. I have rally gauges, so this works for me, I'm not sure about an idiot light. Sorry.
 
I think you have this right though. Get the oil pressure gauge working, and power to the clock and tach. I can help with the power stuff, I'm only unsure about the oil pressure gauge. I'm not sure if they use the same sensor. :dontknow:

  Mike
« Last Edit: December 21, 2004 - 06:04:15 PM by MEKrunner »

Mike

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Offline Katfish

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Re: wiring rallye gauges
« Reply #2 on: December 21, 2004 - 06:06:51 PM »
I converted to Ralley some time back.  The sending unit for the idiot light and the oil pressure gauge are different.

What you need to do it cut the 1 wire from the idiot light (there are 2, 1 for power and the other 1 goes to sensor to make ground connection).

You then need to splice in a different connector on this sensor line.  The oil pressure gauge is a threaded stud that requires a push on connector.

Katfish

Offline MAXcuda

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Re: wiring rallye gauges
« Reply #3 on: December 21, 2004 - 09:56:59 PM »
Ok so I looked over the wiring diagrams and I think I know what I need to do to make my standard harness work.  Tell me if this is right...

change oil pressure senders
cut the wires off the oil light
connect the grey oil light signal wire to the oil gauge
connect the dark blue oil light wire to the tach power.  (I think this wire is 12V ignition switched)
run the tach signal from the negative coil post to the tach
splice 12V continuous power from the cigarette lighter to the clock (as in rallye diagram)

sound right?  Thanks for the help guys.

Offline Chryco Psycho

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Re: wiring rallye gauges
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2004 - 01:16:28 AM »
the oil pressure guage should be powered from the Vr onm the dash & should get 5 v pulsing power not 12v

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Offline Katfish

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Re: wiring rallye gauges
« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2004 - 04:29:33 AM »
CP is right,

You don't need to do anything with the 2nd wire coming from the idiot light.  I just left mine connected and tucked the whole light assembly away under the dash (if you do this, make sure you don't cut the 1st wire flush, leave a little wire to splice back).  That way you can convert back later if you want.

The oil pressure gauge on the Ralley set-up gets power from the on-board regulator, this connection should already be there.

I double checked what you wrote, and that's not a bad idea to use the idiot light wire (12V) for the tach switched power.  I probed around and ran another wire.  This would have been easier.  :thumbs:

Katfish
« Last Edit: December 22, 2004 - 04:51:17 AM by Katfish »

Offline MAXcuda

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Re: wiring rallye gauges
« Reply #6 on: January 20, 2005 - 12:53:22 PM »
Just a follow up to this.  I did all this last week and test drove the car.  Everything worked great.  So the connections in my last post are correct for anyone else who is looking to do the same thing.