I am wanting to replace my speedo, tach, etc... gauge lens in my 67 but before I go pulling stuff apart I was wondering how difficult this is. Basically how easy does the gauge panel come off?
It's pretty easy. Just remove the screws at top and bottom. You may need to loosen the heater/ac controls, but mine aren't currently installed. Then unscrew the speedometer cable -- this is perhaps the hardest part but no biggie. Then uncouple the wiring dodads and it's out.
You might want to drape a towel over the steering column to protect its paint and the finish on the cluster, but I've never had a problem.
Also, while it's out you might want to check the bulbs.
If your dash pad is warped or drooping from heat or age you will need to be careful and lift up on the dash pad a little to get the cluster to start to slide out a bit to get to the speedometer cable and the two wiring harness plugs that other_shoe mentioned unplugging. IF the dash pad is old and isn't cracked and you man-handle this operation you could crack an old dry dash pad. You will also have to unplug the wiper switch plug at the top of the instrument panel.
The heater control panel or the air conditioner control panel needs to be loosened to keep from breaking the bottom left edge of the instrument panel bezel off. It sits behind the control panel if I remember correctly.
The speedometer cable has a 3/4" nut holding it to the instrument cluster (again, if I remember correctly).
When you get everything detached and you get the instrument cluster out on the bench (or garage floor, etc.) there are a few screws holding the steel back section to the plastic front. IF you have a clock in the cluster you will need to hold the set knob and unscrew the center small common screw to remove the knob before you seperate the two halves of the cluster. When the two sections come apart there are 4 (I think) little tubes inside of the cluster that you need to watch as the two halves come apart. Peek in between the halves and watch as the tubes fall out of place. You will need to be sure to get these back where they came from because they keep the high beam, turn signal and brakes indications from bleeding over into other areas of the cluster as white-colored light in a green lit cluster.
If you decide to replace the plastic instrument bezel be sure to buy the correct one for your car. The 1967 is unique to the 1967 Mustangs and the 1968 is unique to the 1968 Mustangs.
It really is simple though. Just watch what you are doing.
Thanks guys! I just didn't want to get over my head in trying to do this myself. The only reason I want to replace them is because the circular silver center pieces in the middle of the guages are weathered and look worn.
My dash pad is fairly new and in good shape so that shouldn't be a problem.