Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Hi there,

in my thread "my golden anniversary" a had some advice, that it would be rather difficult to remove the instrument cluster and the switchboard... but I realy have to do that thing to integrate a hazard warning, front parking light modification and same wiring repair.

Instrument cluster is loose (only 4 screws and the one nut of the flasher relais) but won?t come out because of the stiff wiring loom on the top of it. It seems to be usefull but impossible to lower the steering collumn. any other ideas?

Heater controll is dangling loose, radio has fallen inside the dash after removing 3 nuts... but it won?t get out, it is stuck on the heater channel and not clearly visible wich wires have to come of... will it help to remove the glove box?

I don?t want to destroy my entire car to get accses to the headlight switch and some connecting points

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RE dash removal......did you also disconnect the spedo cable on the back of the dash? Hope this helps.

It would help to remove the glove box. It is cardboard and only has about a half dozen screws holding it -- all accessible from inside the door opening. That will provide lots of maneuvering room.

The radio may be able to slide over and drop down in the glovebox area but if not, replace the radio in the dash temporarily and remove the heater duct. There are two wires on the radio -- power which can be disconnected at the fuse and the antenna which plugs into the side. I believe the heater duct is held by screws on top and bottom and maybe a couple into the square plenum box at the right side end. Be careful of the thermostatic valve sensing tube which will either be fastened to the duct or else have the tubing crossing over it.

Once the radio is out, the center chrome section should come out by removing some screws holding it to the dash IF the switch plate holding the switches and wiring has also been disconnected from the chrome piece. If you need to access only the headlight switch, other than providing a bit of visual access and a place to reach thru, removing the chrome center will not help. The plate holding the switches will have to be removed, dropped & moved back so you can get to the nut holding the switch to the plate. The terminals can be stiff and the phenolic backs of the switch they are mounted on is not very strong so do hold the terminals while pulling the wire side bullet connectors out of them.

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Let me suggest an alternative:

Everything you need to accomplish to add 4 way flashers can be done by splicing your wires onto those at the circular plug that connects the steering column harness to the main harness. That is fairly easy to reach.

I am assuming that TUV wants your front marker lights to come on with the headlights? In that case just splice a wire from any convenient place on the tail light wiring to the correct terminal on the little junction block on the driver's inner fender where the front lights are all connected.

Don't forget to disconnect the battery.
Wes

toooo late... my spine is like a corksrew, my fingers are bleeding and the arms look like as if there had been an intense discussion with a wildcat...

remove the glove box alone doesn?t work (heater control thermostat is clipped on the underside)
you have to remove the center channel for the feat heating and the cable for the right air duct... the wire for the blower is simple to disconnect

my next packard will be ordered without radio and heater

now the chrome bezel is dangling on the wires of the center lamp (push firmly?) and the cigar-lighter

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Can't help on how the light separates but there should be a nut holding the wire on the end of the lighter. Once the wire is off it should come out with the chrome.

If it was installed per factory on the early cars, the clips holding the thermostat bulb to the glovebox are held by nuts and screws so could come off if it would make it easier to work without the box. If no screws on later versions possibly the end of the clip is just bent over the bulb.

Elefant
Here are a couple of pictures from my '49 that shows the instrument light. Remove the bulb and then you can work the connector out of the back. The instrument face place should be free to remove.

A suggestion since you are that far, remove the speedometer and have it cleaned and lubed unless its been done. My speedometer made a wild noise then the needle shaft broke. All due to a lack of lubrication.

After replace the wiring harness, I think Ross has your answer. Sorry it didn't come sooner.

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thank you,
the center chrome came off with disconnecting the center bulb wire at the instrument-lite switch and the cig-lighter wire at the headlite switch. Now it was easy to connect a new blue wire to the "T" port of the switch... but absolutely Ross was right, it would be much more better to find the T-ail-wire somewhere else and just crimp on some wire for the front parking lights. Positive effect of all these work is the perfect accses to clean all the lovely chrome parts.

to overhaul the speedo would be a nice idea... perhaps bring it to a specialist who can make it show "km" instead of miles.. but I think I will struggle with that. the risk to destroy something is the problem, the old wiring is to stiff to move the instruments out.

I thought I could connect the new wire from the engine-bay directly end to end, but I will have to cut them somewhere between firewall and instruments.

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update... everything is in... except the clove box, I forgott how the bolts of the light went in...

little trick to fix the small special nuts that hold the switchboard... to put them in, the space between the switches is too small so that I put a small hose on the nut to turn it the first few windings (see pic)



little shock, switching on the parking light, both front park lights began to flash and the rear remained dark... switching on the hedlights, the switch went hot and some smoke came out of the dashboard... the fault was found in an untouched part of the system, a short circuit in the left tail light (now connected to the front lights) (see pic)

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