Just swapped a CRX dash into my 91 SI hatch and I've got a few questions:

Is my stock cluster the same as the CRX one? The CRX cluster cover doesn't seem to fit right.
And if I do need a CRX cluster, will a 91 CRX SI cluster be plug and play in my 91 SI?

Do I need to swap out the plastic (or cut it?) that surrounds my steering wheel? The plastic also hits the CRX cluster cover when I try to put it on.

What goes in that little cubby above the ashtray? Mine is just a hole and you can see all the wiring and stuff. Looks tacky.

 

im guessing youre talking about the cover or bezel that goes over the cluster?..

im not sure ive never done this before all i know about the clusters
any crx/civic 88-89 interchangable plug and play
any crx/civic 90-91 interchangable plug and play

so if you say you are sure both cars are 91 and they got stock clusters they will work plug and play and about the bezel im pretty sure it change just like the cluster i know for a fatch that the bezel in civics 88-89 is smaller than the 90-91 (its a little bigger) even though the dashes are different maybe the bezel will change as well find out llook for clear pics of a 88-89 crx dash and the 90-91 and look for differences

and btw i wanna do this to my hatch i got a few questions is it bolt on or any mods have to be done?

and also the vin number what did you do?

 

So, if you want to do a CRX to hatch dash swap you should put a 90-91 CRX Dash in a 90-91 Hatch? Can someone confirm this? I'm looking to swap the CRX dash into my 90 hatch.

 

I know for a fact that you can't run a 88-89 civic/crx gauge cluster in a 90-91 civic/crx unless you de-pin and re-pin the connectors. I'm not sure on the rear defrost or the hazard though. I'd play it safe and do a 90-91 crx dash.

 

Well my car is a 91. And the car at pick n pull I tore the dash out of was a 91. Everything was direct bolt on, however I am still using my original 91 Civic cluster and ended up buying a cluster cover online which supposedly came off a 91 CRX. When I go to put the cluster cover on it hits the plastic piece covering the steering column and doesnt seem to fit over my original civic cluster correctly either. Everything else worked fine. Used my original climate controls and clock. Just looks really janky without a cluster cover on and my hazard and other buttons just hanging down, trying to figure out the easiest/cheapest fix.

 

I'm pretty sure you would want to stick with 90-91. There was an 89 CRX with a dash at pick n pull the same day I got mine and we noticed several differences between the two. The center consoles and ebrake covers were the same, but where it fits over the steeering wheel and vents/climate controls looked different.

 

I have also done this swap, although it was an 88 crx dash into my 91 DX. You can swap them over, but you will need the steering wheels surround as they are in fact narrower to accomidate the new gauge cluster surround shape

 

Good info. I'm definitely going to do a writeup with pictures when I get around to it.

 

Sorry if this is partal thread jacking.Just so I can be clear on what I've read.

I already know that there is some repining require if you switch actual clusters between 88-89 to 90-91. I also know that the cluster covers between 88-89 to 90-91 are different.

I've actually bolted up a 91 cluster in my 89 but I didn't have a cover to see if it would fit around the dash. What I think I've read is that the 91 cover will fit if I also get a 90-91 steering column cover?

....all my info is about hatches

 

I haven't done dash swaps, but I have done cluster swaps.

88-89 and 90-91 are different, but can be swapped.
88-89 we will call group A
90-91 are group B

For A cluster to work on B dash, we would need A cluster shroud/cover and some re-pinning, along with the steering column cover for the hazards.

For B cluster to work on A dash, cluster shroud and re-pinning. You can keep the factory column cover, and fit a rear foglight switch into the spot for hazards on B cluster shroud/cover.

The ONLY differences between A and B as far as dashes go, are the cluster covers and the wiring, wiring can all be re-pinned. Or just swap your harness.

Definitely swap the harness, so that you have B harness on A dash. Simplest way to do it.

 

Thanks, answered one of my questions. Now does anyone know if theres is any difference between a 1991 CRX SI cluster and a 1991 CIVIC SI cluster?

 

pretty sure they are identical

 

Guess what?

They aren't the same!

I am 100% sure.

I believe the Civic one is taller where the buttons are...
Yeah, the hazards on the 90-91 are vertical for Civic, horizontal for CRX.

I tried putting a Civic shroud on my CRX, didn't work.

 

the shrouds are different yes, and the way they are mounted within the dash, but the clusters themselves are the same.

 

Shrouds are different. All 88-89 Civic/CRX clusters are the same, plug and play. All 90-91 Civic/CRX clusters are the same, plug and play.


I honestly thought he was talking about the shrouds.

 

So i guess for a 88-89 hatch, i should use the 88-89 crx dash? Im eventually going to do this swap and just want some info on it.

 

The clusters are definitely the same. The Si cluster in my hatch came out of a CRX.

 

Interesting. Saved me from buying a new cluster. Now I'm worried I might have an 88-89 shroud. I'm going to swap out the steering column cover and see if I can make it fit reasonably well.