Road Runner Nest

The dash lights in my car don't work and was wondering what all is involved in removing the instrument cluster from my 71 roadrunner? I have removed the radio, lowered the steering column, disconnected speedo cable and removed all screws that I can see, but the cluster still does not want to come loose. Am I overlooking something because I don't want to break or crack this thing? Thanks.

hmmmm....you should be able to get it out without even dropping the column - i've doen it several times and didnt' have to remove the steering wheel either....but, if you can push it down a bit or reach up from behind, disconnect the headlight and wiper switches, as well as any other wiring and if you haven't already, remove the climate controls...my bet is that the wiring is holding you up, as there's not a lot of slack in the harness at all

there are what, 2 screws in the sides, and 3 or 4 up top ???

There are two screws on either side of the column at the base of the dash frame that may need to be removed. You need to be on your back on the floor looking up and aft at the underside of the instrument cluster on either side of the column to see them.

To retiterate, there's no much slack in the wiring harness. You may need to release the wiper motor switch from the harness (or dash, if you prefer) and the headlight switch also to get things moving.

This helps a lot. I'm removing mine to add a factory tach (purchased the other OEM-style dual gauges off E-bay) and also to convert to the solid-state 5v regulator.

This is pretty timely, as I'm taking my dash out now and the damn thing is stuck . ..half in and half out. . .

Serious Satellite wrote:This is pretty timely, as I'm taking my dash out now and the damn thing is stuck . ..half in and half out. . .

That's what she said!

Finally got my cluster out. Oddly, the two bottom screws were not present, but it was still giving me trouble. I am not even sure what finally freed it up, but it's out.

Now to do the 5v solid-state voltage regulator upgrade and install an aftermarket factory-style tach now that I have instrumentation (thanks E-bay) that supports it.

Weird, my OEM speedometer is a 150 mph gauge, and no tach or clock, just the regular instruments.

I picked up one with the dual instruments (two gauges per cluster for the small pods) and that had a 120 mph speedometer.

Obviously I'm going to use my stock speedometer (it's 150 mph, plus I simply don't believe in swapping odometers). But the dual-instrument cluster has like 6500 miles on it and looks brand new. It's so weird. It HAS to be factory.

Anyway, anyone know if it was possible to get both a 150 mph speedo AND a tach? And what cars got the 150 and what cars got the 120? Mine is a factory 400 and a 4-speed, 1973 model.

i think most cars after 71 or 2 normally got 120 speedo's....i think the tach is something else that wasn't too popular after 71 or 2 as well

I can't say what a given car should have gotten, but my '72 RR with 400HP/727 from the factory had the 150 mph speedo and tach from the factory (I bought it in '75).
-Marq

I think they started using the 120 speedos in late 73. I have had a lot of 72's and they all had the 150 speedo. They probably changed it when they changed the bezel.

fourforty6pac wrote:I think they started using the 120 speedos in late 73. I have had a lot of 72's and they all had the 150 speedo. They probably changed it when they changed the bezel.

From what I recollect, my '72 Charger (318/auto) had a 150 mph speedo, so I guess it's not an indicator of actual performance. My '73 was a factory 400/4 spd. and has the 150 mph speedo (maybe it's an early '73?). The instrument bezel looks the same to me for '71-'74, so what do you mean they switched to 120 mph gauges "when they changed the bezel"?

i've had a couple or three clusters...differences from my original early 71 was the color of high beam indicator (blue instead of red), heater controls, and i think the headlight and wiper switches are different (pictures instead of words, maybe??? i don't remember)

landon1 wrote:i've had a couple or three clusters...differences from my original early 71 was the color of high beam indicator (blue instead of red), heater controls, and i think the headlight and wiper switches are different (pictures instead of words, maybe??? i don't remember)

You gotta be kidding me. Learn something new every day... Now I'm gonna be all anal when I build cars: Okay, I stuck in this 120 mph speedo so I gotta change this high-beam indicator to this color or it isn't correct, and then blah, blah, blah... Wow! Maybe I'll just go aftermarket gauges and forget the whole thing!

LMAO....i had a later gauge cluster in my car, but i took my original gauges, added the factory clock, threw them on the later bezel (mine was cut-up)...all because i liked the red hi-beam indicator...i may have also broke that speedo due to being a dumb teenager