'94 F250- How the hell do I remove the instrument cluster surround?
 

I'm trying to install gauges, and I want to pull the cluster surround to make them easier to install (to get at some wires and such especially).

I looked around and I cannot see how the panel around the cluster comes off...there are no exposed screws...??? I have a Chilton's and it's no help.

The two trim peices in the middle of the shroud pop out and there are screws under them. The rest of the whole shroud just pops out with clips. The trim peices I am talking about is the trim that runs from the drivers side of the dash to the pass. side.

Take the headlight knob off and then the two silver strips at the bottom (they have a slot on the bottom of them to pry them off with) to expose the two screws, one on each side. Then just pop it off the top spring clips.

For more information and photos click on this link.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/article/...Or_Bronco.html

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Ahhhhh I did not know those trim strips just popped off.

How does the headlight knob come off? Does it just pull off?

Yea just pull it STRAIGHt off, ive broken one before pullin off crooked

Click on the link I posted above and it will tell you how.

Subford,
Thanks for posting this. All I needed to do was get the cluster surround off so I could clean the plastic lens. I always wondered about adding a tach. Since it's just a drop in, I guess I might as well do that at the same time.

match the cluster to your year truck.

SO it wouldn't be smart to add a 95 cluster to say a 96? thanks j/w...

Thanks for the reminder to get the same year. That might be the hardest part. I've got a couple of 'u pull it' scrap yards close by so I'll just check them periodically until I find one.

Couple of questions:
1. Is there any identification on the part that will tell me the year? Sometimes the scrap trucks aren't identified with the year.

2. I know i have to keep my current speedometer module. Can I use the same back plane (white part) and just swap in the new tach and oil/water/fuel/temp modules? I'm thinking the scrap yard will charge me more if I show up with the whole instrument cluster than they will if I just show up with the two modules.

Added OEM Tach
 

I found a '95 cluster at the scrap yard yesterday and decided to give it a try in my truck (a '94). They said they'd give me my money back if it didn't work.
I saw in another forum that the 94-96 clusters might be interchangeable and the 92-93 are. Don't know if that's true but I figured it was worth a shot.

I followed these directions and it worked great. I'll drive it a while and make sure it looks ok.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/article/...Or_Bronco.html

I did have to use the back plane from the cluster with the tack. All the connections are different.

I didn't think it was going to work at first because the 4x4 lights, air bag light, and turn signal lights didn't work. Turns out they were all burned out so I just swapped some out of my old cluster.

I used an artists paint brush and vacuum cleaner to clean all the dust off of the gauges. They look 100% better.

Neither of the plastic lens covers cleaned up very good. They both have tons of swirl marks and scuffs. Cleaning this was the whole reason I started this project.