Dash Cluster
I'm restoring a 1961 corvette and ready to put the dash pad and windshield back in the car. I was thinking of wiring my dash cluster outside the car and then set the fuss block and cluster in at the same time. The rest of the car is wired but the fuss block and attaching wires are still out of the car. Has anyone done this or am I dreaming of an easy way so I don't have to lay on my back and squeeze my hands up under the dash.
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Re: Dash Cluster
Sounds like a good idea, but not sure that will work. Hope someone who has tried will chime in as that is a future project of mine. -
Re: Dash Cluster
Out of the 3 or 4 I've done in the last year, I thought of doing that, but when you look at the main harness and trying to route all of the remainder of it through the underdash brackets, E-brake assy, around and passing by the hinge pillar reinforcements, getting the routing correct near the wiper cabling, attached to the windshield frame T-bolt harness clips, forward harness through the firewall opening to the engine bay, over and under the radio console to the courtesy switches, then tying in the Engine harness to the Ignition switch, ammeter, etc, etc...........
You'll probably do what I did and just get under the dash after the harnesses are installed in the car, and do it from underneath like when you have to remove the cluster. I use a 1/4" drive ratchet with a swivel head and U-joint at the far ends of the guage terminals. Takes me about 20 minutes to hook everything up to the cluster, and that's including the oil line.
Just remove the seat cushions, pad the seat frame/track adjuster with some pads and pillows, take needed tools/lights. etc in the "hole" with you, and while you're under there after you're done you can take a little nap to recover.
Rich
p.s. don't forget to take the phone/intercom transceiver with you too, because inevitably when you get under there, the phone will ring, or the wife/GF will page you to get in the house right away to kill a spider or something more important than the task at hand.
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Re: Dash Cluster
Thanks Richard for the heads up. I may lay it out and see what it looks like before I try hooking everything to the cluster. I don't have the e-brake/hood bracket installed yet or the brake/clutch pedals. I'm just getting ready to tackle the dash pad and finish with installing the windshield. Everything is still out of the car from under the dash except the heater box. It isn't a numbers car and the guy I'm restoring it for wants electric wipers installed so I don't have to worry about wiper cables. I may lay everything out where it needs to go and then hook up the cluster in the car before mounting it to the dash. I'll post how it goes or doesn't go.Comment
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Re: Dash Cluster
Dave,
I don't know how they did it at the assembly plant, but I have to agree with Rich. Remove the seat frames and get user the dash. I've done it a few times. It gets easier everytime you do it.Comment
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