Is there any good way to pull the instrument panel on a '70 Dart Swinger without disconnecting the speedo cable from the tranny? I can't find the jackstands to lift the car up, so I'm kinda stuck for getting under the car.

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'74 Duster w/ HEI ignition, beat to snot suspension, A904, 8.25" 3.55 SG rear, still being tuned up and gets 17 MPG

Know how they always build a better idiot? That's me

If it's a standard mopar cluster, disconnect the battery. You'll want to get behind there and disconnect any 'plugs' for the lights,wipers, and the central cluster you can (the central plug may or may not have a phillips head screw keeping it on the cluster. After that you'll need some skinny arms and a small hnad to reach through the pedal bracket reach to the back of the speedo, grasp the plastic 'cup and keeper' squeeze and pull firmly and the speedo cable should disengage, don't reef on it it can come apart and you'll need a repair kit, or another speedo cable. Last thing to do is get a wrench on the two alt gauge nuts and take those wires off , then pull the screws and pull the cluster out with some wiggling.


This job is a major pain, you learn lots by going to junkyards an pulling clusters as 'spares'...


good luck and don't force it...

-D.Idiot

Heh, you make it sound so easy compared to what I was trying to pull today. I don't think this is a standard cluster. It's got the (from left to right) temp gauge, gas gauge, speedo, voltmeter, and the oil light. They're all "needle moves from left to right" gauges, no dials.

My problem was that the small gearbox for the speedo kept me from pulling it straight out through the dash, and the steering column kept me from twisting it enough to get the speedo box clear. I tried to drop the steering column as much as I could, short of removing it completely, and I still didn't have any luck.

As far as I got into it, I suppose removing the steering column isn't so bad of an option at this point...

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'74 Duster w/ HEI ignition, beat to snot suspension, A904, 8.25" 3.55 SG rear, still being tuned up and gets 17 MPG

Know how they always build a better idiot? That's me

Jopapa on my 71 duster if I drop the steering column from the 4 bolts that hold it to the dash and just let it hang, I can pull my cluster out. Dropping the steering column like that only moved it 4 inches or so down but thats all I needed. After I get it out from under the dash, I slide it either to the left or right to clear the steering wheel and its free. maybe just removing the steering wheel will do it for you instead of pulling the whole column?

I dropped the steering column already, and that let me get it further out, but I still just can't squeeze it out. What's getting me is the hump on the top of the column for the shifter. With that in the way I can't twist the panel forward enough to get the speedo gearbox around the sheet metal.

That and between her dad and I, we broke the rest of the pins off of the fuel/temp gauge connection
This easy enough to repair with a little soldering? I'd love to upgrade the whole thing to Autometer gauges, but he doesn't want to spend that much money (unless she gets a job and does it herself)

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'74 Duster w/ HEI ignition, beat to snot suspension, A904, 8.25" 3.55 SG rear, still being tuned up and gets 17 MPG

Know how they always build a better idiot? That's me

It should roll out of there by now, you're probably hung up on something that didn't get pulled....




time to get the vaseline....

-D.Idiot

No kidding. I've gotten everything disconnected and I STILL can't get the b*stard out (though I did manage to cut my hands open a fair amount of times on the dash framework). Would loosening the bracket on the firewall help the column lower a bit more?

BTW I noticed on your pics that your cluster doesn't have the speedo gearbox sticking way down. Here's a pic of the same one I'm trying to pull:

<img src="http://imagehost.vendio.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/gts/dogs087.jpg" width=420>

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'74 Duster w/ HEI ignition, beat to snot suspension, A904, 8.25" 3.55 SG rear, still being tuned up and gets 17 MPG

Know how they always build a better idiot? That's me

I think the Rallye cluster is easier to pull than those, but the connections are still the same....Did you pull the firewall steering column bolts to see if you could get the column to drop to the seat, or further?


start cussin' it always helps!!!!

-D.Idiot

Many times it is necessary to remove the bolts, that hold the toe plate to the floor. That will allow the columm to drop further.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

That's the one thing I didn't do (but I did cuss alot) that I suspected would let me get it (but I was hungry so I went home for the day). I'll attack that tomorrow morning and report back

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'74 Duster w/ HEI ignition, beat to snot suspension, A904, 8.25" 3.55 SG rear, still being tuned up and gets 17 MPG

Know how they always build a better idiot? That's me

FINALLY got it. You guys rock

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'74 Duster w/ HEI ignition, beat to snot suspension, A904, 8.25" 3.55 SG rear, still being tuned up and gets 17 MPG

Know how they always build a better idiot? That's me

Time to grab a barley pop and do the 'snoopy dance'...


cool,

-D.Idiot