What goes into swapping to a Rallye dash?

billzilla · Post by **billzilla** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 1:06 am

Has anyone done this? I'd really like to eventually replace the funky old standard dash in my Satellite and am wondering if I can re-use the switches and knobs from the old one - or if I must find new ones... And whether the wiring harness can be re-used, although I've read it can't.

Doesn't someone make a repop harness for our year B-Body, though?

Does the whole dash need to come out or just the cluster?

landon1 · Post by **landon1** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 1:27 am

i considered this as well, but i kinda like the standard dash...more "sleek", i think (maybe that's the right adjective

)

what i discovered was that you should replace your dash harness (you can get them - i know from paddock, pry others), however if you're not too big into being "correct" you could read your wiring diagrams and modify your harness by running your wires direct to your gauges instead of the circuit board set-up like on the standard.

the instrument cluster just unscrews out of the dash (need to take steering wheel off - i think some people remove column, but i never have and it goes in and out alright with a lil manuvering and twisting (i've done it about 10 times this way))

i'm really not sure on the switches, i thought they were the same, but i think i've read that they aren't, so that one's up in the air for me...they should, but idk if the sizes are dif for clearance issues on the rallye or not

ffej · Post by **ffej** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 7:35 am

i did this on my sat. its been about 15 years so i might not remeber everythig. i had bought a 73 rr parts car to clone my sat. i took the dash out of the rr cutting the wires leaving some on the dash and i did the same thing in my sat. if i remeber correctly the alt wires were the same they just went back on the post on the back . the rest of the wires were the same color for the same things on the dash.i just butt spliced them. everything works correctly.the only thing i dont know about is the oil pressure because i installed a guage. i know a new harness is the best way to go but it can be done. hope this helps,jeff

71440 gtx · Post by **71440 gtx** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:30 am

71s are not same as 72 up you need 71 ralley harness wires

i have a 71 wire none ralley and 71 ralley they not same wires

moparmodeler · Post by **moparmodeler** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:34 am

Original wiring is around 30yrs. old!! Get the new wiring harness!! It could save you a lot of problems.

72RoadRunnerGTX · Post by **72RoadRunnerGTX** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 1:43 pm

Iâ€™ve done it for my current restoration project. The original rallye harness was in poor shape, cut wires and corroded connectors. I had a beautiful untouched standard dash harness from one of the Satellite donor cars and a few used rallye harness Iâ€™ve collected in varying condition. At the same time I also modified the amp gauge wiring to by-pass the bulkhead connect connector.
Headlight switch is the same on both dashes. Although electrically the same, the wiper switches on the standard dash have a longer shaft mount and are not interchangeable. Knobs for both switches are deferent as well. Short of a replacing the entire harness, the existing harness is relatively easy to modify if you have part of a rallye dash harness, I have seen a few used clusters offered with partial wiring still attached but cut off from the rest of the dash harness. The individual light bulb sockets and leads are the main things you will need. The wiper switch leads will need to be extended so the switch can be relocated to the left side of the cluster. You will need to replace the oil pressure switch on the motor with an oil pressure sending unit to have the oil gauge function correctly.