I started my conversion last week, and ordered the conversion manual from JIM on MONDAY. I've gotten many of the details worked out of the conversion, and will be updating this thread with year specific details I have found that are not covered in the manual due to the differences between 93 and 95. I don't know what the policies are regarding links here, so I will copy and past my current posts from another forum and put them into this post. Currently I have found that the DMAX controller looks for a ground signal from the HVAC controller. Jim covered this in his manual, and says that his 93 worked this way. I went to the dealership as I have access to all of the factory manuals there and double checked, but the 95-00 controllers send a 12V+ signal. The 95 powers the A/C relay directly, and the low pressure switch actually carries the A/C clutch load. And 96-00 send a 12V+ signal to the PCM.

I know most people will transfer the DMAX cluster over from the donor to the receiver, but I have decided to go stand-alone. The issues I have found with doing this are with the coolant temp guage, glow plug light and the tach. The tach on the 6.5 is driven off of the alternator, so you could tap into the alternator on the DMAX and run it that way. The earlier 6.5's like my 95 use a seperate sender for the guage and ECM(not sure on the later 6.5's), but the DMAX uses the ECT for the ECM and sends the signal via the bus to the cluster. The oil pressure sending unit on the 01-02 is the same as the 6.5 except it doesn't have the OPS circuit, so that will work fine.

The ECT actually outputs the same resistance as the seperate temp sensor used on my 95, but I don't know if the guiage will cause issues with false temp readings if I tap into it. I plan on using the block drain and tap it to accept the sender for the guage if this is an issue, but I will try teeing in first and see what happens first. The glow plug signal on the DMAX is a grounded signal via the PCM, but my 95 is a powered signal that ties straight into the glow plugs wiring. Later trucks may be different in the wiring, but for mine I will have to do some work on the cluster and make a cut and patch in the cluster printed circuit board.

The ECM does output a seperate speed signal for the ABS and then the speedo in the 01(didn't see one on the 02 wiring diagram). The speedo output does match that of the VSSB for the speedo, but I have yet to hear if the ABS output is the 128,000 per mile like that of the VSSB. The straw that may make me redo my dash wiring and concede defeat and swap to the 01 wiring though may be the tow/haul mode. The tow haul mode works with a momentary switch that feeds into the BCM, and then the BCM sends a signal to the ECM and that relays it to the TCM for tow/haul mode. If no BCM is present the TCM will work in regular mode, and O/D lockout will also function. But tow/haul mode is lost.

You can have it flashed by PPE to put it into tow/haul OR regular mode, but not switcheable. BRAYDEN at FLEECE CAN write a custom ALLISON program though that will give me tow/haul AND OD/lockout. I just don't feel like having the DIC beeping at me because my ABS and airbags won't talk to the cluster, and by going stand-alone the only things I see losing are the oil change reminder and trans temp guage. WIF and low coolant can be wired in to work with the 95 cluster as both of these were on the 6.5.

Stand-alone IS possible, and seems like a viable option for me as I prefer the layout of my 95 dash and cluster. Then again I just like to be different too.