Dash wire harness install 66 Corvette

[Ken Harants]

Where can I find a step by step instructions showing how to remove my 66 Corvette dash wire harness and install a new one.

[Peter J.]

Re: Dash wire harness install 66 Corvette

Ken, I just used the service manual, assembly manual and wiring diagram. I used tape to mark the wires but if you have a wiring diagram you won't need to label everything. It is all color coded and once you get in there, it makes sense of it all.
Pete

[Mark P.]

Re: Dash wire harness install 66 Corvette

I just installed one on my '66 big block and could offer a few pointers. It's easier than it looks...once you have a wiring diagram and familiarize yourself with where everything is. I used the all thread lengths to support the instrument cluster. That was helpful. Make sure the bulbs are installed correctly so that they aren't shorted out (if the wire gets pinned to the inside of the socket, it will short out and blow fuses...don't ask how I know this...just trust me). There are a few articles out there in the archives that will help, too. Let me know if you need advice.

Mark

[Jack W.]

Re: Dash wire harness install 66 Corvette

I don't know about easier than it looks - it's not hard so much as it can get pretty frustrating, since this project involves removal and reinstallation of the gauge cluster - I invented some new swear words the first time on that, with the little bulbs coming loose, etc. John Hinckley wrote a great article or articles on the removal and then the reinstalation of a C2 gauge cluster in Corvette Enthusiast a while back. And there are some great, step by step instructions complete with labelled pictures for this job on some of the forums, certainly on corvetteforum. (The threaded rods used as a hanger for the cluster trick certainly comes to mind). As for the harness install itself (I have replaced mine in my 65) the AIM is a valuable resource for routing. I started at the firewall fusebox and then worked to the right from there (although I first fed it from right to left), and had the cluster and glovebox out beforehand. The harness is thick in the area of the cluster, I'd avoid doing this in the dead of winter in a cold garage (like I did, in the cold) since that makes the thing hard to manipulate.

[Mark P.]

Re: Dash wire harness install 66 Corvette

I didn't mean to say it was "easy", just that it looks impossible, but can be done. Again, there are a lot of resources and individuals out there to help you. Everyone has their own little tricks that they learn that will help it go faster or smoother. Small hands to push the bulbs back in that pop out of the cluster (multiple times) are helpful. If you have hands the size of Andre the Giant, you may want to have someone else help you with this task. I also took the steering wheel off and the seat out. I've also had the steering column out, but that's not required. Otherwise, plan on being a contortionist. Or seeing a chiropractor afterward to set you straight again.

It's also helpful to have the right light to be able to see what you're doing. I highly recommend not doing this job in the dark or in the winter. Like Jack said, flexible is good when it comes to wiring, and a new harness can be pretty unyeilding when it is being asked to bend in places it's not used to. That's when the bulbs start popping out like crazy and your vocabulary gets creative.

Good luck.
Mark