Electrical: 49 champ dash removal

[Stevenlesser]

Hi I need to get at the gauges in the dash ,how does it come loose? Looks like it would pry off but I dont want to break anything ,are there some nuts on the fire wall?or under the dash? Is not in the general manual.

[RadioRoy]

Why not look at the pictures in the Chassis parts manual? They will sometimes explain more clearly what the shop manual glosses over or assumes.

No prying required.

[TWChamp]

You should be able to remove the gauges without removing the dash.
I want to do the same thing with my 1950 Champion gauges, to clean the dust out of them. I have to lay on my back and reach up to remove the nuts for the gauges.

[Stevenlesser]

Ok ,I was getting too old for the upside down dash gymnastic and was hoping the thing would tip forward

[RadioRoy]

The wires under the dash are probably brittle and will not tolerate any dash tipping. Be sure to not move or wiggle the wires when you are under there. The rubber insulation gets hard with age. While it will still work fine as insulation, if you bend a wire, the hard rubber will often turn to dust and then you will be left with lots of exposed wires.

When/if you work under the dash, you should always disconnect the battery and take off your watch and jewelry.

[Greenstude]

If it's the same as a 1947 Champion, the steps are as follows: Disconnect the battery. Disconnect the speedometer cable. Disconnect the oil line at the oil pressure gauge. Undo about 6 screws along the top and bottom of the instrument panel. The instrument panel should then pull off the dashboard, giving reasonably easy access to the instruments. If, as RadioRoy suggests, the insulation on the wiring is brittle, then you know it is also time to replace the wiring harness.