My cluster so far has been "iffy" at best. I'm pretty sure the RPMs and speed are very close and my temp gauge has proven that it can go above 180 on one occasion. Oil pressure, volts and fuel are a mystery. Nothing has been dangerously high or low to worry about so far and I have been using my trip meter for the fuel - until today. Gauge said "E" and trip said 199.2 - for another half hour of driving

I have been noticing some really cool clusters in some of the build posts and toying with the idea of LED bulbs behind mine. The prettiest so far was one from Iniglo. When I read more about it, I found that it was only an overlay that had to be tinkered with ("fitted") so as not to get any of the needles caught on it. Another showed of the use of GM Grand Prix needles. They looked cool. That got me thinkin'. I'm already hunting for a DR44G alternator in GMs with big motors and big power needs. Why not look in GMs for a cool cluster - if they can be compatible? It does not have digital anything in the cluster, its all mechanical. Does anyone know if a '96 4door cluster would be compatible withy any other GM Car or Truck?

I searched BF and only came up with one match from a thread that died in 2012 after 4 replies. It was posted in the wrong place (General Chat) instead of General Tech Help 2nd Gen.

 

When I need to find what year parts fit which year suv I find the part number for mine and compare that to other years. When the part number changes I assume it won't work on mine. You mentioned wanting a haynes manual in another thread. Spend a little more and get a factory service manual set. Your gauges are electronic, analog, but not mechanical. No cable driven speedometer or oil lines run into the instrument cluster. Search big 3 upgrade to make the most of your alternator swap.

 

Thank you Rusty. I will

 

I started my quest at the yard today. Searching in order of priority: 1. DR44G / 4 pin Alternator. I did find a huge Alt in a Sedan DeVille but when I finally got it out to read it, it only had one "front to back" bolt. The other two mounted way different than Blazers or the S10 family. I have seen this one before in difficult places to reach; much less read the front for the "DR44G." On the upside I picked up some very heavy guage wires with great ring connectors on all ends. Without knowing the term "Big 3," I was already planning to go big by gathering the "good stuff."

2. Onto Speedos. I pulled one from an 01 Blazer. As Rusty said no cable and no oil lines - just a plug [center top down]. Very simple. Then, while I was comparing for compatibility; I pulled one from a 95 Blazer.

This was really "Old School." Instead of a sealed unit like the 01 it had the plastic film all over the back and around the light bulbs. The wring was printed right into it. I say old school because I remember a time they all seemed to be that way. Unfortunately, as they age the plastic gets brittle and careless handling can result in broken wiring in the plastic sheet. And, of course, the rectangular hole to match the rectangular matching plug from the vehicle back wall. I was not happy to find this kind of "Fitting Limitation."

It meant I had to find a similar sized GM cluster with that very specific molded plug to the back wall. I am certainly willing to do some trimming and fitting for an upgrade but this arrangement is outdated. Everything I took apart had the modern clip in plugs except one. I think it was a mid 90s Monte Carlo SS. It had a handsome/sporty face and as I started getting it out I could see that old fashioned plastic wiring stuff. When I did pop it out the male plug molded on the back wall was high center instead of low left as mine is. I was about to leave and was gonna buy the 95 cluster when it occurred to me. It's a year older than mine and I am in no "pinch" to replace mine just now. So I stuck it in a "hide car" in case I change my mind. I'm thinkin' that I may come across a "garage kept/Mint" 96/97 Blazer with a perfect cluster someday. Or even better a new aftermarket cluster with a racy face and 120 mph speedo. Or even a great deal on a great cluster brand new for *my* truck! Time will tell.

 

OK. It's settled. I am either gonna ship my cluster out to have all the step motors replaced and LED bulbs put in or buy the bulbs and just do the lights.

After seeing what is out there to replace car stereos and the app "Torque;" I can get everything my vehicle Guages tell me and much more right off the OBD Plug with blu tooth! I just need t6o figure out which unit is capable and wont break the Bank