How do you remove the dash fascia from a 71 Charger ?

[71 Bee Man]

 

Guys,

I am trying to take out my 71's dash fascia so I can tidy up the guages, but it just won't come out. It's an A/C car with am/fm radio, and it pulls away as though it's coming out, but something along the bottom seems to be stopping it. Is there something other than the outer 4 screws holding it in ?

Does anyone have any pics of what's holding the dash in, or what's behind the fascia ?

Peter

[Nacho-RT74]

do you mean just the gauges cluster ? Or the complete Dash  with pad, frame, cluster, glovebox etc... ?

Cluster:
-Remove Radio. 2 nuts down the knobs, one nut on back/side attaching to a bracket. IF radio NEVER has been removed, there is a small screw attaching the dial frame to the cluster on to a side bracket. You need to remove the Ashtray to get acces to that screw. If Radio has been removed in the past PROBABLY wasn't  mounted again, because is uncomfortable to install/remove.
-Drop the column.
-4 screws on exterior bezel: 2 on top, 2 at sides.
-2 screws down the dash at sides of steering column tunnel cutout.
-UNPLUG SPEEDO WIRE.
-UNPLUG HEATER WIRE from A/C control.
-Remove ammeter wires and rest of wires, sockest and plugs. Becarefull with ammeter wires. Disconnect the batt first. You don't really need label wires since back of cluster is labeled/casted with wires colors.

[Nacho-RT74]

dash frame:
-unplug speedo wire
-unplug heater wire.
-unplug vacuum lines from A/C control.
-unplug antenna wire.
-remove both kick panels... to be able to remove good without damage anything you need to remove fist upper inner windshield molding, pillar post and door sill plates. EVEN is possible to remove kick panels bening slightly the sill moldings and pillar post. I wouldn't do it.
-at driver side kick panel area: unplug rear harness, dome light, emergency brake wire, rear deffog if equipped etc...
-at passenger side, orange wire to center console shifter ilumination wire if equipped.
-Unplugg emergency flasher plug and remove brakes light switch wires unpluging and removing from a small plastic retainer on to pedal and column brackets structure.
-Unplugg engine bay harnesses from bulkhead and remove fusebox/bulkhead asembly attached with two 7/16 nuts on engine bay side.
-Unplugg steering column harnesses.
-Even I think I have I detailed all basic wires linking body with dash frame, check for any extra equipment wiring on your car ( concealed lamps, Hood air Ram, Rear speakers, electric trunk latch etc... ) to unplugg.
-Drop the column.
-remove speaker grill. 3 phillips screws and 4 1/4" hex screws at vents outlets sides.
-Remove 4 3/8" bolts at cowl area, below windshield. They were hidden by speaker grill.
-LOOSE, NOT REMOVE 2 HEX SCREWS down the dash frame corners attached on to kick panels area. The complete dash frame is supported by this two screws
-Now you are able to drop to front the dash frame and remove from car lifting from this two last screws.

[71 Bee Man]

do you mean just the gauges cluster ? Or the complete Dash  with pad, frame, cluster, glovebox etc... ?

Cluster:
-Remove Radio. 2 nuts down the knobs, one nut on back/side attaching to a bracket. IF radio NEVER has been removed, there is a small screw attaching the dial frame to the cluster on to a side bracket. You need to remove the Ashtray to get acces to that screw. If Radio has been removed in the past PROBABLY wasn't  mounted again, because is uncomfortable to install/remove.
-Drop the column.
-4 screws on exterior bezel: 2 on top, 2 at sides.
-2 screws down the dash at sides of steering column tunnel cutout.
-UNPLUG SPEEDO WIRE.
-UNPLUG HEATER WIRE from A/C control.
-Remove ammeter wires and rest of wires, sockest and plugs. Becarefull with ammeter wires. Disconnect the batt first. You don't really need label wires since back of cluster is labeled/casted with wires colors.

G'day Nach,

thanks very much for taking the time to write all that down.

I'm just trying to remove the instruments to paint the needles etc. I thought I may have to drop the steering column. It looks like it's been out before but I didn't have a clue what was holding it in. I was a bit afraid to drop the column - it's just those 2 bolts, isn't it?

Peter.

[Nacho-RT74]

on my 74 is two 7/16"  nuts, but I think on earliers also there is a third point on rear of column with a 7/16" bolt.

Allmost forgett this.
-Unplug Vacuum lines from A/C-Heater control, unless you removed first the Control itself what is very uncomfortable to do with cluster on place.

Remember THERE ARE 2 MORE phillips screws at sides of steering column attaching to dash frame column cut out, even probably they never were installed again if cluster was removed in the past.

[71 Bee Man]

on my 74 is two 7/16"  nuts, but I think on earliers also there is a third point on rear of column with a 7/16" bolt.

Allmost forgett this.
-Unplug Vacuum lines from A/C-Heater control, unless you removed first the Control itself what is very uncomfortable to do with cluster on place.

Remember THERE ARE 2 MORE phillips screws at sides of steering column attaching to dash frame column cut out, even probably they never were installed again if cluster was removed in the past.

Hey Nacho,

just to let you know all went well with my dash. I've tidied everything up and learnt a lot as well. Thanks for the info.

Peter
Sydney, Australia.