Hello all, first post on here.

I am toying around with the idea of swapping out my analog instrument cluster for a digital cluster.
I have removed the analog one because I think there are some fried wires deep in the dash. I smelled that electrical wire smell a while back and lost all power to the cluster except for the speedometer.
Once I took it out the cluster appears to be fine. No visible damage to the cluster that I can see. The back of it looks almost brand new.
I am trying to completely pull off the dash and believe that I have all of the bolts out (that I can tell).
The dash is now loose and I can rock it from windshield side to radio side but it seems to pivot from the steering wheel level on both sides.

Is it now held in by some really hidden clips?
Please don't tell me I need to drill out some rivets to get back in there!!


Any advice will be greatly appreciated (even if it is that I need to drill)

Also I am looking for a 1989 digital cluster if anyone has an extra or a lead on one.

1989 Z24 Convertible, White

dumb question, but you got the center console and all out already?



DRIVING FORCE FABRICATIONS

No dumb questions.

While it is not yet fully out, it has all been loosened and does not appear to be holding it back. (I will be removing the center console today.)
The parts that really seem to really be holding it from coming out appear to be closest to the doors.

1989 Z24 Convertible, White

Hmmm from what I can remember (and it's been a very long time since I had a 2nd gen) the center console has to be completely out. there are a couple screws on both the left and right side just under the vents. Driver side one is right above the hood pull.

Some screws in the defrost vents, and if I'm recalling right some of the harness is attached to the dash with those little plastic retainers so they might be the hold up.




DRIVING FORCE FABRICATIONS

the hold up now seems to be the wiring harness.
Just spent another 3 hours on it.
Center console … out.
there were two other screws on each side of the dash near the doors that I could not previously see.

The dash now "flops around" when I attempt to move it and narrowed it down to the wiring harness.

It seems to go through a hollow "tube" right behind where the cluster used to be.
We cannot locate any screws but did locate one what seemed to be a retaining metal loop that was holding in the first part of the harness that comes from the fusebox.

Becoming a little frustrated and cold. sun went down and the wind picked up.
My 17 yr old son and I are working on this car and the only place to work on it currently is outside in our driveway in Michigan.

Any further insight into how that harness separates from the dash would be great!!!
Just re-read the last post. Thank you for your response Jeffie@driving force fabs . I will try to look for some plastic retaining clips tomorrow.
that "tube" which may be a "J" shape cannot see the back of said "tube" because the view is blocked by a heat vent tubing that extends from the far left side to the passenger side of the cluster vent. I cannot figure out how to get that vent out either.

1989 Z24 Convertible, White

You can pop the little clips open on some, others you have to pop the whole clip out.

They are the plastic christmas tree type that usually snap though.


DRIVING FORCE FABRICATIONS

Hi
I didn't see any mention of this in your post.
There is a support rod from the firewall to the dash. You can see it with the glove box removed.

Attachments

Support Rod.jpg (225k)

thanks for the reply.
I did get that one!!

it is solely on the wiring now and I do not seem to be able to locate how to detach it.


1989 Z24 Convertible, White

The harness on the left side unscrews from the cowl on the outside. There is a center screw that holds the engine bay harness to the pass through connection. Take it out and the connection will unplug, leaving the engine bay wiring loose from the terminal mounted to the cowl. There are two small (10mm, I think) nuts on each side of the connector terminal. Remove them and the terminal will push down into the interior.

On the right side there is also a pass through. I believe this can be left in place on the cowl, you simply disconnect all the wiring connectors under the dash that lead to it. There are some vacuum lines leading to the HVAC box under the dash that also must be unhooked. Antenna wire to radio, etc, etc. You'll also have to remove the convenience center module on the left side of the firewall, near the kick panel. Once everything is unplugged/disconnected the dash. I can't think of anything else, but just carefully trace anything that is still connected, if so, and unhook it. I hope you are taking lots of pictures while you are doing all this.

If you are still having problems, please get some pictures of what you are running into. We'll try to help you figure it out.

Attachments

Right Side wires.jpg (1115k)
Convenience module.jpg (650k)

Butch, I'm trying to run down a short in a 92 Z24. Do you have a full set of pictures from when you took the dash out of the wagon? They would be invaluable to helping me out and may be able to help Matt out as well. Thanks in advance, Tom

No, I didn't take many at all. Since my swap was fairly straight forward, I didn't need to. I do have the factory manuals and used them for any details in regards to getting everything put back together. I can try to get you some pictures of pages from them. I think I only have the 88 and 94 wiring books, but none for 89-93. 94 wiring is very close to your 92 though, so maybe they will help.

I unpack them tomorrow and see what I can find.
I now live so far out in the sticks, 56Kb internet is all that is available. I don't miss Florida at all, but I sure do miss Frontier fiber optic.

I highly recommend everyone messing with these old cars to search down the factory manuals, both the service AND the wiring ones. They can normally be found on ebay. Worth every cent.

Thanks. Don't worry about pictures of the factory book. I have the factory manual & the chilton. Problem I find is that it is piece meal with no real pictures. Just a line line diagram without an actually isometric makes it so much harder to follow the actual line routing. I am trying to not have to remove the whole harness and unwrap it if I can avoid it, thinking the most probable places are at the fuse block and connections.

Okay. If I can find and access the 88 dash from the wagon, I will get some pictures of the back side and as much of the wiring as I can. It may take me a couple days though. It is stored in our old packhouse here on the farm, along with thousands of other parts. But I do know it IS in there somewhere.

Thanks. I am interested in the power door lock circuit. The orange wire (with the black stripe) that comes from the 30 amp circuit breaker.

Got some bad news Tom. I can not find the dash. I've a feeling stuff got packed in front of it somewhere, but I don't know where. I even went down in the basement looking. It isn't down there of that I'm sure. It is upstairs somewhere, but most likely standing up in a corner or against on of the walls. Problem is, there is lots of other things stacked up in front of anything that is in the corners or next to walls. I'm really sorry about it.

Here are some pics to show what a mess it is.

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4.jpg (44k)
1.jpg (48k)
3.jpg (46k)
2.jpg (47k)

No problem Butch. Thanks for taking the time to try to hunt it down.