instrument bezel

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basement

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I'm trying to remove the plastic bezels around the radio and instruments and have removed all the philip head screws on the outside but the bezels are still attached. Do I have to get my hand back up underneath the dash and come in from behind to remove the remaining screws?

Oh, ya it's a 70 dart.
 
Yes, (assuming non-rallye) on the 1970 Dart, the center radio bezel has 2 screws that hold it on from the back, if you don't take them out you will break it. Can't remember exactly where but more towards the center? hope this helps!!
 
hey there, there are two nuts on either side of the heater control unit. the face plate and heater switch/control unit are sandwiched between the metal dash panel and these two nuts. need to pull radio and ash tray to really be able to get to them. or have very skinny long arms that are real flexable. mine aren't. i have all the scratched to prove it.
don
 
OK, will check those. But what about the instrument cluster bezel?
 
That entire cluster comes out . Then upside down on a table to remove the bezel attaching screws.
Remove negative battery cable. Remove colum cover and colum mounting bolts to lower colum. Remove cluster to dash screws. You'll need to find the speedo cable at the fire wall and pull up a little slack which should begin to push the cluster away from housing. Reach in behind from left side to disconnect headlight switch, 2 wires to amp gauge, speedocable, main harness connecter, etc..
I normally just lower the fuse box to get at the little button on the headlight switch and remove it from the panel rather than fight that connecter. The wiper switch isn't so difficult to unplug. Remember if battery is hooked up that red wire to amp gauge is hot as a firecracker. The rest of the interior is dead until red and black are connected to each other or the gauge. Good luck
 
yea, i ended up pulling column to ease the extraction. at very least it has to be lowered out of the way. the cluster has to be pulled down from the top because there is a dropped section under speedo. you have to tip it down to get to everything anyway. be very careful not to pull too hard on the wiring loom. those circuit boards are delicate. i've seen the pins pull right out of them because people get frustrated and pull too hard. good luck
big daddy don
 
..............and if you happen to pull a pin out, don't panic.........you can gently solder it back in with a tiny bit of flux and some good electronics solder...just be sure it's straight when it cools.

While your cluster is out, check your big harness where it comes up from the drivers kickplate area to the top of the dash and up over your cluster......screws through the bezel sometimes wear this harness down in that corner area, to the point of shorting out your wires, or even setting the car ablaze in extrema circumstances.

BE SURE your harness is neat and clean before you reinstall. (and don't use long screws in that bezel, or you're asking for short circuits........they can penetrate the harness).

Doc :glasses8:
 
I set the park brake and pull colum shifter down into drive to get it out of my way but haven't had to completely remove a colum (yet). Since the headlight and wiper switches are gonna be removed eventually yo may want to do like I do and just leave them in the car. Either way works. I have connected the amp gauge wires with a small nut and bolt, taped them good and driven the car without instruments for a week or more. The wiper switch will need a grounnd to the dash. Warning... it is possible for the car to strat in reverse or drive while the colum is lowered since linkage is temporary mal adjusted.
 
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