Half of the gauges are not working quite right so I've decided to replace them. Only trouble is that I'm afraid to take apart anything related to the dash. Really the only part of the car I don't want to touch but some things (temp and oil press) are too important to go without. I know that a couple people have already done this I'm just looking for a rating on the pita-meter.

1-Walk in the park. :cool:

5-Time consuming but not difficult. :smash:

10-Holy crap I'm never doing this again! :cuss

Thanks guys!

 

I did a complete interior restoration on my 71 last winter. It was the first time I had ever attempted such a large project. Took everything out but the steering wheel. I would rate it about a 7 or 8 on your scale. If I learned one thing, it would be you can do it. Just take your time and ask questions on this forum. There are a lot of very knowledgeable people who hang out here and are always ready to help. I don't consider myself a mechanic, only a guy who has fooled around with cars since I was a teenager. If I can do it, you can.

John

P.S. I would suggest you get yourself an assembly manual first. I didn't have one and it would definitely help.

 

It's not that bad. On my 69, the gauges are all individually wired, but later ones are printed circuit (I think). If yours is an early one, be careful with the dashlight illumination sockets. They're garbage and break easily. Also, disconnect the battery and don't hook it up until your ALL done! Don't ask... Other than that, I didn't have any trouble.

Hans

 

I had mine out and apart while I did the interior last month. Getting it out and back in was easy enough, of course I wasn't troubleshooting guage problems as mine all work (even the clock once in a while). The only problem I had was in moving the guages I over-extended the oil pressure line and it snapped at the block so when I started the car I sprayed oil all over under the hood.:eek:

 

When you remove all of the screws and start to pull the guage cluster out,
just have some tape and pen handy to mark all of the wires and where they reconect to. Be careful removing wires so that you don't break any wires.

I would rate it a 5 on your scale. I'm not an old hand at it by any means, but I had to trouble.

Drive On,
TJ :yesnod:

 

Don't be intimidated, Go slow don't force anything. Having an assembly manual will help find those "hidden" screws. Disconnect the negative cable off the battery save yourself a shock or fireworks display. On your scale a 5 or 6, it's not complicated just cramped and a little involved(the number of wires).

Good Luck
Scott

 

One thing that's helped me out immensely is having a digital camera close by. I create a new folder on my computer for each job I attempt. It's come in very handy a couple of times now - comparing before and after pictures. Nice if you forget to label a wire or fastener, you can trace it if you have enough pictures.
Good luck...
:cheers:
Tom

 

Compared to other things you can undertake with your car, this is pretty easy. Plus, most of it can be done sitting in the passenger seat! :D I would start with the panel in front of the passenger and work over from there. You might be able to reach behind to replace these guages (not sure how a '75 is set up).

On a '70, the temp is electric but the oil pressure guage contains a tube from the engine which directly relays the pressure. In other words, it's full of oil. I don't know how you car is set up...

Good luck...

 

Becareful with the circuit board. When you remove the plug in the back, the contactors come loose and can short each other out during reassembly. I used a little super glue to hold them back in place. Good luck.

 

I'm doing mine right now ... taking it slow ... labeling everything ... and taking some digital pics ... it's not that bad ... maybe a 4 or 5 on your 10 scale

 

Your advice and encouragement is greatly appreciated! Project will probably start tomorrow. In case you're wondering the new gauges are Autometer "Phantom" style.

Again, many thanks!!!

 

The center gage console "hoop" that goes over the wiper switch panel is VERY fragile, be careful because once broken, there is no repair! Breaking the center console can be an expensive lesson.

 

Take pictures and label all the wires,disconnect the battery,and take your time..you'll be ok..seems harder than it really is :cheers:

 

:nono: :nono: :nono:
Disconnect both sides of the battery...only disconnecting the ground will leave the possibility of you being the ground.
:seeya

 

If you don't have an assembly manual, get one - the illustrations are essential.
Replace all bulbs and vacuum hoses while you're in there. Also reseal all ductwork.

 

Ditto. On my 79, I removed the seats to make access just a little easier. I had to remove one seat to take it in for repair of a rip so I just decided to swap them completely since the passengers seat hadn't seen much wear.
Anyway, I removed the side panels on the transmission tunnel to gain access to the screws on the center console and then removed the center gauge cluster. You definitely want to replace all bulbs while you're in there. Also watch for the little black rubber pieces that go between the plastic lense and the housing. They have a tendency to stick right up until the moment you need them to, and then they fall out. They help prevent rattles so you definitely want them in place. Good luck and have fun, you can handle it, just be patient.

 

Part of the interior restoration I did this year was to pull all the dashs out and fix the gauges and duct work.

The most common thing I see people do is to just pull everything apart and NOT label the wires. Then a month or so later when all the gauges are repaired they don't remember where they go. Then they try to sit with an electrical wiring diagram to trace out the colors.

The hardest 2 nuts to get to are located under the center shift console. They hold the gauge bezel down to the console. These are a major PITA to get off. You will need to completely remove the shift console plate (yes,the one with the ash tray, heater-A/C controls) in order to get a wrench in there.

You can remove the center cluster without removing the left or right lower dash pads, but you will need to remove the screws that secure them to the cluster bezel. Same with the top dash pad.

One other word of caution. The gauge bezel is very prone to cracking if pulled or twisted a lot when removing. Remember to unbolt the radio support on the passenger side of the tunnel. Then remove the radio **** nuts that hod the front of the radio to the bezel before wiggling the bezel to get it out. That way you don't have any heavy radio putting force on the bottom of the bezel that may weaken or crack the thing......


[Modified by KenSny, 8:31 AM 1/31/2002]

 

Are the bulbs behind the dash available at any autoparts store? If so any idea which I'll need to replace them all? :confused:

 

Yes, I got them all at AUTOZONE. I checked each location against the bulb chart in the owner's manual because some had been replaced with "oddballs" over the years. I figured I was not going to go back into the dash again anytime soon to replace an old bulb.....

As to type, I think (?) most were 1895, but some were different somewhere. I did the shift console stuff also, some were less wattage. Don't remember where the differences were now. Check your manual.


[Modified by KenSny, 6:26 PM 2/5/2002]

 

I did about 80% of the resto on my 71 but this is the part that I left to a true professional and even at $70.00 an hour it was worth every penny!!!!