Dash board

[doneaton]

Does anyone have advice in removal of the dash cover.Iwould like to get behind the trim remove radio,also clock .I have found a place to get repair done..DON

[robic58]

[img src="[/img]i178.photobucket.com/albums/w276/robic58/Leathermanmadecoveredhorn-wasplasti.jpg"]

i178.photobucket.com/albums/w276/robic58/VeraintheSnow-maybeits1stwinterJan2.jpg[/IMG]

Hello Don- I posted this a.m. in reply to you and tried to add a pic...then lost everything... darn fat thumb!!!!
Any way, in cleaning the crud out of Vera last summer, I dismantled most of her dash. The dash pad is very easy. I'm not writing from home at the moment, so I can't go to the car and verify details, so this is stricktly from memory. You'll have 3-4 screws right under the lip of the leather dash pad above the instrument bezel, and three more I believe ,under the edge of the of the pad on the passenger side above the clock's woodgrain panel. You'll also find screws on the edge of the defroster openings.. remove these with greatcare with a magnetized screwdriver. If you drop'ém, they're gone!!!!
Next, I'd remove the glove box door and the fabric coated hardboard box as well. This will give you better access to the clock,as well as allow more light behind the dash. Depending on the model, the clock body has either 2 0r 3 ear tabs, the 3 tab one has two nearest to the passenger door. These tabs have holes in the tabs where studs from the backside of the dash body
come thru and are anchored with shouldered nuts. On somemodels, the single tab nearest the centre of the car is just a slot in the eartab, a little easier, you don't have to remove the nut completly, reinstalation is also easier.
There isn't acres of room back there, slim fingers and a slim 1/4"drive ratchet socket set will however back off those nuts. Electrically-either one or two leads---if two, one is for light only, the other for mechanism.On some it's a combined harness.I don't believe those are original Ford. The clock body housing should then be in your hands, freed from the car.
Don't attempt to remove the woodgrain bezel, it won't help you any. It's held by five screw-on nuts fitting over serrated plastic studs. Two of which are unaccesible unless you remove a lot of other stuff from behind and under the dash...
For the radio, you need to remove the woodgrained instrument bezel, remove any visible screws at the top, much of the bezel is held in place by spreadable prongs on the bezel itself which inset into the dash body. Work carefully, with fine thin flat screwdrivers, you're dealing with 30+yr plastic which is pretty brittle, but patience and gentleness will get it out loose. It help to put the shift lever in "L" to slide it out.
Once out, you'll find the radio mounted on a steel plate surrounding the dial and anchored to the dash body by 4 screws.
Disconnect wiring harness and antenna lead, and you have your radio out.
Don, let me know what source you have for clock repair/service.Mine works erratically, if at all. I bought a new NOS one (for near $100) .which looks great but is duff... I think its been duff from day one, that's why it's NOS in the box.
This might be a good time to re dye- your leather dash pad.very easy to separate from the metal portion. You can also repaint the metal portion with a satin non-glare paint. Good luck & remember... cursing does not help!!!!! Cheers, Ralph

[doneaton]

Thanks again Ralph. I"ll copy these instructions if it evey quits snowing here I will take a stab at the job..As for the repair I will get the address & send it along...Don