HELP - Removing instrument cluster on a 70 dart
- Thread starter OldDart
- Start date
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67limecrazy
Well-Known Member
The same will come out as soon as you drop the steering colum. You have three nuts on the bottom of the same. Remove them, drop the steering wheel and remove the instrument cluster. Make sure you remove the srews from the cluster. Slowly back it up and disconect wires and speedo cable as you go and wala its out.
Good Luck
Good Luck
Burntorange70
Well-Known Member
The wiers are not long enough to pull it out much. I don't know how flexible you are but I lay on my back under the dash with my feet up and over the front seat. Its not fun but it works for me.
64dart170
Well-Known Member
I was wondering if I was the only one that assumed that position when removing instermint panels! I had to remove 3 bolts up next to the dash on the column and the 3 bolts on the floor before I could remove our panel.
cecil4speed
Well-Known Member
Hey guys a word of advice. When you are on you back under the dash and have a belly like me, just don't let yourself sqirm down between the seat and front on the door post in a building that the doors only open apout 1/3 of the way or you just might find yourself stuck there until someone comes to rescue you. I use a spotter now. If my son wouldn't have been upstairs in the garage when I got stuck I might still be there. Oh well, everone else thought it was funny.
Don't forget to disconnect the battery !! The hot lead to the amp guage is HOT !!
Go ahead, ask me how I know.
Go ahead, ask me how I know.
Burntorange70
Well-Known Member
ChazRam
1964 Valiant V200
Hey Cecil, you have not seen me. Kind of fill up the entire front of the interior so I know what spam in a can feels like, Anyhow back to this task at hand.
'On my cluster pulls I always drop the steering column, then take out the wiper and headlight switch due to not wanting to scratch up the bezel. If you get upside down and look up the back of the dash cluster there are two rectangular black plugs about an inch long by about 3/8ths thick. There are about seven wires in each of them. One is near the wiper switch above and a little to the center of the custer. The other plug is near the headlight switch pretty much directly above it. Note, (take care when removing both of these plugs not to bend or twist as the pins on the cluster break pretty easy). After these plugs are removed near where the plug was on the wiper side of the cluster is a red wire and a black wire. Both of these have a 3/8ths nut holding each one on the cluster. Take both of them off. Next to remove the speedo cable just put a long common screwdriver on the leading edge of the plastic housing from directly under where the steering column was and reach up with your other hand and gently push the back of the raised 1/4 by 1 inch tab. At the same time just give the screwdriver a easy push and off comes the speedo cable. Then just take out the five screws on the front of the bezel and remove the cluster. Another note, (DO NOT FORCE THE CLUSTER OUT). Just a little wiggle here and there and pull the top out first kind of like opening the glove box if you catch my drift and it will come out easily. Just take it slow and dont hit the pins on the cluster on the top edge of the dash when it comes out. Sounds a little complicated but in reality take less than an hour. Good luck.
Chas.
Oh yeah, do remove the battery cables first thing before getting near any wiring!!!!
'On my cluster pulls I always drop the steering column, then take out the wiper and headlight switch due to not wanting to scratch up the bezel. If you get upside down and look up the back of the dash cluster there are two rectangular black plugs about an inch long by about 3/8ths thick. There are about seven wires in each of them. One is near the wiper switch above and a little to the center of the custer. The other plug is near the headlight switch pretty much directly above it. Note, (take care when removing both of these plugs not to bend or twist as the pins on the cluster break pretty easy). After these plugs are removed near where the plug was on the wiper side of the cluster is a red wire and a black wire. Both of these have a 3/8ths nut holding each one on the cluster. Take both of them off. Next to remove the speedo cable just put a long common screwdriver on the leading edge of the plastic housing from directly under where the steering column was and reach up with your other hand and gently push the back of the raised 1/4 by 1 inch tab. At the same time just give the screwdriver a easy push and off comes the speedo cable. Then just take out the five screws on the front of the bezel and remove the cluster. Another note, (DO NOT FORCE THE CLUSTER OUT). Just a little wiggle here and there and pull the top out first kind of like opening the glove box if you catch my drift and it will come out easily. Just take it slow and dont hit the pins on the cluster on the top edge of the dash when it comes out. Sounds a little complicated but in reality take less than an hour. Good luck.
Chas.
Oh yeah, do remove the battery cables first thing before getting near any wiring!!!!
ChazRam covered it pretty well. Let me ad, there is a tab right above where the speedo cable slides on that retains the wiring harness, you need to slide this plastic retainer that is taped onto the wiring harness off this tab. Also the cluster will rotate from the top down to remove. Once out you will see that there is a large portion of the assembly that extends below the dash frame at the bottom. I think these are one of the hardest cluster to remove that I have encountered.
I got it out. Sometimes you just have to go back when you are in a more patient mood to finish the job. I'm glad to hear that it is one of the more tricky clusters, now I don't feel so inadequate. I was able to get everything off except the alt. gauge wires which I disconnect after wiggling the unit out. The steering column was dropped down completely.
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