Some sedans and wagons came with a tachometer cluster. Your car should already be wired with the tachometer wire (from IG-) so it's "plug and play". But, you can swap your current speedometer into the tachometer cluster to retain your odometer reading. That involves gently pulling the needle off because you may need to swap the faceplate on the speedometer, then you need to reinstall the needle while driving at a known speed, then after that put the clear plastic front back on. Many member here have already done this swap, so there are other threads about it. The tricky part might be finding a tach cluster at a junkyard.

 

Some sedans and wagons came with a tachometer cluster. Your car should already be wired with the tachometer wire (from IG-) so it's "plug and play". But, you can swap your current speedometer into the tachometer cluster to retain your odometer reading. That involves gently pulling the needle off because you may need to swap the faceplate on the speedometer, then you need to reinstall the needle while driving at a known speed, then after that put the clear plastic front back on. Many member here have already done this swap, so there are other threads about it. The tricky part might be finding a tach cluster at a junkyard.

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side note: What are you using for instrument panel lighting?

 

That’s great, thanks for the info. I haven’t been able to find any clusters with tachs online, so i guess I’ll just have to hit up some junkers and hope. I’m hoping to do a blacktop swap at some point, do you know if the gauge cluster will still work with that? I’ve heard that sometimes the speedo won’t work, and if it does it puts the car in limp mode.

 

I'm not sure why the cluster wouldn't work with that engine. It may have a different cable or a cable that spins at a different speed, but I don't recall anyone ever mentioning there was a difference. I'm not sure why it would go into limp mode.

 

Wow, thanks for all the info! I'm a while away from the swap, but that'll be really good to know when I do it. I think I may have just found a cluster with a tach on ebay. I'm still looking around for engines, all the 5 speed blacktops I can find are ~4k, and I'm unsure of where to actually get one from outside of ebay. I have a friend who's swapping his bigport bluetop out of his mr2, and he's willing to sell it to me for $400. Not sure if I should go for that one, but it's another option I have.

 

Sounds great, I’ll send you my postal code. If you can get that to me I’ll really owe you one.

 

I did this swap and I'm in love. I also have a Wagon. Took the cluster from a 91 Sedan with tach.
The only issue I had and still have is with the fuel gauge measuring "full" at a bit over half a tank. I'm used to using my trip meter as my fuel tank from my motorcycle days anyway. 250 miles and it's time to fill up.
This swap made driving and saving gas that much more fun. I'm getting consisten 30mpg on mine with 150,000 miles.

For the odometer I just memorized the mileage difference and substract that from my odometer at every fill up so I can get the info in my mpg calculating app. 135,316 mile difference. It's kinda fun having a 285,000 mile odometer hahaha.

 

Good to know. My fuel gauge is kinda funky at the moment too, it takes about 5-6 minutes to get to the actual fuel level, but seems to be reliable after that.

 

Found a cluster, slapped it in. Automotive Recyclers of Canada is a great website for searching junkyards as it turns out.

 

I just went with an aftermarket tach lol, I can't find any Corollas in this generation in this area at all, they just don't exist here anymore apparently. My fuel gauge is super messed up as well, as well as my temp, but I think that's the temp sensor that failed so I need to replace that. The fuel gauge is the tank I am pretty sure, it reads 3/4 full when it is full, and empty after about 120 miles but I know I am good, I fill it once the trip hits 250 miles. Fuel tank has issues, when we lived in a hotter area the tank expanded and since then the gauge has not read correctly, I still need to replace the tank, but I am thinking of going fuel cell since it's a ridiculous project car anyways lol.

 

I might still have my gauge cluster with the white face conversion install, I can take a look if you want me to?