Dash Disassembly ??

[55 Fargo]

Hi all, I am set to start taking speedo,gauges and speedo glass and housing out of the dash.

I should have done this a long time ago, and certainly before I re-wired under there, the wries are tight, and tied up well together.

I am not looking forwad to this job, and keep putting it off.

The reason I am doing this is because the speedo glass is cracked, and I have a better speciman to install.

I also have a new temp gaugs assembly to install.

I am wondering if I should remove the oil pressure gauge out of the housing and leave it under dash, while I make the swap?

Any suggestions, and/or ideas welcomed, I am also thinking of using my donor speedo, as it seems to function better than my current in-car speedo.........Fred

[maurice wade]

Never had any experience with dash removel, but something to keep in mind if the oil pressure line is disconnected from the gauge will leak oil.

[Young Ed]

Mine didn't leak any oil. But certainly don't start it up without a gauge hooked up. I removed my temp gauge from the cluster and left it in place. Then I removed the entire dash. I put a diff oil gauge on just so I could drive the car with temp wiring. I've never removed just the cluster but with it being held in by the choke and throttle it doesnt seem like much fun(plymouths are held that way not sure about chrysler)

[55 Fargo]

Mine didn't leak any oil. But certainly don't start it up without a gauge hooked up. I removed my temp gauge from the cluster and left it in place. Then I removed the entire dash. I put a diff oil gauge on just so I could drive the car with temp wiring. I've never removed just the cluster but with it being held in by the choke and throttle it doesnt seem like much fun(plymouths are held that way not sure about chrysler)

There is no choke and throttle to hold it in place, but the wring has to come off the ammeter, fuel gauge, not a big deal. The dash lights need come off.

The big thing is this, should I unscrew the oil pressure gauge, right out of the hosung, then just pull it out of the way to allow me to get the rest of ths assembly out.

Maybe I should not even do this job, but the cracked glassss is not very nice to have in the dash, could leave it alone I suppose.

[Young Ed]

Do it now before its warm out and you want to be driving.

[55 Fargo]

Okay, removed instrument cluster, and had donor cluster more or less ready, that is installed, need to attach wires yet, and to hook up new sender to engine for temp gauge, that will be another day.

I just unscrewed the line to the oil pressure gauge, it has a little check valve, no mess at all. I hope I did that right.

Here is a pic, and here is a pic of old assembly glass.

[55 Fargo]

Well hooked all the wires, speedo, oil pressure gauge etc.

Started engine, she fired right up, all is working. The only thing is my oil pressure gauge is reading 10 psi lower now, I don't know what has caused this, hopefully I did not cause this when I removed it from the old cluster to the donor cluster housing.

But all in all not bad.

The temp gauge capillary tube and sender I still have to route to the block, and get it hooked up. I still have my after market gauge installed.....................Fred PS total time 3 1/2 hours, not fun when you are 6' 2", and have the seat still in car, gonna be sore tonight

[Young Ed]

Fred you didn't bend the needle did you? Does it read the same with the car off?

[55 Fargo]

Fred you didn't bend the needle did you? Does it read the same with the car off?

No it works as per normal, just reading lower than before, it s reads 40 psi now, it would read 45 to 50 psi before, when cold....

[55 Fargo]

NOS temp gauge I have reads about 15 under the correct temp.

For example, using my laser thermometer, on water reading 170,this gauge reads about 155. Now I am going to test it again tonight, and write down the data, and use the gauge as is, I have no idea how to calibrate it anyway.......Fred

Correction, water temp difference between NOS gauge and laser temp gauge appears to be about 5 degrees under for the NOS gauge, at temp readings of water to about 190, so not too bad, will need to be coginizant of this.

Edited March 6, 2010 by Rockwood

[BobT-47P15]

Looks good, Fred. Don't ya just love standing on your head to do that

stuff? I've done it several times, but I'm not as tall as you.

[55 Fargo]

I am thinking I may a piece for dirt or something, in the line or at the oil pressure gauge, it dropped about 10 psi, when I removed the oil line and made the swap, I did not play around with the gauge, other than cleaning the face, a bit and gently blowing the dust off the inside of it.

I am thinking I should take the oil line off, and blow some air through it.

My gas gauge is acting up a bit to, when I shut off the engine, and kill the power to the battery it is still registering a 1/4 tank, must be sticking. I am goinfg to add some gas to the tank tomorrow and see what happens..........Fred

[55 Fargo]

Looks good, Fred. Don't ya just love standing on your head to do that

stuff? I've done it several times, but I'm not as tall as you.

Thanx Bob, here is a pic of the job finished, still need to correct gas gauge and oil gauge line may need a little cleaning too.......

