67 Belvedere ll - remove instrument cluster

[Mark Barnes]

Well, my entire dash basically went dark. Headlights still work, but that's about it. Trying to pull the cluster out, but it will not comply. Seems like after all the screws are removed, it should just roll out? Looks like there is a lip on the bottom that keeps it from coming all the way out. I even dropped the column a couple inches, no help.
If anyone has mastered this, I sure could use some direction.
Secondly, is there a single point on the cluster where it gets voltage? I was pretty sure the cluster gets power from the light switch...

 

[Don Frelier]

Did you disconnect the speedometer cable?

 

[gtx6970]

Disconnect speedometer and it should roll out.
Then take Amp meter wires off and disconnect at the remaining wire
connectors.


I just did this last weekend.
It's a piece of cake . Changed speedometer head in under 2 hours

 

[Don Frelier]

Make SURE you have all the screws out a couple hide nicely.
(Especially with old eyes)

If they are all out it could be the dimmer portion of your headlight switch?

 

[R413]

Check fuses first. If the dash lamps quit then the headlamp switch is the place to look. Can leave cluster on for that. Remove headlamp knob and shaft, use a large blade screwdriver and unscrew the barrel nut and the switch can come down under dash by fuse panel

Disconnect the battery! The cluster can still be tough to get out. Heater cables are not helping either. remove knobs and plate, remove to screw holding controls to cluster and fish it through the passage to the inside of the dash so it won’t retain the cluster

Constant power comes to the Amp meter. Gauges have a keyed power source.

 

[Mark Barnes]

Check fuses first. If the dash lamps quit then the headlamp switch is the place to look. Can leave cluster on for that. Remove headlamp knob and shaft, use a large blade screwdriver and unscrew the barrel nut and the switch can come down under dash by fuse panel

Disconnect the battery! The cluster can still be tough to get out. Heater cables are not helping either. remove knobs and plate, remove to screw holding controls to cluster and fish it through the passage to the inside of the dash so it won’t retain the cluster

Constant power comes to the Amp meter. Gauges have a keyed power source.

Thanks for the info! Before I break the headlight switch, how does the knob come off the shaft?

 

[Belvedere408]

Thanks for the info! Before I break the headlight switch, how does the knob come off the shaft?

There’s a button you push in on the headlight switch and pull out knob and shaft.. You have to push it from the back side of dash.

 

[yella71]

Make sure your battery is disconnected if your pulling the cluster

 

[pnora]

Well, my entire dash basically went dark. Headlights still work, but that's about it. Trying to pull the cluster out, but it will not comply. Seems like after all the screws are removed, it should just roll out? Looks like there is a lip on the bottom that keeps it from coming all the way out. I even dropped the column a couple inches, no help.
If anyone has mastered this, I sure could use some direction.
Secondly, is there a single point on the cluster where it gets voltage? I was pretty sure the cluster gets power from the light switch...

Why pull the cluster? Did you test all the fuses.

 

[Mark Barnes]

There’s a button you push in on the headlight switch and pull out knob and shaft.. You have to push it from the back side of dash.

Thanks...I never would have found that.

 

[Mark Barnes]

Why pull the cluster? Did you test all the fuses.

I did test the fuses, all good. Everything on the cluster just disappeared, so I thought that the light switch/cluster would be a logical place to look next. The plug on the light switch came off a little hard, the light green wire had melted it's way loose of the plug. Not sure exactly where it comes from, or why it's overheating yet.

 

[Mark Barnes]

New question- with the battery connected, should I be able to read 12v across the ammeter posts? Does it matter if the key is on or off? The black ammeter wire does not show ground potential either way. I can see 12v from the red post to chassis ground, but nothing between the posts. Yeah, I never had one of these off before...have mercy.

 

[Don Frelier]

New question- with the battery connected, should I be able to read 12v across the ammeter posts? Does it matter if the key is on or off? The black ammeter wire does not show ground potential either way. I can see 12v from the red post to chassis ground, but nothing between the posts. Yeah, I never had one of these off before...have mercy.

Both ammeter connections are 12v.

 

[Mark Barnes]

Both ammeter connections are 12v.

Thanks Don. Another education for me. So, if there is power to the circuit board, there must be a ground somewhere. Where does that get applied, and is it switched, like through the light switch?
All the lights on the cluster seem to be good, yet it is still dead.

 

[copper67sat]

The cluster gets grounded to the dash frame through the metal strip that runs along the top and is secured with the upper bezel screws.

 

[Don Frelier]

Did you get the plug for the light switch sorted out?
That's likely your problem source

 

[Mark Barnes]

Thanks for all the help...ran out of light, back at it tomorrow.

 

[RT6PK]

I have had three '67 Belvederes. All of them had issues with the instrument panel ground. The dash lights would flicker out; then flicker back on when I tapped on the dash above the instrument cluster. Make sure that the metal ground strip on the top of the instrument panel and the metal dash itself are clean and you have a good solid ground. Doing so fixed my issue all three times.

The cluster gets grounded to the dash frame through the metal strip that runs along the top and is secured with the upper bezel screws.

View attachment 1483044

 

[Mark Barnes]

I have had three '67 Belvederes. All of them had issues with the instrument panel ground. The dash lights would flicker out; then flicker back on when I tapped on the dash above the instrument cluster. Make sure that the metal ground strip on the top of the instrument panel and the metal dash itself are clean and you have a good solid ground. Doing so fixed my issue all three times.

Was just looking at it. Metal strip on top of the cluster has some corrosion. Gonna clean it up and test. Hope it works! Thanks!

 

[Mark Barnes]

Well, I got a new headlight switch and installed it. Got the left side dash lights back, and the new switch has a ground tab on it. Maybe they figured out they have grounding issues? So, why did only half the lights come back?