Sonar_un

Everything is fine and dandy with my car. But oh lookie here.. new Macewean White faced guages, w/ Xenon lights arrived in the mail! W00H00.. now I can die a happy man.

A little while later.. while happily removing the guages for the light install, I finally get to the Spedometer. What?! The spedometer won't come off. For some reason, no idea. I removed the screws and everything, yet it still won't come off. Now how am I going to get to those lights in the back? I dunno..

Well.. thats just one small setback, that I can work on later. On to installing some of the lights. All starts out fine, until I start to pull out my first light. I pull and I pull.. nothing. I find out that I can turn the light 1/4 turn clockwise, and now its loose.... oops.. the light just fell behind the guage holder. %$@%#@.. oh well.. I think I can get it later.. no such luck. While frustrated I run directly to Thirdgen.org, and start doing a search for someone else having problems installing the lights. Yep.. looks like my lights are welded in. Ok, thats no problem.. I finally can get the bulbs out now, with some VERY hard pulling. Put a couple of the new ones in.. It works! Great! Now.. on to my questions.

1. How can I get that stupid light holder out from behind the guage holder? I can't seem to find a place to take it off. Any ideas?

2. How to I take that friggen spedometer off? Just won't come off.

Please help me as soon as possible.. I want to start cruizing tonight.... Thanks!!

------------------
Houston f-body Member Page
Third Gen Project (New Site)
1989 305 tbi Camaro RS Red/Red
Ram Air II Hood
Flowmasters
Edelbrock Open Element

"Stock?! Theres nothing "stock" about a stock car."

Fastcamaro87

pull the whole gauge cluster out, and it will only take you a few minutes, sounds like the speedo cable is holding it in there, just pull it off and u should be set.

------------------
87 IROC-z 305 TPI 5spd Borg warner 9-bolt 3.45 posi 4 wheel disc,8.8 Accel wires , bosch platinum +4 plugs,gutted air box,k&n oil filter,synthetic oil 10w30

Sonar_un

Well.. I finally got the speddo off.. unfortunately, it poped off.. I have absolutuly no idea what the speedo was at when it poped off.. Blah, its just one of those nights.

I have had a hell of a time getting the bulbs out of the sockets. I still have one of the bulb connectors lost. There are three more bulbs to go, around the speedo, and I have had an insane about of problems getting them out. They just won't budge, and there is no room to try and pull them out.

On top of all that, I think I blew a fuse, seeing as how the lights on my guage cluster are no longer functioning.. BLAH.. BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. I should be taking pics of all this in case someone else ever havs problems.

I found the other bulb adapters after I took my dash pad out. That helped a ton. But I still have a ways to go, and I am calling it a night. I have been 6 hours trying to get all this together. It shoulda been pretty easy. Oh well. Its a learning experience.

------------------
Houston f-body Member Page
Third Gen Project (New Site)
1989 305 tbi Camaro RS Red/Red
Ram Air II Hood
Flowmasters
Edelbrock Open Element

"Stock?! Theres nothing "stock" about a stock car."

Jza

[double post]

[This message has been edited by Jza (edited February 24, 2001).]

Jza

It would have been easy if you had taken the whole cluster out. From the back, you just twist out the bulbs, and pop in the new ones. As far as the speedometer, you're screwed. There are two screws in the back of the cluster holding the speedometer in, as well as the cable itself. If the speedometer "popped" you might have broken something.
Once you pull the bulb "socket" out, you'll notice it's all actually one piece, and is supposed to be replaced whole (the words "replace as a unit" are printed on the bulbs!).

Here you can see the two screws holding the speedo in. (From my 89 RS's cluster)

Sonar_un

I looked and I looked, but didn't find any way I could take the whole cluster out. I guess I will look some more.

As for the spedometer goes, I doubt I broke anything. It all looks fine. I wish I could have been taking pics of this entire process. Blah. Would have been a nice tech article.

**Update..

Ok.. this stupid guage cluster WILL NOT come out. There isn't a single screw holding it on there, and the chiltons manual does not help me one bit. It looks like there are two clips at the bottom, on either side of the cluster, holding it in, but every attempt I have made at trying to get the clips to move, have been unsucessful.

------------------
Houston f-body Member Page
Third Gen Project (New Site)
1989 305 tbi Camaro RS Red/Red
Ram Air II Hood
Flowmasters
Edelbrock Open Element

"Stock?! Theres nothing "stock" about a stock car."

[This message has been edited by Sonar_un (edited February 24, 2001).]

SlowCamaro88SC

you might have not seen the two nuts you need to take off that are "hidden" where the SES lights, e-brake etc. etc. lights are. that's what you are missing. AND btw, I hope you got the speedo cable unhooked, I can take my cluster out in less than 5 minutes, change all the bulbs in 3, and have it all back in within 5 minutes. total time = 13 minutes.