[55 Fargo]

Okay this morning I go out and change temp gauge hook up, my aftermarket out, and NOS to go in.

I only had to pull the senders, and switch.

I pull out the aftermarket sender, feed the NOS sender through firewall hole, and proceed to install into block, it would not go through the hole, the sender is too thick around. Damn it, then I notice a tag on the capillary tube, says C39, whcih is the 8 cyl engine, no doubt this sender is not for a 6 cyl engine, and after all the owrk, what a let down.

I will be getting ahold of the old Gent I bought this from and let him know what happened.

I wonder if I could plumb this in any other way?

[Young Ed]

Fred it would seem unlikely that the 8cyl would need a diff gauge then the 6. Perhaps you just need a different adaptor into the head? What year is your engine?

[55 Fargo]

Fred it would seem unlikely that the 8cyl would need a diff gauge then the 6. Perhaps you just need a different adaptor into the head? What year is your engine?

Hi Ed, my engine is a 1951, but remember long block Canadian engine.

Now my after market sender bulb is slimmer and fits right in.

Is there any way to createan adaptor to allow me to use this larger bulb,that does not fit into the block?

[Young Ed]

Fred I wonder if you have a head from when they went to elec sending units

[55 Fargo]

Fred I wonder if you have a head from when they went to elec sending units

Hi Ed, have no idea when the switch to electric sending units came about. This engine is froma 50 or 51 Canadian Dodge.

The hole size has been fine for the after market bulb, also the old bulb came ou, and was roughly the size of the aftermarket bulb, but that was 5 years ago, and do not recall exactly what it looks like.

The fact is this gauge is froma C39, and that is the 8 cylinder,could it be larger?

When they switched to electric sending units, where did they install them.

I am wondering if I could plumb this bulb sender into the heater house outlet somewhow, could run with both gauges, then could hide aftermarket gauge somewhere...

[55 Fargo]

I spoke with an old Chrysler guru locally, he thinks the insert that screws into the head, before the sender screws into this part, is smaller on my engines head.

I am going to pull one off my 251 engine, and then will see if the bulb fits into that. If so, will swap the one from my head.

I have a feeling these will be very difficult to remove from the head.......Fred

[Young Ed]

Fred with a socket or a closed wrench that adaptor should come right out. The flatheads with elec senders still went in the same spot the hole was just machined smaller.

[55 Fargo]

Hey all, the fuel gauge is working normal, added gas to the tank, she came up to 1/2 tank from 1/4 tank with about 3 to 4 gallons of gas, which seems right.

The oil gauge is running at 40 to 45 psi with cool oil , warm at idle 35 to 40 psi, so seems acceptable to me......Fred

[55 Fargo]

Fred with a socket or a closed wrench that adaptor should come right out. The flatheads with elec senders still went in the same spot the hole was just machined smaller.

Hi Ed, tried to unturn the adaptor off the 251 head, it is on tight, will bring it to my bench and see, once off I can try it on the sender........Fred

[55 Fargo]

Removed the adaptor fitting from a 251 head, the sender goes right into it. So I need to get a new adaptor, as this one is pretty rough, with some thread missing from corrosion.

I am little leary about backing the adaptor out of my engine in the car, do not like to mess with those things, in case it breaks or something, then the fun starts......Fred

[55 Fargo]

On the bench, I used a 7/16 drill bit, and turned it through the adaptor by hand, the sender bulb slipped into it effortlessly.

My question to the more learned engine folks is this.

Should I remove the aftermarket sender bulb in my engine, and then use a 7/16 drill bit by hand and gently turn it through the adaptor, it will break apart any crud/corrosion. The NOS sender was going into it, but was very tight, and I could not get it all the way in, so maybe if I clean out the hole a bit with drill bit, it may slip right in.......Fred

[55 Fargo]

I drained coolant, pulled the aftermarket sender bulb, put a 7/16 drill bit intro hole by hand , twisted it a ound a bit, the oem bulb slid right in.

So crusty/rusty build up in adaptor hole on the head.

I then ran engine to test the gauge.

My engine took forever to reach 140 to 150, it is about 32 outside, now I know what Greybeard Dave means about the long warmup. I was able to touch the rad, and hoses even after a 1/2 hour of running, driving would be better, but I don't drive with slop and snow on the roads.

I have a 160 t/stat, witha 1/8 hole drilled into it's lip, maybe I should be brave and run a 180 t/stat.

Temp in rad, was 145 to 150, verified with laser temp gunb, temp on gauge was 145, so the gauge temp is down about 5 degrees or so.

The bottom line is I have an OEM Gauge for the 1st time in 5 years........Thanx all for the help epecially Young Ed......