Long story short, my Chrysler 300m threw a rod and caught fire on the highway so I been driving my '73 duster. The other night, the wire from the battery which goes goes through the bulkhead connector shorted out and melted the cluster of wires under my dash. So, to make it easier to reach everything, how can I remove that dash frame so I have space to work?
Remove complete dash?
- Thread starter phaelax
- Start date
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need to take the glass out to get to the bolts. Easier to pull the front seat(s) for extra room. still gotta be ubside down, but at least not stuck and need someone to drag you out by your feet.
gregpurcell
Greg Purcell
You have to remove the windshield. After that, it's pretty straightforward. There are 5 3/8 head bolts along the top of the dash that are exposed once the lower windshield gasket is removed.
It is also helpful to remove the 3 bolts that hold the steering column to the floorboard AND the three bolts that hold the steering column to the dash. You don't have to remove the steering column, it will drop down out of the way.
Remove the kick panels and there is one 7/16 head bolt on each side holding the "legs" of the dash frame. With these 7 bolts out, the dash will fall into the seat area.
There is one 1/2 head nut that holds the parking brake lever to the dash which can now be removed easily from the top. You will also need to remove the heater control cables or vacuum lines, the defrost vent hoses, and unplug any wiring harness plugs to the body.(brake light switch,radio speaker,door jam light switches, harness to tail lights,) What's left of the firewall connector can be removed too.
After all that is loose, you can work the wiring harness on a workbench. I have a 71 Duster ac parts car that I'm parting out. I haven't checked the entire harness but I do sell them when I have good ones.
Removing the seat is a good option too. If you remove the gauge cluster you will have a lot of room to work.
Good Luck!
It is also helpful to remove the 3 bolts that hold the steering column to the floorboard AND the three bolts that hold the steering column to the dash. You don't have to remove the steering column, it will drop down out of the way.
Remove the kick panels and there is one 7/16 head bolt on each side holding the "legs" of the dash frame. With these 7 bolts out, the dash will fall into the seat area.
There is one 1/2 head nut that holds the parking brake lever to the dash which can now be removed easily from the top. You will also need to remove the heater control cables or vacuum lines, the defrost vent hoses, and unplug any wiring harness plugs to the body.(brake light switch,radio speaker,door jam light switches, harness to tail lights,) What's left of the firewall connector can be removed too.
After all that is loose, you can work the wiring harness on a workbench. I have a 71 Duster ac parts car that I'm parting out. I haven't checked the entire harness but I do sell them when I have good ones.
Removing the seat is a good option too. If you remove the gauge cluster you will have a lot of room to work.
Good Luck!
d1970
TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO HAVE A GOOD DAY
Just a suggestion, if you are going to remove the windshield to get at the bolts under the windshield to remove the dash, I would recommend you reverse the clips for the bolts so you can bolt them in from the bottom. That way in case you have to remove the dash again you will not have to remove the windshield again.
I just finished putting mine together on a 74 Duster. If I were in your shoes, I'd pull the seat, pull the steering column, pull the gauge cluster out then pull the wiring harness right out and repair it on the bench. Get a factory service manual. The 73 manual is available free on line.
Cley
Cley
I've done it on my 65 valiant without removing the windshield, it was quite a few years ago don't remember how I got those screws out
Probably air chisel and small cut off wheel.
And reverse bolted it back in.
Probably air chisel and small cut off wheel.
And reverse bolted it back in.
AJ/FormS
68 Formua-S fastback clone 367/A833/GVod/3.55s
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Post #6 for me as well, plus seats out if you are over 55, or wear 38s or better; like me.
make sure the battery is disconnected, as step #1
make sure the battery is disconnected, as step #1
Last edited:
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
WHY THE HELL CAN'T YOU MULTIQUOTE with the "new improved" SOFTWARE!!!!!!!
First of all, if you remove the instrument cluster and perhaps the radio and glove box, that will give you LOTS of working room. I would NOT remove the dash frame unless you want to refinish / modify it, but if you do, ...............................
YOU DO NOT HAVE to remove the windshield!!!!.
You can get up in there with some sort of mini cutoff wheel (you can buy die grinders cheap at HF) and cut the nut clips. As suggested above, put new ones in upside down, and put shorter screws in from the bottom. Others have done this, it ain't my idea.
gregpurcell
Greg Purcell
WHY THE HELL CAN'T YOU MULTIQUOTE with the "new improved" SOFTWARE!!!!!!!
First of all, if you remove the instrument cluster and perhaps the radio and glove box, that will give you LOTS of working room. I would NOT remove the dash frame unless you want to refinish / modify it, but if you do, ...............................
YOU DO NOT HAVE to remove the windshield!!!!.
Is there a "new and improved" software here to block TROLLING?
If it's the software issue that has you so peeved, SORRY! I'm not a "new tech" guy. I still use a 2004 Nokia cellphone and I sign on with a 20 year old AOL account!
I don't have time to learn the "newest and best" every 6 months! If so, I wouldn't be driving and fixing 70s Mopars.
What bugs ME is when I take time out of my busy day to offer a detailed "step by step" removal process answer to a member's question and I get a giant "WHY THE HELL?" attitude flame from a troll who thinks that his way is the ONLY way!
Personally, since I AM over 55 and larger than a 38 and may not like the idea of lying on my back having die grinder sparks falling into my face from 5 bolts that have to be cut YOUR WAY, not to mention all of the stuff that's in the way of those 5 bolts (heater, vents, glove box, wiper linkage, wires) AND the possibility of burning through the windshield gasket causing permanent leakage or a heat crack in the glass..I think that the idea of leaving the seat in, taking out the windshield out, removing the dash frame and rebuilding it on the bench is a viable alternative. And not REALLY a whole lot more time consuming.
