Help - Speedometer Removal

[Soup]

I'm trying to remove the speedometer in my 72 to get at the nuts which secure the steering column clamp. The nuts on my car have the anti-theft caps which prevent me from easily loosening everything. I need to slacken the nuts to get at the wiring so I can replace my broken head light switch located on the column.

I've removed the knurled nuts (2) on the backside along with the brackets the secure the speedo in place. However, the [censored] thing won't budge not matter how much finger pressure I put on it. The dash around the speedo moves with the it. It seems as if it is glued but there are no signs of glue anywhere.

Has anybody else had this problem?

Is there a way to get the anti-theft caps off the nuts without removing the speedometer?

 

[roofman]

There is some gasket ring material that may have melted, or th PO may have done something stupid and glued or caulked it in. If everything is disconnected ( brackets, speedo cable and lites), it should come right out. My expierience is that both the tach and speedo need to come out to get those anti theft nuts out.

 

[Guest]

You undid the speedo cable, right. And removed all the bulbs, not that they would hold the housing in. I forget, is the voltage regulator on the back of the speedo or tach?

The brackets that hold it onto the back of the dash definitely need to come off. Sometimes they are corroded onto the metal part of the dash (the part behind the wood). Free everything up and she will come. May have to use some persuasion.

 

[Soup]

So I'm going at it right so far, it's just being stubborn.

Back outside to play with it some more, I'll check in later.

 

[Soup]

Persuasion worked!! New light switch is in now comes the but. Made the connections but the lights aren't working. The high beam works when I pull the switch back but normal operation does nothing. Time to check a wiring diagram since the wires under the dash have faded I must have made one or two bad connections, I hope.

This will have to wait till tomorrow, oh well.

 

[Brosky]

It's not like tomorrow is going to be bright and sunny outside here in New England. You'll have plenty of time to work on the car with the snow showers that are headed our way, at least in the morning.

 

[Soup]

Yes in deed. It also looks like this wonderful weather will be with us for another week. I'll have to look thru the threads to see how you're coming along with those carbs of yours.

 

[Brosky]

Hopefully, it will break for Tuesday when I get to drive to Erik's with the car to let it cool overnight. Wednesday morning we're at it and the pictures will be flying back here that night. Hopefully a video of the test drive, if it's not raining cats and dogs.

I just added all of the pictures that Jeff sent me to my site:

https://www.74tr6.com/tricarbrebuild.htm

That's where I am as of today. Tomorrow I gather all of the gaskets, filters and other parts up and get them ready to load in the car.

 

[Soup]

Paul, very nice. I look at all the pic.s and enviuos comes to mind.

Couldn't sleep with the headlight issue on my mind. I have since learned that I blew the fuse. This makes me think I have a bad ground somewhere. Unfortunately, I also have no history on the the headlights. They never worked for me. I assumed it was just the switch cause it was obviously and definately broken. I know the switch was money well spent. This was supposed to simple.

Gotta go track down the wiring, buy fuses, check grounds and scratch my head today......just to name a few. I may need to post this issue as a new thread.

 

[Guest]

Soup, remember that he headlight circuit is not fused in your car, or it is not supposed to be.

 

[Soup]

Bill, according the wiring diagram the headlight circuit is tied into both the fuse box, ignition and dip switch (high/low beam switch). I'm going back outside now to see if the problem is in the dip switch.

According the wiring diagram, after the column switch, everything goes into the high/low beam switch except the wire that activates the high beam when the column switch is pulled back..........and that currently works; high beams turn on.

In further comment on the burnt fuse, the fuse that burned on me is the one that runs the interior lights and has nothing to do with the headlights.

Back outside!