Teach me how to remove the instrument cluster

[dragoneye42]

Could someone possibly school me on how to remove the instrument cluster...or point me to the thread that already has the tutorial?
Muchas gracias in advance

p.s I am working on a new mod that adds a passenger side ejector seat...custom made to eject my girlfriend out since she complains everytime I start doing donuts ...she says "it's dangerous"

 

[danlwil]

p.s I am working on a new mod that adds a passenger side ejector seat...custom made to eject my girlfriend out since she complains everytime I start doing donuts ...she says "it's dangerous"

Are you going to market this thing.... You'll be rich beyond belief!

 

[Alaska_AV.]

I did this up for the 02, but should give you a good Idea for later years


http://community.webshots.com/user/alaskaav


EXT cluster install

 

[mcrendog]

Alaska_AV, your link didn't work for me...

 

[Alaska_AV.]

whoops posted my back door to the site earlier

 

[02-Z66]

Could someone possibly school me on how to remove the instrument cluster...or point me to the thread that already has the tutorial?
Muchas gracias in advance

pretty easy to do actually. no need to send you on a search. this will not take much time.
on a level surface (this so you do not have to engage the parking brake; brake being set will send power to cluster. i think the less power going to the cluster the better.) put the vehicle in 1st gear. remove the dash bezel. put vehicle back in park. using a 9/32nd's nut driver remove the four screws holding gauge cluster. be careful not to drop the screws. before going to the next step you will have to place the vehicle in 1st again. lift cluster towards you then lift bottom up and out. on the top of cluster remove the harness by pressing the "unlock" tab and working the harness back and forth. once removed reverse process to install new gauges. again, do not drop the srews inside the dash. it will suck if you do. mod on!!!

 

[02-Z66]

I did this up for the 02, but should give you a good Idea for later years


http://community.webshots.com/user/alaskaav


EXT cluster install

that was the same way i went about it. the link worked for me okay. i disconnected the battery the first time i did it. this proved to be a little bit of a headache when i had to reset all my settings in the HU. settings that took me about six months to figure out.
the next couple of times i hit the dome cancel (just in case). i also would lift the gauge out of the way allowing me to put the vehicle in park. this would allow me to turn the key off before i would remove/ install the harness from the gauges. preventing any possible power surges. nothing can be more reassuring than removing battery power though. use of the parking brake would not make a difference using this method.

 

[txyank1]

........ remove the dash bezel.

FYI, some "Newbies" may not know how to do this part.

 

[DavidC166]

At what point do you take the new cluster to the speedo shop to have the correct odometer reading put in ?? Before installing or can they do it once it's in the truck ??

-DavidC166

 

[02-Z66]

........ remove the dash bezel.

FYI, some "Newbies" may not know how to do this part.

good point. to remove the dash bezel put the vehicle in first. grab the bezel at one of the corners, and pull. once the tab releases work your way around the bezel untill all have released. word of advice. when installing the bezel make sure all clips are lined up properly before attemping to push them in place. doing this can result in some breaking/ bending. maybe line up the two bottom clips just above the steering wheel before attempting the others. just my $.02.

 

[02-Z66]

At what point do you take the new cluster to the speedo shop to have the correct odometer reading put in ?? Before installing or can they do it once it's in the truck ??

-DavidC166

i would take it before installing.

 

[02-Z66]

dragoneye42, did you get that cluster installed yet?

 

[dragoneye42]

Cluster not installed yet..Going to have to wait on it since I start my 3 month work stint tomorrow. but when I have my 7 weeks off in April I will go to it!

I did finish my ejector seat though...(read top of thread) instead of going through all the engineering and copyright problems I decided it was just as easy to reach over, open the door and kick her out with my foot. Please feel free to use this if needed with your all's significant others
drive fast

 

[Chief]

At what point do you take the new cluster to the speedo shop to have the correct odometer reading put in ?? Before installing or can they do it once it's in the truck ??

-DavidC166

When I did mine this is what I did. I removed the dash bezel and then two of the screws holding in the instrument cluster. I loosened the other two and then drove to the shop that did the odometer swap. I think finished the last two screws, removed the harness (which took all of five minutes in the parking lot) and walked in with the two instrument clusters, the old one and the new one.

I did a while you wait on the odometer swap (about 15 or 20 minutes) and then went back out and plugged in the new instrument cluster and attached two of the screws. Drove home, put the last two screws in and the bezel back on. Done. My total time in the parking lot was about 20 minutes - I had a bit of a hard time getting the cluster back in after plugging in the harness - however that would be just me, I'm pretty technically inept when it comes to taking things apart so if I can do it...

Came back to explain why I screwed it in - did it in case I got in an accident, would hate to get whacked in the head with errant instrument cluster - hence the two just to hold it in place...

 

[02-Z66]

Cluster not installed yet..Going to have to wait on it since I start my 3 month work stint tomorrow. but when I have my 7 weeks off in April I will go to it!

I did finish my ejector seat though...(read top of thread) instead of going through all the engineering and copyright problems I decided it was just as easy to reach over, open the door and kick her out with my foot. Please feel free to use this if needed with your all's significant others
drive fast

i like that ejector seat design.