I have a 76 and am trying to get to the tach board and would like to remove the whole instrument cluster. I have all the screws out, center cluster out, removed 2 bolts under steering wheel loosened the 2 bolts on the firewall. I doesn't seem like the cluster will come out. On a 76 do you have to remove the top dash pad? I don't know about the speedo, is it electronic or cable driven, does it have to be disconnected before the cluster comes out. I have spent a few hours and do not seem any closer to getting it out. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Yes, the top dash pad will need to come out. You will need to remove the left lower dash panel, which requires lowering the steering coluum and removing the dash pad. To remove the dash pad you will need to remove the trim on the windshield pillars and remove the right lower dash pad to remove one hidden screw. That hidden screw is in a bracket holding the dash pad to the firewall. It is under the dash pad just a little right of center. Once the pad is loose you need to bend it a little to get it out. I wouldn't try it if it is real cold it could crack.

Once everything is loose you will need to disconect the speedo cable from underneath the dash. There is a little clip and if I remember right you push it towards the speedometer and the cable just drops out. It was pretty easy once you get your hand in the right place. If you have AC remove the left duct first.

Once the speedo cable is loose work the dash pad forward and unhook the headlight switch wiring plug and vacuum lines, the connector for the tach, the ground connection to both the tach and speedo and all the light bulbs. The wire colors for all the bulbs are stamped on the back of the gauges so don't be too concerned about what goes where.

Once every thing is disconnected you just wiggle it forward and out.

It took me about 4 hours to disassemble everything. Be careful, these old dash parts can be pretty fragile.

 

Thanks, looks like I have more parts to remove.

 

You need to remove the speedometer cable. You will have to push in on the clip and hold it in and pull the cable out. It is also easier to work with the top dash pad off. You will need to lift it high on the driverside to get the radio speaker to clear. This is also a good time to replace the speakers if they are bad.

You will have to remove one of the pillar post trim moldings to get the pad off. You will need to unplug the headlight switch and the vacuum hoses on the switch. Mark where they go on the switch.

You will need to unplug all of the dash light bulbs. They are all of the gray wires. Also the high beam and brake light bulbs. Next unplug the tach wires. Take the whole speedometer/tach cluster out as one unit.

Take the tach out of the housing and remove the board. After the new board is installed in the tach you will need to center the needle. DO NOT PUT THE TACH BACK IN THE DASH.

Take the tach and plug it back in the car and turn the key on. Pull the needle off and set it to zero. Turn the key off. Turn the key back on and start the car. Check to see if the tach is measuring ok. If it is your fixed.

This is also a good time to clean the lenses and replace all of the dash bulbs with new ones. Also take a needle nose pliers and pull the speedometer cable out of the housing and grease it.

Good Luck.

 

I have a 77 and therefore could be incorrect in this comment. But I found that the Trip Odometer cable routes itself through a whole in the steereing mount and holds the instrument cluster from coming out. You have to disconnect the cable from it's mount below the dasha dn then feed it through while gently pulling on the cluster. Good luck and as stated before, be careful. It doesn't take much to peel and chip the paint and strip screw holes, making reassembly a pain.

 

Take a look at this thread...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...922&forum_id=3
I have never had to remove a dash pad to remove a cluster and I've removed them at least a dozen different times. You can if you'd like, it will make some of the job easier, but then it's a pain itself. The tach is electronic, but you will still need to disconnect the speedometer cable.

Good luck... GUSTO