But readers can decide that for themselves. YOUR WAY works and MY WAY works. There's just no excuse for being a dick about it.
I'm done here. I've got three sets of frame rails to cut out in the hot Georgia sun and less than three weeks to get them ready for Carlisle.
To the OP: Good luck with the project! If I can help in any other way, feel free to PM me.
First of all, if you remove the instrument cluster and perhaps the radio and glove box, that will give you LOTS of working room. I would NOT remove the dash frame unless you want to refinish / modify it, but if you do, ...............................
YOU DO NOT HAVE to remove the windshield!!!!.
Is there a "new and improved" software here to block TROLLING?
If it's the software issue that has you so peeved, SORRY! I'm not a "new tech" guy. I still use a 2004 Nokia cellphone and I sign on with a 20 year old AOL account!
I don't have time to learn the "newest and best" every 6 months! If so, I wouldn't be driving and fixing 70s Mopars.
What bugs ME is when I take time out of my busy day to offer a detailed "step by step" removal process answer to a member's question and I get a giant "WHY THE HELL?" attitude flame from a troll who thinks that his way is the ONLY way!
Personally, since I AM over 55 and larger than a 38 and may not like the idea of lying on my back having die grinder sparks falling into my face from 5 bolts that have to be cut YOUR WAY, not to mention all of the stuff that's in the way of those 5 bolts (heater, vents, glove box, wiper linkage, wires) AND the possibility of burning through the windshield gasket causing permanent leakage or a heat crack in the glass..I think that the idea of leaving the seat in, taking out the windshield out, removing the dash frame and rebuilding it on the bench is a viable alternative. And not REALLY a whole lot more time consuming.
But readers can decide that for themselves. YOUR WAY works and MY WAY works. There's just no excuse for being a dick about it.
I'm done here. I've got three sets of frame rails to cut out in the hot Georgia sun and less than three weeks to get them ready for Carlisle.
To the OP: Good luck with the project! If I can help in any other way, feel free to PM me.
AJ/FormS
68 Formua-S fastback clone 367/A833/GVod/3.55s
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2014
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- 24,898
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Easy Dell
I still love you.
I still love you.
You don't need to pull the entire dash to service the wiring harness. Separate the bulkhead connector and push the Female half back into the cab. Set the harness out of a couple of straps at column, etc... Remove 1 screw from fuse box. Lower the column and remove instrument panel. The bulk of the harness will come out of the inst' panel opening.
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
WHY THE HELL CAN'T YOU MULTIQUOTE with the "new improved" SOFTWARE!!!!!!!
First of all, if you remove the instrument cluster and perhaps the radio and glove box, that will give you LOTS of working room. I would NOT remove the dash frame unless you want to refinish / modify it, but if you do, ...............................
YOU DO NOT HAVE to remove the windshield!!!!.
Is there a "new and improved" software here to block TROLLING?
If it's the software issue that has you so peeved, SORRY! I'm not a "new tech" guy. I still use a 2004 Nokia cellphone and I sign on with a 20 year old AOL account!
I don't have time to learn the "newest and best" every 6 months! If so, I wouldn't be driving and fixing 70s Mopars.
What bugs ME is when I take time out of my busy day to offer a detailed "step by step" removal process answer to a member's question and I get a giant "WHY THE HELL?" attitude flame from a troll who thinks that his way is the ONLY way!
Personally, since I AM over 55 and larger than a 38 and may not like the idea of lying on my back having die grinder sparks falling into my face from 5 bolts that have to be cut YOUR WAY, not to mention all of the stuff that's in the way of those 5 bolts (heater, vents, glove box, wiper linkage, wires) AND the possibility of burning through the windshield gasket causing permanent leakage or a heat crack in the glass..I think that the idea of leaving the seat in, taking out the windshield out, removing the dash frame and rebuilding it on the bench is a viable alternative. And not REALLY a whole lot more time consuming.
But readers can decide that for themselves. YOUR WAY works and MY WAY works. There's just no excuse for being a dick about it.
I'm done here. I've got three sets of frame rails to cut out in the hot Georgia sun and less than three weeks to get them ready for Carlisle.
To the OP: Good luck with the project! If I can help in any other way, feel free to PM me.
Who twisted up your panties??
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
Thanks guys, mission accomplished. Which wasn't to remove the dash really but to fix my wiring. I basically did what RedFish said. Despite the fact that I've read the post about the ammeter bypass before and mine was already bypassed with a simple nut and bolt, I still reconnected it last summer. It was helpful to me at the time while I was having some electrical issues to see the amps. I guess I forgot about it and even put in a 60a alternator. (Not sure if the old one was 40 or not)
But it's bypassed for good now and two less wires going through that bulkhead connector. The two wires from the ammeter were completely melted together all the way until they separated at the connector. I inspected each individual wire as I tore all the tape off the harness. My horn and left blinker doesn't work, but I think that was unrelated and started before this anyway.
At least now I have 1 driveable car out of the 3. I'm trying to trade the chrysler in exchange for some repairs to my jag.
But it's bypassed for good now and two less wires going through that bulkhead connector. The two wires from the ammeter were completely melted together all the way until they separated at the connector. I inspected each individual wire as I tore all the tape off the harness. My horn and left blinker doesn't work, but I think that was unrelated and started before this anyway.
At least now I have 1 driveable car out of the 3. I'm trying to trade the chrysler in exchange for some repairs to my jag.
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