1992 Trans Am

iTrader: (2)

Hello everyone!

I am going to provide step-by step instructions regarding how to remove, restore, and reinstall a factory gauge cluster in my 1992 TA vert. I needed to replace my original tach since it started malfunctioning.

Items needed/used for this project
1. NOS tachometer unit or rebuilt original tach
2. 7mm and 13mm ratchet and a 30 torx screw remover
3. Phillips screwdriver
4. Thin tipped pick or something equivalent
5. Meguiars Plastix plastic polish, good glass cleaner, microfiber towels and some rags.
6. Steel wool and rust oleum rust converter black spray paint.
7. Table to put parts and bolts on.

Step by step process to do this project:
1. Disconnect battery.
2. Remove kick panel.
3. Remove lower underdash panel and fuse box cover.
4. Using a thin pick or similar tool, gently pry out the two black plastic screw cap covers from the lower dash panels. Then, using the 30 torx screw remover, remove the two torx screws that were covered with those two caps and then remove the three torx screws at the bottom of the lower dash panel. Then remove panel.
5. Remove trim around radio to avoid scratching it. Then using a 7mm ratchet remove the panel above the radio that houses the fog lamp switch (and possibly other switches too depending on your car.
6. Go under the dash now. There is a bracket around the steering column. Using a 13mm ratchet, remove the two bolts that hold this bracket in place. Then, with the 13mm ratchet, loosen the two bolts that hold the steering column in place. You don't need to fully remove them. Just loosen them. You need to do this in order to create clearance to remove the gauge cluster trim piece and the gauge cluster panel.
7. Now, using the 7mm ratchet, remove the bolts that hold the plastic gauge trim piece with the AC vents attached to it and then slide it off.
8. Using the 7mm ratchet, now remove the bolts that mount the gauge cluster to the dash and then slide the gauge cluster out.

Cleaning, repair and restoration:
9. Using a Phillips screwdriver, remove the screws that attach the clear lens to the gauge cluster. Then, unscrew the black **** end from the trip odometer.
10. Slide plastic gauge overlay off of gauges.
11. Using a microfiber towel and windex, clean the gauge cluster housing (the white part) with windex sprayed directly onto the towel.
12. Clean lens with windex and microfiber towel, then use plastic polish to polish the lens. Buff lens and clean again with windex.
13. Clean plastic gauge overlay with windex. Make sure that you don't leave any dust or lint behind on the lens before you reinstall it.
14. Clean plastic gauge trim piece and ac vents with windex.
15. Take lower dash trim panel. Mine had a bunch of surface rust on the back side. Take steel wool of fine sandpaper and clean off rust. Then using a rust converter spray paint, paint backside of this piece and set aside to dry.
16. Take gauge cluster and look at the back. The tach is mounted to the cluster with 2 gold screws and three silver screws that also are what connect the gauge to the car and power. Remove them and slide the tach out. Then install the new tach. Re install the gauge overlay and then screw the lens back onto the gauge cluster.
17. Clean inside of dash out. It'll be dirty in there!

Then reinstall everything in reverse order of removing it and make sure that you tighten the bolts that hold the steering column in place.

1992 Trans Am

iTrader: (2)

Drew

iTrader: (58)

Looks like a nice Trans Am, would love to see more of the car.

Interesting that your knee pad doesn't have spring steel retainers. Seems like some do, some don't. With 5 bolts, it's not like they needed the clips anyway.

1992 Trans Am

iTrader: (2)

Thanks, Drew!

I have been working on it for 2 years now. Trying to do as authentic of a factory correct restoration as possible. More than 95% of what I've done I've used NOS GM parts or clean original GM parts for anything I've replaced. I'm the second owner, it's been in So Cal it's whole life and it's a 5 speed vert with 62,000 original miles. I really love doing projects and restoring it and making it better.



Yeah some of the car by car variations on third gens are really interesting.

Drew

iTrader: (58)

Beautiful! Cant get enough of clean 91-92 birds.

1992 Trans Am

iTrader: (2)

Me too, Drew! It's really funny because I've driven it to my office a few times I the past couple weeks and multiple people keep referring to it as a Vette which is funny. I think it's bc you just don't see many 91-92 Firebirds and they look so sweet. The front nose, the ultima seats and the rear taillights were a preview of things to come for the 4th gens!