Changing to Ralley dash

[devilgear]

Hey hey. My 73 Charger came with the flat regular dash, but the owner included a complete with all gauges Ralley dash with the car. My question is, what is all involved with changing over to the Ralley dash? Is it diffecult? Thanks.
LATER!!!

[Nacho-RT74]

underdash wiring is different... Change will be the easier way ( trust me when I say easier ) but standart wiring can be modified.

There are used wiring on market and new repro.

to modify will need to buy:
around 10,12 #57 bulb sockets with chassis ground feed to cluster ilumination, turn signal indicators etc.

1 #57 bulb socket with 2 WIRES ( positive and negative ) to brake warning bulb

around 8 90º bullet kind female terminals to feed gauges.

around 3 female spade terminals ( regular size )

one WIDER female spade terminal to feed ground to cluster

Wires wires and wires specially orange 18 gauge


If you decide to buy, becarefull don't choose 74, or 71/72. Try to get 73 wiring to make a plug and play job. 71/72 would need some touchs, and 74 will need a little bit harder job, easier anyway than modify teh standart one.

[NHCharger]

I swapped out the granny gauges in my 72 with a 73 Ralley cluster. It's been 6 years but this is what I remember.
Take out the front seat or the driver's bucket seat. Makes it alot easier to work under the dash, cause your going to be there a while.
Remove the connector pin from the backside of the cluster, remove the other wiring, disconnect the speedo cable and plugs to the light switch and windshield wiper switch. I think I removed the radio for more elbow room. Remove the bolts under the steering column and drop the column down, when removing the cluster roll the top forwards then pull it out.

I tested all the bulbs on the Ralley cluster before I installed it. I cut the connector plug off the underdash harness and unwrapped the harness about 12" back. I ended up reusing my old headlight switch since the one in the Rallye unit was no good, also reused the wiper switch, but I can't remember why. From here it's basically connecting all the wires. There was only a few places I had to splice in an extra length. Having a Factory Service Manual would be a BIG help. I used my 71 FSM to wire a 73 cluster into a 72 car , some of the wires were different colors than what the manual said.

You will have to replace your oil pressure sending unit. The idiot light unit isn't compatible with the gauge type. Took me the better part of a day to do the swap.

[no318]

I have a complete rallley dash, harness and all that I recently removed from a 71 charger.  If you are interested PM me.

[Nacho-RT74]

You will have to replace your oil pressure sending unit. The idiot light unit isn't compatible with the gauge type.

I had forgotten that

[konigcharger]

Take out the front seat or the driver's bucket seat. Makes it alot easier to work under the dash, cause your going to be there a while.

Took me the better part of a day to do the swap.

also pull the steering wheel and drop the column it will make it easier

pick a nice cool day, did mine in 80 degree weather (never again )

[devilgear]

Hey hey. Thanks for the help everyone. I have tried before to drop the colum, but it would not come out. Is there a trick to it?
LATER!!!

[Nacho-RT74]

No, just the 7/16" nuts to drop it. Up 73 I think they are 3 nuts one of them close to brake pedal assembly. My 74 does have just two at sides of column.

Is not a complete drop, it just falls down at middle height since shaft itself stop it

[NHCharger]

Hey hey. Thanks for the help everyone. I have tried before to drop the colum, but it would not come out. Is there a trick to it?
LATER!!!

Yeah, what Nacho said. When I was parting out my 72 I couldn't get the column to drop at first. Try turning the wheel a bit.

[Nacho-RT74]

It could be just stucked with stud threads. Shake it a little bit or turning like NHCharger said

[Charger1973]

This is another project on my list of "things to do".  I plan to pull the entire dash out and do it that way, since I would really like to take a look at everything back there anyway and give it a good cleaning while im at it.  Plus I need to change my heater core, so I figure with all the work im going to be doing back there, it would be easier to just take it out. 

[Charger1973]

Well im in neck deep now.   

[Charger1973]

It took me all day and half the night but I got it to where I am happy with it.  Now if it will ever stop raining I can go re-install it. 

[Charger1973]

Hey hey. Thanks for the help everyone. I have tried before to drop the colum, but it would not come out. Is there a trick to it?
LATER!!!

Yeah, what Nacho said. When I was parting out my 72 I couldn't get the column to drop at first. Try turning the wheel a bit.

Another thing to check, is those 3 bolts that hold the plate to the firewall.  You can see where I have it loose in my pic with the column dropped.  It wouldnt come down unless I took those loose, then it dropped to where you see it no problems.   

[Charger1973]

I didnt quite get finished with the wiring before dark but im real close.  Should have it done tomorrow!   

[Nacho-RT74]

sweeeeeeeet!!! love gold/tan interiors...
and those rear view dash pics are REALLY GREAT REFERENTIAL PICS with all buzzers and accesories location... shame is not a 74.

just need to know one of the devices what's for. I know one is seatbelt buzzer and the other one is the lights on buzzer, but dunno what is the device located between light on buzzer and glove box... probably headlights time delay relay ? or hideaways ?

[Charger1973]

Yeah the pics should be really useful later, thats why I made sure to take some.   

I dont know exactly what they all do to be honest, but the conversion was really easy so far (now lest just hope it works)...      All the wiring basically falls into place and the ones that dont you can figure out by the pictures.