dash lightbulb
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2009
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From: New Oxford, PA
dash lightbulb
What lightbulb should I use for behind the dash? I can't see my speedo or anything at night!
I can't tell how fast I'm going or how much gas I have.
How hard is it to take the dash apart to put a new lightbulb in. I have a feeling it's gonna be a pain in the butt!
Thanks!
I can't tell how fast I'm going or how much gas I have.
How hard is it to take the dash apart to put a new lightbulb in. I have a feeling it's gonna be a pain in the butt!
Thanks!
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2009
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the lightbulbs are held behind the gauge cluster in black ***** that twist in,,removing the cluster is easy,,you have to remove i believe 7 or so screws for the bezel then 6 for the gauge cluster,,now you can leave the cluster in and just reach aroundit and remove the bulbs or remove the cluster completeley,,to do that you have to remove the speedo drive,,all it is is a thick wire that plugs into the back of the cluster, there is a white clip on it that you must push on and pull out at the same time to remove, after that is off remove the plug in for the wiring and presto! your cluster is out. I dont remember what bulb it is,,if no one else replies to this about the bulb i will go look at the manual.
Freshman User
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 33
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From: Wyoming
Pulling your cluster out is pretty easy. It is just a bunch of screws the speedo cable and one wire plug. The hardest part is fitting your arm up under the dash and pushing the button to pull out the light ****.
You should take the whole cluster out. If you try and change bulbs without pulling the cluster you will just get frustrated. That is if you can get your arm back there and find what you want without breaking anything. I replaced the bulbs in my cluster with L.E.D. lights and painted the needles. That made a huge difference. I can see every gauge really good at night. Here is the link if you would like to look at the L.E.D. bulbs. and it was very easy to change the bulbs.
HiPoParts Garage - High Performance Auto Racing Parts LED Gauge Kits & Needle Paint
You should take the whole cluster out. If you try and change bulbs without pulling the cluster you will just get frustrated. That is if you can get your arm back there and find what you want without breaking anything. I replaced the bulbs in my cluster with L.E.D. lights and painted the needles. That made a huge difference. I can see every gauge really good at night. Here is the link if you would like to look at the L.E.D. bulbs. and it was very easy to change the bulbs.
HiPoParts Garage - High Performance Auto Racing Parts LED Gauge Kits & Needle Paint
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 460
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From: New Oxford, PA
I have the bezel loose, but now I can get the lights and wiper ***** off. haha.
I'm afraid to just pull them, so now: how do you get those off? I'm afraid to break something if i pull or turn them.
I'm afraid to just pull them, so now: how do you get those off? I'm afraid to break something if i pull or turn them.
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 88,826
Likes: 783
From: Simi Valley, CA
The wiper **** has a spring clip built into it, there's a cut out on the bottom of the **** where it's located.
Use a paperclip or similar to trip the clip, the **** comes off.
The headlamp switch **** and shaft come off as a unit. Pull the **** all the way out, reach under the dash to where the switch is.
There's a spring loaded button on the switch, push it in, pull the **** and shaft off.
It's not necessary to push that button in, when replacing the **** and shaft...just push it back in.
The sockets that hold the bulbs into the cluster twist off. They are still available and are the same as 1975/91 Econoline, among others.
Be VERY careful with that cluster. Ford made the cluster back (the bulbs sockets, printed circuit etc fit to) from a composition material...that crumbled to DUST after only a few years.
If this happens, the 1981/91 Econolines have hard plastic cluster backs, which were replacements for the 1976/79 F100/350, 1976/80 Econoline & 1978/79 Bronco originals.
Use a paperclip or similar to trip the clip, the **** comes off.
The headlamp switch **** and shaft come off as a unit. Pull the **** all the way out, reach under the dash to where the switch is.
There's a spring loaded button on the switch, push it in, pull the **** and shaft off.
It's not necessary to push that button in, when replacing the **** and shaft...just push it back in.
The sockets that hold the bulbs into the cluster twist off. They are still available and are the same as 1975/91 Econoline, among others.
Be VERY careful with that cluster. Ford made the cluster back (the bulbs sockets, printed circuit etc fit to) from a composition material...that crumbled to DUST after only a few years.
If this happens, the 1981/91 Econolines have hard plastic cluster backs, which were replacements for the 1976/79 F100/350, 1976/80 Econoline & 1978/79 Bronco originals.
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2009
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From: New Oxford, PA
I have the ***** off, just came in for a glass of tea.
Cripes- I'm about half afraid to take the cluster off now!
edit- thanks for the **** help and the heads up on the cluster!
Cripes- I'm about half afraid to take the cluster off now!
edit- thanks for the **** help and the heads up on the cluster!
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Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 88,826
Likes: 783
From: Simi Valley, CA
Dennis Carpenter Obsolete Parts in Concord NC (704-786-8139) has the cluster back Ford replacements brand new:
E1PZ10848A .. Use with Gauges / Same as: 1981/91 Econoline.
E1PZ10848B .. Use with Warning Lights / Same as: 81/86 Econoline.
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2009
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From: New Oxford, PA
Ok- one last question (I thought I'd be able to do all this before I left for work, guess not! don't have much time left!)
I apparently have to take out my AM radio to get the bezel off now....how do I get that out? I never really swapped stereos out in my old cars, I always just used the factory ones.
I took the ***** off my AM radio and you can see plastic bezel parts behind them,
Geez! What a paid to get these lights in! haha
I do appreciate all the help guys. Thank you.
I apparently have to take out my AM radio to get the bezel off now....how do I get that out? I never really swapped stereos out in my old cars, I always just used the factory ones.
I took the ***** off my AM radio and you can see plastic bezel parts behind them,
Geez! What a paid to get these lights in! haha
I do appreciate all the help guys. Thank you.
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 88,826
Likes: 783
From: Simi Valley, CA
Ok- one last question (I thought I'd be able to do all this before I left for work, guess not! don't have much time left!)
I apparently have to take out my AM radio to get the bezel off now....how do I get that out? I never really swapped stereos out in my old cars, I always just used the factory ones.
I took the ***** off my AM radio and you can see plastic bezel parts behind them,
Geez! What a paid to get these lights in! haha
I do appreciate all the help guys. Thank you.
I apparently have to take out my AM radio to get the bezel off now....how do I get that out? I never really swapped stereos out in my old cars, I always just used the factory ones.
I took the ***** off my AM radio and you can see plastic bezel parts behind them,
Geez! What a paid to get these lights in! haha
I do appreciate all the help guys. Thank you.
Behind the dash (you knew this was coming, right?) there's a radio support bracket that's bolted to backside of the radio, then bolted to the lip of the dash. One nut in each location.
Be thankful this isn't a 2006...you have to pull the entire dash off to do what you are doing with your 1976.
btw: Do not forget to unplug the radio, and the speaker wire (the plug for all this jazz is at the center lower of the dash)...and remove the antenna's cable.
The cable just pulls off.
btw, part II: I'm using the parts catalog illustration of the radio install to describe all this stuff.
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2009
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From: New Oxford, PA
Another bulb question, while I'll have dash open/cluster out....
Any other bulbs inside? Might as well replace them while it's open. How many bulbs total?
You know the blue square for the highbeams? Well, the other day it went out- is that a bulb as well?
Any other bulbs inside? Might as well replace them while it's open. How many bulbs total?
You know the blue square for the highbeams? Well, the other day it went out- is that a bulb as well?
