Classic Muscle

I'm trying to remove the whole dash so I can work on the heater/ac duct work (it hangs to low and interferes with my foot) and dash lights therefore I need to take the pillar trim molding off. I have all the screws out but it doesn't seem to want to come off and I don't want to break it. Does it snap into place? and is there a method to remove it that I missed? The trim is the hard plastic kind not the padded kind. Also I'm thinking about putting the LED dash light replacements in it while its apart and I'm hearing mixed info about rather or not they will dim with the headlight switch anybody have experience with them?

Rotonda

It is not totally necessary, but it helps to remove the upper dash pad/cover first. After that remove the screws on the upper, horizontal portion and the slanted, windshield portion. The trim is then flexible to peel off. Start by separating the top, horizontal portion slightly and you can begin to twist it off. You will then be able to get your fingers between the inside of the glass and the trim. Run your fingers down and it will pop off.

FWIW, unless most of the bulbs in your speedo & tach are burned out, don't do it. Unless you have tiny hands and arms as flexible as an octopus, you will have to remove the L.H. dash, which means dropping the steering column, which means... You get the idea. To add more joy, my bulb holders no longer fit securely after I removed them and I was replacing them also. "HERE THERE BE TIGERS"

bazza77

The LED set-up I have don't dim down , I don't drive it too much at night so it doesn't bother me , but at least I can read all the gauges .

I left the screen pillar stuff alone and took off the floor kick panel , that allowed access with out disturbing the big dash pad , the drivers side panel has to come off so I had to remove the steering column down for access .

getting at the gauges either way is a big job , as Rotunda says , if it ain't necessary ........

Classic Muscle

It looks like the pillar trim is holding the dash pad from coming out also I need to remove the whole dash cluster on the drivers side so I can acess the heat/ac duct work to fix it. The duct work is falling down on my toes agravatting me when going from the gas pedal to the brake pedal.

0Willcox Corvette

Use the beginning of this paper and it'll walk you through this.

1968-1977 Corvette Dash Pad Remove And Install Instructions

lvmyvt76

why would you want to dim them, is my question. You complain about original lights being dim, but, you want LEDs to dim, doesn't make sense to me.

DUB

Do as you wish... but when I do work on these year models ..I do not mess with the top dash pad. It is not necessary.

The 1977 has a unique gauge cluster bezel. It should be removed BEFORE you try to take out the map pocket....becasue it can snap and break if you are not careful.

For what it is worth...if I were doing it. Seats come out. Side console strips removed. The steel hand brake cover with rubber cover removed so the shifter console can be detached from the gauge bezel and the side mount areas. It is slid back a little bit so the gauge cluster can be dropped down and removed. And yes...dealing with the radio.

Then...drop the steering column so the speedo/tach panel acn be dropped and then the map pocket.

DUB

Classic Muscle

My reason is I have read that some of these LEDs are almost to bright and needed to be slightly dimmed. I'm just woundering if there is some brand of LEDs that are dimmable just in case they are too bright?

Classic Muscle

Right side, center gauge cluster, console sides, radio are all ready out. Steering column is loose from the dash, dash pad is loose but want come out because the pillar molding is keeping it from coming all the way out. I just need to get the driver side w/speedometer and tack out so I can access the heating and air duct work. Another problem I'm going to try and track down and fix while it's apart is when I turn the heat on it seems to only come out the defrost and floorboard nothing out of the vents. When the air is on it will blow out the vents this has got confused I suspect a vacuum leak under the controls but honestly have no idea yet.

bazza77

Do you mean the pillar molding UNDER the dash? If so you need to take off the alu. plate that runs along the length of the door opening (4 screws) because that holds an edge of that pillar trim . Once that's off you can tweak that front down into the foot-well a bit ( There's also an extension of it stuck up into the bottom of the dash pad)and then the trim should pull forward and out . There might be a screw going into it that holds it tight against the side as well just check for that as well.

