Instrument Cluster disassembly ??

[CharlieZ]

What's the next step for getting inside the cluster? My intention is to get at the speedometer innards.

Thanks.
cz

[wcbarker]

Turn it over and remove the screws from the backside they are not all the same length so remember where they came from

[CharlieZ]

Turn it over and remove the screws from the backside they are not all the same length so remember where they came from

Thanks. We'll see how that works out. So, I may be looking to by one.
Oh me.
What I'm wanting to do is clean the magnetic coupling and possibly lubricate anything that looks like it should be. The speedometer really makes noise when the temperature is cold.
CZ

[worfdog]

The chattering noise may coming from the speedo cable. It may just need to be lubricated, that is what fixed mine.

[ejp2fast]

^yep carbon graphite lube works good.

[CharlieZ]

Disassembling the instrument cluster.

Disassembling the instrument cluster.

Tools: Phillips screwdrivers; one short one, one a little longer. And, what ever it takes to disconnect the speedometer at the transmission and to disconnect the battery.


Disconnect the negative (-) battery cable. (I didn’t actually do this. Most all instructions start out this way.)

Disconnect the speedometer cable at the transmission.

Remove the cluster dashboard frame’s five screws Three under the top eyebrow, two at the bottom under the left and right switch positions. The frame is snapped in along the top edge. Start to lift the frame from the bottom then carefully unsnap the top edge.

Remove the four screws holding in the cluster.

Gently work out the cluster far enough to get your hand behind it on the end toward the center of the car. The loose speedometer cable will allow you to pull out the cluster to do this fairly easily.

Remove the round white connector by raising up (toward the OD of the connector) on the release tab while gently pulling the connector off the cluster.

Release the speedometer fitting by pressing the release tab and pulling gently.

Remove the round black connector by raising up (toward the OD of the connector) on the release tab while gently pulling the connector off the cluster.

Remove the cluster from the dash. It comes out easily but be gentle. Everything is “teenaged” plastic.

Take the cluster to a soft-top bench or table.

The cluster is made up of three major parts and lots of little ones. This procedure only addresses the three major ones.

Remove all 16 screws from the printed circuit board at the backside of the cluster. Lift off the circuit board and set it safely aside.

Note: The 16 screws are of different types and lengths. (Thanks wcbarker for the clue.) Draw a rough cardboard pattern of the backside of the cluster and mark screw positions. I scanned the back of the cluster and printed out a nearly full size image. Taped that to a piece of cardboard and punched small holes at the screw locations. As I removed each screw, I put it into the corresponding position on the pattern.
Many may use this method. It’s a trick I learned early in my career at work where we often had to remove fasteners from intricate panels and systems. We drew the rough shape on a piece of polyurethane foam and pushed the fasteners into the foam at the correct locations. This helps a lot if there is a delay between disassembly and re-assembly. (Especially for we older pharts.)

Remove the bezel from the front of the cluster by pressing in of the two bottom snaps between the white housing and black bezel. Again be gentle. You may have to have another hand or use a Popsicle stick to hold one side apart while releasing the other snap. The three top snaps should release as you separate the white part from the black. Place the bezel in a safe place.

Gently lift the instrument faceplate out of the white housing. Set the white housing aside.

You now have access to the gauges, tachometer mechanism and the speedometer/odometer number wheels, gears and magnetic coupling..

I didn’t go any farther than this. Short on skills in the “watch repair” department.

I sprayed a small quantity of brake clean into a cup. I sucked up some of the solvent into an insulin needle. Next I held the instrument assembly in such a way that I could squirt a small quantity of solvent between the two parts of the magnetic coupling and not have the solvent run onto any critical parts. The space between the two parts of the coupling is small.
I used Wal-Mart brake cleaner in the blue can. It didn’t appear to have a deleterious effect any of the plastic. EXERCISE CAUTION. DON’T USE TOO MUCH SOLVENT.

I ran a couple syringes of solvent into the coupling and let it drain. I used a small battery drill to spin the input of the speedometer. I ran the drill motor in both directions. Not enough to alter the mileage though.

Using a toothpick, I lightly lubricated the odometer gears with white lithium grease. After that I held the instrument unit so the cable fitting was facing up. I put a couple drops of WD40 into around the square drive hoping it would run into the bushing. Next I held the assembly so that the cable fitting faced down. I applied a couple drops of WD40 to the same bushing. I didn’t rush thru any of this “oiling. I wanted the WD40 to migrate into the fitting without messing up anything.

After a while I inspected the assembly for oil drips and other contamination and started to reassemble the cluster by going through the steps in reverse order. Then the two halves of the cluster come together, there are a couple of “nubs” at two of the four cluster-to-dash attachment tabs. Be sure they are seated properly.



Before installing the cluster, Be sure all 16 screws are tight. Be sure both connectors are “snapped” in place. You’’ hear a slight click. Be sure the speedometer is locked on. Once again, be gentle. The latches are plastic. This is a good time to address any rattling stuff under the dash. My driver’s side defroster duct was loose. That one rattle out of dozens was really bugging me. Took care of that with some hobby-foam sheeting.

Reinstall the cluster into the dash in reverse order of removal.









When the weather was cold, the speedometer made noises and the needle jumped until the interior temperature warmed up. Only the arrival of winter’s cold temperatures will tell me if all this did any good. If not, it was a good experience.

[snq]

so where do i get the cluster with the tack? that thing looks awesome! and are those bulbs in the cluster like it lights up from the back? sweet

[CharlieZ]

so where do i get the cluster with the tack? that thing looks awesome! and are those bulbs in the cluster like it lights up from the back? sweet

OOPS, my bad. should be tachometer.
cz

[festy90]

not sure if it lights up from behind or not but if it does i think im gonna hook some blue leds put so mine will light up blue lol

[Ogrestiva]

I believe that most of the actual illumination comes from the little plastic light bar on the top.(where the large red and black wires attach to in the picture) I know people who were thinking of painting the numbers with UV paint and putting UV/black lights in the lightbar

[Torpe]

hi. im new here... could anyone help me?
I want to remove the whole dashboard...
Do you have some instructions for safety and
would it be hard then? thankyou

[Charlie1717]

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25727&highlight=dash+remove

It's the last post...
Welcome to the site!

[Torpe]

thankyou

[TominMO]

Also, regarding the light bar: non-tach clusters have four bulbs in the light bar, and tach clusters have only two. If you find a non-tach cluster in the JY for example, pull the light bar from it and use it in your tach cluster for easy enhanced illumination. Might even have to turn down the dimmer switch!