ok i do not believe i have the factory insert, i have a casset player with a face plate my dad mashed on. plus i have extra bezzals that are broke that i could practice on/ make sure it will work.

 

If that cassette player is old enough to have 2 posts, and you might be ok? Especially if he did not trim any of the bezel to make the cassette player fit?

Spare part to practice on are always a good thing.

 

yeah its the old 2 post style

 

Well you might get lucky and just have to trim the corners? If the original bezel is good and you do not want to cut it, you can always get one from a JY. Here is how to get it off:

Dash bezel removal is first: Disconnect the battery, and reach up under the dash find the release button on the headlight switch. Push the button and pull the **** and shaft out as one piece. If you can not find it rear on….

Then remove the 5 screws first. Far left between the headlight/wiper *****, there are 2 screws, 1 between the *****, and 1 above it, going in straight up. Moving right there are 2 more screws. 1 in the middle, 1 far right, both pointing straight up. Section heater control there is 1 screw pointing straight up.

Heater controls are in behind the dash plastic, they stay where they are, but you will slide/squeeze the levers out of way to prevent them from hooking on the dash bezel.
To remove the wiper **** it has a release clip on its shaft that you can put pressure on with small flat tip screwdriver in the tiny slot, press and release and slide the **** off.
Radio may be behind or in front the dash bezel, depending on how previous owner (P.O.) installed it. If its factory or shaft style, pull the ***** off the radio and you will see shallow nuts on the shafts. Clean the shaft threads with elec cleaner and small brush, because the shafts will strip VERY easily, use a deep set socket on them. Once the nuts are removed, there should be a plastic or metal radio plate to remove. Behind that are 2 more screws holding dash bezel to a metal bracket. But not always…

Okay, under the 3 sections that you see the gauges in, under the middle one there is a plastic tab from the dash bezel that is tucked behind the metal part of the dash. You can see the metal cutout area for it, when the headlight ****/shaft is pulled out or removed all together you can pull up on the plastic dash bezel to get the plastic tab out of the slot.
If you could not find the headlight ****/shaft release button earlier. With all screws out of dash and radio loose, you should be able to tilt it forward and see the headlight switch directly behind where the headlight **** is. So with the shaft pulled out like the headlights are on, you tilt the plastic dash bezel forward to get your hand above the switch and feel for a metal button to press and hold to release the headlight shaft from the headlight switch. **** and shaft will slide out as one piece with the button held down.

Cluster assembly is mounted with 4 screws, once they are out, CAREFULLY pull fwd on the assembly just a little. You need it fwd just enough to get a hand on the speedo cable white plastic connector. If you can not get it fwd enough, push yourself some slack in the cable from the eng compartment. The using your hand (best idea) or a small pair of pliers CAREFULLY squeeze the white clip till the cable comes out of the cluster (the white clip will come with it). DO NOT PRY on the clip it, will break and then you have another issue.

Squeeze the side of the main electrical connector and it should release.

 

ok well that's a project for later, I have steering problems right now that I need to fix, but thanks for all the advice

 

Steering wheel slop by chance? 73 F100 2wd, ck the rag joint where the steering column attaches, or it is a worn out steering box? Have you tried to adjust the steering box?

For the steering - Start by adjusting the slack adjuster - it will be a locknut over what appears to be a bolt with a screwdriver slot. Put a screwdriver into the slot to hold it and back off the locknut. Slowly turn the screwdriver clockwise while rotating the steering shaft back and forth until there's very little to no play. Hold adjustment bolt and tighten the locknut. With power steering this is done with the engine running. Once the slack is adjusted out of the steering box, look at the top of the steering column (still under the hood) under the master cylinder. There's a heavy fiber washer (sometimes referred to as a rag joint) (1/2 ton only) that makes a coupling in the column, usually this is worn out and the cause for excessive steering play.

Steering adj #2 all you have to do is on the steering box you will see a threaded screw with a jamb nut keeping it locked down. put a screw driver on the screw and loosen the jamb nut, then with the jamb nut loose , tighten the screw till it stopes, then back off counter clockwise for one full turn, then holding the screw, lock down the jamb nut. take the truck for a ride and see how it feels, if it is still too sloppy, loosen the jamb nut and turn clockwise a quarter of a turn and retighten the jamb nut. if the steering is too hard or feels like its binding , hold the jamb nut and loosen the set screw a quarter of a turn from your initial setting.

 

I bet its a worn steering box as the truck has 300k on it and we have replaced the rag joint recently, the king pins are also most likely rusty. what's the difference between one and two they sound the same.

 

and where is the slack adjuster in relation to the second one? like where are the two located

 

Same as in the 1st advice, its just worded a little differently, that's all. I wanted to show both ways to word it. These are copy and pastes from fellow FTE members.

 

oh my dad did that recently and the play is less but the tuck still wonders on the road.
which is why he thinks the king pins are rusted

 

King pins or does it have ball joints? Rusted joints makes for hard steering, worn out king/ball joints make for bad tire wear. A combination of bad tie rod ends, and loose wheel bearings can make matter worse.

Sounds like it is Redhead steering box time. Red-Head Steering Gears - Custom Rebuilt Steering Gear Boxes in USA

 

king pins, how much movement should be in the steering wheel with the engine off?, and couldn't I get a gear box from like LMC truck or oreily/auto zone cheaper

 

Ok king pins, next to none as far steering wheel play. Have someone turn the wheel pack and forth with the truck off and you eye ball the steering box input shaft and have an hand on the pitman arm and see how much slop it has. Meaning it the wheel/steering shaft turns and like a 1/4" later the pitman arm moves, you have a worn out box. It should be rather tight in that "play" dept.

 

and the pump any thing I should worry/ wonder about?

 

Is it working, is it quite? Then no need to worry...but once you replace the steering box you need to bleed the p/s system properly.

1- Hook everything up
2- Fill with fluid
3- Jack up front of truck off of ground (Both front wheels)
4- Disconnect or Disable coil (So Truck CANNOT start)
5- Turn Steering wheel lock to lock about 5 to 10 times
6- Top off Fluid
7- Repeat Step 5
8- Repeat Step 6 (top off fluid)
9- Crank engine over (Ignition Disabled) and turn steering lock to lock 5 to 10 times
10- Repeat Step 6 (top off fluid)
11- Repeat Step 9
12- Repeat Step 6 (top off fluid)
13- Enable Ignition
14- Start Truck and turn Lock to Lock 5-10 times
15- Turn off Truck
16- Repeat Step 6 (top off fluid)
17- Repeat Step 14
18- Repeat Step 15
19- Repeat Step 6 (top off fluid)
20- Let Truck Down off of Jacks or jack Stands
21- Repeat Step 14
22- Steering should work just fine, have all the air bled out and have a quiet pump to boot!!!