superdave269

I just noticed my speedometer needle or pointer has broken, only the center is left. I think a replacement is only $20 but I hope it doesn't come with $100 worth of grief.
How do I get to the needle? Can I get to it from the front or do I have to remove the speedometer from behind the dash? Thanks

Easy Mike

No.

Yes. I would not call dash removal "$100 worth of grief", but be prepared to spend some true "quality time" with your car.

Alan 71

Hi sd,
I agree with Mike.
If you paid someone to do it, $100 would be VERY cheap.
You can do it for free, and then learn why $100 would be cheap.
Probably the biggest thing is to not break anything else while you're working.
Regards,
Alan

Roco71

I see more questions in your near future.

superdave269

I love the honestly here. I was afraid it was going to be involved. All of those 5 minute jobs end up taking the whole weekend so why should this one be any different. I was hopping it was going to be like the tach board on a 79 where you can get to it from the front. Had the feeling a 73 speedometer was going to be more involved. Guess I better rest up.

johnt365

to me, it is easy $100 worth of hassle. I have done this three times and its tough, not greasy, dirty or hard but a solid challenge. Connecting everything back up like the headlight switch, cable and all those little bulbs is less than fun.

One time, I had mine mostly back together and turned on the lights to check and found that one of the little bulbs had popped out during the install. You need to be okay with laying on the floorboard like a contortionist.

Here are a couple things I noticed along the way.
1. The upper dash pad is a tight fit. To get mine out, I had to carefully bend it a bit. So just when you think its going to break, it will pop out.
2. It is very easy to scratch the steering column so tape a rag or something around it.
3. It is also easy to crack the drivers side lower dash pad where it rests on the steering column.

I had to most of the rear connections by feel.

Does your phone have GPS?

superdave269

Sounds like the easy way to go

VCuomo

Here's what I recall the steps to be to remove the driver's side lower dash pad (you don't need to remove the upper dash pad):

1. Remove driver's seat (optional, but highly recommended)
2. Remove the trim piece underneath the steering column that attaches to the driver's side dash panel
3. Drop, or completely remove, the steering column; if you just drop it, pull it out of the rag joint, don't let it just hang down while still connected to the joint
4. Disconnect speedo and tach cables from back of gauges
5. Remove the driver's side door sill
6. Remove the driver's side kick panels
7. Remove the vacuum lines from the headlight vacuum switch at the bottom of the driver's side lower dash panel
8. Remove the screws that attach the driver's side lower dash panel
9. This is where you need to decide if you are going to remove center gauge cluster; this might not be necessary, and will save a lot of time if you don't need to do it, but removing and re-installing the lower dash pad may be way more difficult with the center gauge cluster still installed (and you could crack the center gauge cluster frame)
10. Pull the driver's side lower dash pad down enough to get access to the headlight switch, dash bulbs, and dash wiring harness
11. Remove vacuum lines and power connector that are attached to the headlight switch
12. Remove dash panel light bulbs
13. Unhook bendable metal tabs from dash wiring harness, then lift the wiring harness out of the way
14. Remove driver's side lower dash pad

Now you can remove the screws holding in the speedo, remove the speedo, and replace the needle. Reverse the steps above to put it all back together again.

Be careful when working with the dash's plastic pieces, or parts (like screws and the bendable tabs) that are attached to the dash's plastic pieces - the plastic can be very brittle and crack or break off easily.

Again, this is all from memory so I'm sure I've left something out - but you get the idea, it's definitely more than $100 worth of grief (although not a terribly difficult job, just time consuming).

And, if you think you need to, take pictures during the disassembly so you'll know how everything came apart.

superdave269

Great walk through and tips. Sounds time consuming but not rocket science. May slip with a less then desirable phrase or two on this job.. Almost guarantee it if I break something. Thanks guys.

flyeri

If you are going to have it out why not simplify the reinstall. I will not take credit for this as I saw it on the forum in several forms earlier. This is my tach and speedo. I did the same for the lights on the center panel also. All wires are 18 guage and I used two 18 guage grounds on each plug as the original ground was maybe 14 guage. The plugs came from Radio Shack.

johnt365

Man I wish had done that. Even with all the wire cutting and crimping, this would make a world of difference.

Make sure to get a new bulb kit while you have it. Now would be the time for a new headlight switch and to lube the cable.

0Willcox Corvette

Corvette Left Hand Dash Pad Removal Made Easy 1968-1977

But.. the question at hand is what broke the needle... Needles usually don't break unless there is a problem inside the speedometer.

Willcox