Then the dash will come down and out , being careful of the wires etc.

DUB

Please excuse me but this is still not making any sense why you need to check your ducts. The air duct for the driver side dash panel vent is attached from under the dash.

NOW...the big main air vent that is screwed to the heater box DOES require the gauge cluster and right dash to be removed. AND having your speedo/tach dash panel loose...can allow it to come out. The reason I know this is becasue I take them out that way. They are a bit of fun to do but it will come out and it saves me the time to get the speedo/tach panel out. And normally the main reason I am removing this air duct is to verify a special plastic part that is attached to the door. IF it is broken..it screws things up in how the system works correctly.

IF you are getting air out of the vents...and knowing that in your dash panels you have....have a **** that can close off the air to the dash vent *****. IF you a re getting air out of these vents then I doubt you have a problem...other than.... maybe some foam seals that have disintegrated and not allow all of the air to flow out of the vents due to leakage. BUT do not be confused...you can also have major blockage in your A/C evaporator core where leave and crap have blocked off a good portion of its surface area...thus...the air is not so strong when it is in high.

Your HOT/COLD lever on your A/C-heater controls only does one thing. It manually moves a door inside your heater box that allows air to either come out of the heater core...or the evaporator core ans that is it.

NOW...you may see on the top of your heater box is a vacuum switch that has 2 vacuum lines going to it. When the HOT/COLD lever is moved to COLD The lever moves and will actually make contact with this vacuum switch and what this does is now allow vacuum to go to your hot water shut off valve in the engine compartment and shut off the coolant to your heater core becasue you are requesting COLD air and not HOT air. And knowing that this HOT/COLD lever in your A?C-heater control is a manual control...it does not make your A/C come on.

Your A/c coming on is done by using the other lever.

NOW...the upper lever also control a serviceable vacuum switch that is begin moved when you slide the upper control lever from side to side requesting MAX A/C or defroster or whatever. When this lever is moved it is now changing the vacuum going the vacuum pods in your heater box ...thus changing how the the air is routed. This vacuum switch is known to go bad and leak. And it can be serviced WITH the A/C-hearer control still in place.

Lastly...GM set up this A/C'heater system with 'default' mode. as I call it. SO...if there is NO vacuum getting to that switch...or the vacuum switch fails and is leaking ...thus NOT being able to move any of the vacuum pods and doors inside the heater box. The system was set up so WITH NO vacuum to it...the vents will go into their default positions....which is allowing air to go to the windshield defroster area and out onto the floors. This is so...if you lived in a very cold climate...it is more important that you can keep your windshield defrosted and not freeze up and heat on the floor....because we all know hot air rises....instead of worrying abut air blowing out the air vent above the gauges.

DUB

Classic Muscle

Dub thanks for your input I'll be refering to this as soon as the weather breaks and I can get some time to finish this job. The heating and AC duct work that runs to the drivers side is pieced/duct taped together right above my right foot and hanging to low rubbing my toes so it needs to be took out to either be re-taped (with black tape instead of gray) or just replaced altogether and instaled higher inside the dash area. I'm having a time just removing the exsisting tape while it's installed and it would be even harder trying to retape it while it's still installed. I do know that all the foam needs to be replaced as well cause all the duct work is extreamly loose, so I know they are leaking for sure. I'm not getting any air out of the any dash (round or rectangle) vents until I turn the AC on and I was suspecting that vacuum thingy under the controls. Defrost and floorboard does blow in heat mode but thats it so it sounds to me like it may be stuck in the default mode you spoke of. Willcox Corvette has a video that shows how to repair leaks on the hoses conected to that thing (if I'm lucky enough to find the leak). There was one more reason for my maddness I can not locate the wiring harnest for the passenger side floorboard light. The mounting hardware is attached to the duct work but no harnest in sight so I'm hopeing to find it buried somewhere in there. Hope this clarified any confusing I may have caused thanks again for your help.