Can i change bulbs without taking off the cluster, just from the front?

[fabianoliver]

Hello all.
Ok, i've dismantle the dashboard, and take out the 4 instrument pannel s screws......but i cannot put my hand on the back to disconnect the speedo cable, and the electrical connectors.
Reading again old posts, someone wrotes that if you take off the pastic cover, and the 3 instriument modules, you can reach the bulbs from the front, just like pull, and push procedure.
Is this right?
It will save me lot of time, and it will avoid some broken things.....
I even need to clean the instruments, cause i've some dust inside.

So, cahnging bulbs, is doable from the front?
thanks!!!!

 

[ChildIdenticant]

Think what you are trying to do is understood ....technically possible but ultimately a waste of time unless you are just trying to replace 1 or 2. The recesses are very deep and narrow, long forceps would be helpful. Would only make sense if you are very worried about something breaking during cluster removal.
Tried using the speedo cable to push the cluster out from within the engine bay?

 

[~X~]

ChildIdenticant has it.

I take out the cluster: give the speedo cable slack by disconnecting it from the transfer case. It takes patience but after that you will have learned. Last year I had repairs to do & since I had the cluster out I replaced all the bulbs......should have left out the ABS bulb.

My gas gauge wasn't working so I did the bypass on my slosh module because I ran out of spares. I actually like it better this way.

Good luck, can't wait to hear about your trip.

 

[410Fortune]

You can reach up from underneath by the brake pedal and get to the speedo cable connector squeeze in the sides and it will release

 

[fabianoliver]

Hello, thanks for your suggestions.
Ok, today after the rain, i'll try again.
As i have 20 new bulbs, i'll change all of them, i see your point childldenticant.
i'll locate the cable in the engine bay, and see first if i can do it without removing it from the transfer case
X, i'm trying to keep the trip as planned, but my kids ( 13-15 ), and wife are trying to shorten it....dammm!!!!!!!!

 

[410Fortune]

cable is not in engine bay it leaves the firewall really low down by pedals (closer to e brake cable under drivers fender skirt)
This is why he said to disconnect from t case tail housing to gain slack

They can be a pain to access, but worth it to get it to release.
Having the cluster on the bench is the best way to change bulbs and clean the cluster face and "glass"

good time to put a few drops of oil in the top of the cable after it is removed from cluster, this will help lube it from the top side.

 

[fabianoliver]

cable is not in engine bay it leaves the firewall really low down by pedals (closer to e brake cable under drivers fender skirt)
This is why he said to disconnect from t case tail housing to gain slack

They can be a pain to access, but worth it to get it to release.
Having the cluster on the bench is the best way to change bulbs and clean the cluster face and "glass"

good time to put a few drops of oil in the top of the cable after it is removed from cluster, this will help lube it from the top side.

txs 410, i see.
i've 3 in 1 oil, i've used in my clutch cable on the bike, and it was ok, i'll use it here.

 

[BKennedy]

What they all said. I wanted to ad that you can reach up and unhook the speedo cable. Be careful, everything is old plastic. Do not force anything.

The stereo and ashtray are the only two items necessary to remove to get that front panel removed. It should pull straight off. When you get the cluster out, you can remove the clear cover. I used plastic wax for headlights to polish the clear cover. It came out looking new.

 

[fabianoliver]

Hi, well. Done
This is what happened.
When removing the front panel ( the dash part), i've broken one leg of the rear wiper connector, and one plastic "clip" of the 4x4-low range mini panel ( as i'm changing the front panel entirely cause the previous owner has broken and BOLT IT ouch, to the main dasboard, the one i've find is from a 4x2 so i needed to remove the 4x4-low range from the bad one).

That said, with affraid to broke something in the 2 back connectors of the cluster plus the dificulty to reach the speedo connector, and as i've removed the clear plastic cover and the instruments just by pulling ( except the speedo attached one) , i've made just a test with one bulb ( the left lower corner, one I could reach from behind if need be ).

To remove and replace the bulbs from the front i've modified 2 "tools".

1. a fine tweezer that i use for electronics. I've covered the metal ends with a "camera tape", but electric insulation tape works the same for this purpose, 2 or 3 turns, for pick up the bulb from the interior of the reccesses.

2. The cap of a marker. I heated the cap of a marker that was too tight to put the top of the bulb into, the idea is to have a guide were the bulb can fit and use it to push it into the socket.
That was extremely extremely useful, cause once the old bulb removed with the pliers, and after cleaning the socket and the concavity with compressed air, once you feel that the bulb is aligned with the socket, you push.
The cap was a litlle tight, so i needed to turn it a bit while pulling, i turned it counterclockwise just to prevent the socket from being unscrewed from the board.
After that, i used the other side of the marker to chech full position with a last push.

I used a brush and compressed air to clean the interior of the cluster.
I cleaned the plastic cover with liquid soap with my hands, and used papel towel to dry it very softly to avoid scratches.
The exterior is clean, free of bad scraches fortunately.

Al in all it was easy, without stress. i never touched the bulbs with the hands.
Sorry for my english, thanks all for your suggestions, hope this helps someone!

As i didn't removed the speedometer cable, i was not able to oil it....a peety.

Fabian