73 Dash Replacement Project

[KenFirch]

1 hour ago, Captain Obvious said:

Does that thing really say "CLOCK" on the front of it?   

 

LOL!  I didn't even notice that!  Chinese humor, or they think we are idiots!

[Captain Obvious]

Haha!!  I find the front face of that thing very "busy". Even without the word "clock", it's just busy.

Honestly, it doesn't look very clock-ish to me. Maybe that's why they had to label it?  

[KenFirch]

Got the gauges ready, clock converted, and right dial in the tach, and tested.  I had a small paper gasket on the back side of the speedometer dial, around the needle shaft, that came loose, and it dropped down slightly covering part of the odometer, so had to take speedo apart to remove that.  Cleaned lenses with Meguiar's PlastX, which worked good.

As I was putting the clock back in the new dash, I noticed the dash holes were a bit tight, and had to pry the opening a little while pushing the gauge from the back.  I didn't like the idea of prying on a new dash, even if it was a plastic tool.  So, I found a plastic bottle, just the right size to fit through the dash hole, and fit around the gauge bezel rim, after cutting at a matching angle. 

And it was slightly tapered, smaller at the ending I poked through the dash hole first, wider at the gauge end.  Once the bottle is shoved halfway through the hole, I put the gauge up inside the open end of the bottle and pushed gauge up against the back of the dash, and pulled bottle off. Worked great, plus no messing around the front of the dash gauge opening.  I think it was a Clorox wipe bottle, but I'm keeping it!  I'll bet the factory had something similar, but better.

Gauges are mounted.  

Moved the old clock wires over to the new clock wiring, and have an adjustment switch ready to mount somewhere, not sure where yet.

I also have this leftover part, that white spacer that fell out while removing the gauges.  Can't for the life of me figure out where it goes, or even if it's needed.  If anyone recognizes it, please let me know.  🤔

Now the fun part, connecting wires back up.

[KenFirch]

Just a note, connect amp gauge wires before installing gauge.  Much easier.  And, route the wiring harness above the tach and speedo before installing those two gauges.

Also, what is this thing circled in red?  The ground wires for the lighter and hazard switch connect to it.  And it has a light socket (I assume the gray light goes there). 

Looked in FSM, 73 wiring diagram, Goggled it, etc., no luck.  Still tracing out wires for the tach.

Thanks!

[Captain Obvious]

15 minutes ago, KenFirch said:

Also, what is this thing circled in red? 

I believe that is the "light box" for the cigarette lighter illumination lamp. The bulb is in there, and they use a fiber optic cable (the black cable on the left side in your pic) to transfer that light over to the cigarette lighter.

[KenFirch]

Ah, thanks for that.  Fiber optic in the 70's, who would have thunk!

[SteveJ]

7 hours ago, Captain Obvious said:

I believe that is the "light box" for the cigarette lighter illumination lamp. The bulb is in there, and they use a fiber optic cable (the black cable on the left side in your pic) to transfer that light over to the cigarette lighter.

It also lights up the hazard switch 

[Captain Obvious]

10 hours ago, KenFirch said:

Fiber optic in the 70's, who would have thunk!

Yeah, it's cool. Of course they were only using it as a simple light pipe, but still. First time I saw they did that, it was a surprise!

[KenFirch]

Okay, finished tracing out the tach wires.  The feed was correct, goes through black/gray to coil negative.  The plastic power connector was removed in the past, so the + to tach was wrong.  I added the green + wire, spliced into green to hazard switch.  If I need to add a resistor for the tach feed, I'll deal with that later if needed.

Took all the heater control cables off and oiled them up.  The little threaded brass inserts that hold the lever panel to the back of the center console had broken off, so I JB welded them back in place.  Hopefully they will hold.

[KenFirch]

Quick question, what's the best way to reconnect the two power feed wires to the cabin?  

When someone else removed the dash in the past, they spliced in a short piece of red 10 gauge wire with 4 crimp butt connectors.   It would be handy to have something I can easily disconnect if the dash ever has to come again. But obviously these need to have good quality connectivity.  I'm not even sure how the factory did it.  Any ideas of what the best way is, please let me know.

Thanks

[KenFirch]

I'm going to try to reinstall the dash with everything connected behind the new dash, wiring, vents, glovebox, etc.  So all I'll need to do is connect the harness at the right side relay area, fuse box, center console, and ignition switch.  I'm not sure the new glove box can be folded like origami to fit through the front opening.  But it was nice not having a glove box in the way when I removed the dash.  I'm going to try installing it this way, but plans may change.  I mounted a small push button and bracket (circled in red) to adjust the new clock when needed.

 

I think I need to hunt up another person to help me get it in place, it is fairly heavy.

Edited October 2, 2022 by KenFirch

[SteveJ]

9 hours ago, KenFirch said:

Quick question, what's the best way to reconnect the two power feed wires to the cabin?  

When someone else removed the dash in the past, they spliced in a short piece of red 10 gauge wire with 4 crimp butt connectors.   It would be handy to have something I can easily disconnect if the dash ever has to come again. But obviously these need to have good quality connectivity.  I'm not even sure how the factory did it.  Any ideas of what the best way is, please let me know.

Thanks

I believe they should have connectors like the 1P (1 position) connectors on this page: https://easternbeaver.com/Main/Elec__Products/Connectors/312_Connectors/312_connectors.html