SlowCamaro88SC

this is where the nuts are, but on the front
<img src = "http://www.nconnect.net/~briones/cluster.jpg">

Sonar_un

Thanks for the help guys. I seen those nuts, and pulled them off, then came here, and noticed you guys posted it. That was totally the problem. I feel like such a dumbass.

Anyway.. On to the spedometer cable. I have been trying to pull it off. Where exactly can I pull it off? The chiltons manual says "at the cruise control transducer".. where is that exactly? There is a spedometer connection right under the master cylinder, but unfortunately, it is EXTREMELY tight. I haven't been able to get it off, all that gruntwork, for nothing. I can't seem to reach behind the guage cluster no matter how much slack I put on the spedo cable. Any ideas?

Again, thanks for your help guys, Thirdgen.org RULES!

------------------
Houston f-body Member Page
Third Gen Project (New Site)
1989 305 tbi Camaro RS Red/Red
Ram Air II Hood
Flowmasters
Edelbrock Open Element

"Stock?! Theres nothing "stock" about a stock car."

Sonar_un

DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I finally finished the stupid light install. Its looking good. Thanks everyone for helping me with it. Now I have at least gained a little experience on it, and can help other people when they need it.

------------------
Houston f-body Member Page
Third Gen Project (New Site)
1989 305 tbi Camaro RS Red/Red
Ram Air II Hood
Flowmasters
Edelbrock Open Element

"Stock?! Theres nothing "stock" about a stock car."

Mo

So how'd you end up getting the speedo cable unhooked?

------------------
90 IROC 5.7l (L98)
ram air, K&Ns, air foil,Flows


LIKE A ROC

Sonar_un

Well.. underneath the master cylinder, was a place to take un hook the speedo cable. I didn't have the right tools needed to take it off. All I had was a crescent wrench, and a pair of vise grips. I didn't have a 1" wrench I could use. After toying with it for a while, and a few grunts and moans later.. I decided to WD40 the threads. Then I went across the street, and borrowed a 1" wrench. Lol.. the threads FINALLY broke free, and I was unable to unhook the speedo cable. Its amazing what you can do if you just have the right tools.

Anyway, I pulled the guage cluster out just enough so I was able to reach behind it. Theres a little clip behind the guage cluster that you can press in (Towards the cluster), and will release the speedo cable. After that, the cluster came right out.

Unfortunately, I never did find that last bulb connector, so I decided to take the bulb out that said "security" and used it as my last bulb.

I finally got it all back together, but sadly, one torx screw was lost in the rebuild. (I have no clue where the heck it went, probabally in between a seat or something). The light xenon blue bulbs look GREAT at night. It looks WAY better than it does on the picture at Macewean's website.

------------------
Houston f-body Member Page
Third Gen Project (New Site)
1989 305 tbi Camaro RS Red/Red
Ram Air II Hood
Flowmasters
Edelbrock Open Element

"Stock?! Theres nothing "stock" about a stock car."

SlowCamaro88SC

ok we helped you, how about you post a nighttime pic now???? please?

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

I replaced my stock bulbs with xenon/krytons from McEwen without the white overlays, since I prefer the stock look. The result is very nice.

JamesC

------------------

Sonar_un

I am getting a 3 megapixel digital camera real soon (possibly today). As soon as I get it, I will post some day/night shots of the guages.

James C, how did those xenon bulbs go in your heater controls and clock? Are they much brighter? I was thinking about doing the same because they are somewhat dim. I think it would be cool to replace all the bulbs in the car with xenon ones. I really don't feel like pulling my dash apart again though.. ROFL.

------------------
Houston f-body Member Page
Third Gen Project (New Site)
1989 305 tbi Camaro RS Red/Red
Ram Air II Hood
Flowmasters
Edelbrock Open Element

"Stock?! Theres nothing "stock" about a stock car."

[This message has been edited by Sonar_un (edited February 26, 2001).]

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

Sonar,

Remove the black bezel around the radio and AC/Heater Control head. Underneath, you'll see that the control head is held in place by three screw. Remove them and simply pull out the control head an inch or two. You'll see where the light goes in on the right side. Very easy. Ten minutes tops. The console clock is more difficult. You'll need to remove enough of the top of the console so that you can reach the clock. Once that's done, the swap is like it was on the rear of the cluster itself. Maybe twenty minutes. The work IMO is well worth the effort. The effect is very nice.

JamesC

------------------

Sonar_un

James C,

Do the colored bulbs make any difference in the ac controls? Or did you just used the regular Amber ones?

------------------
Houston f-body Member Page
Third Gen Project (New Site)
1989 305 tbi Camaro RS Red/Red
Ram Air II Hood
Flowmasters
Edelbrock Open Element

"Stock?! Theres nothing "stock" about a stock car."

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

I used the clear bulbs, so aside from brightness, there was no significant change in color.

JamesC

------------------