1954 speedometer removal

[rex]

Hi, Guys,

I have a couple of questions for the group about the 1954 Manhattan speedometer.  My speedometer sets a bit low in the dash frame such that I can see a gap between the chrome ring and the metal of the dash on the top and can see none of the chrome trim at the bottom.  There is a screw hole in the top of the dash for the speedometer.  I am hoping to service the speedo and hoping to have better dash lights at night if the speedo assembly is raised to the correct height.  Can anyone tell me what's involved in this job?  There does not seem to be a good exploded view of the '54 dash to help me.  Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Rex Crews

[joefrazer]

The most difficult repair job on any Kaiser that I've found is servicing the speedometer on a 54K. When new, the wiring was soft and pliable, there was no windshield in the car, and the seats weren't installed when the dash was put in place. Now...50+ years later, working on one can be a chore. One needs an arm hinged in 4 places to do the job right, but without that, here's the best way to tackle the job.

First, remove the negative battery connection...then...

1. Remove the center cap that covers the gearshift mechanism.
2. Reach in and remove the mounting screws that hold the speedometer in place.
3. Put some masking tape all around the upper dash half at the opening where the speedo sits. You'll thank me later for this step.
4. Gently pull the speedo down and forward so that the top of the speedo is tilted outward.
5. Reach in and remove the cable from the rear of the speedo. I used a long pair of needlenose pliers to accomplish the task.
6. Look for the connector that attaches all of the wiring to the main harness. Gently pry it apart.
7. Sometimes, if you wiggle and jiggle the speedo head, it'll come out. Sometimes, depending upon how the wiring harness was installed, it's stuck. If that happens, you may need to drop the lower dash half down a bit to make room for the harness. Do that by removing all of the screws and bolts that hold it in place. You will only be able to move it an inch or so...that should be all you need.
8. Pull the head free of the dash. If you forgot the tape in step three, you now have a scratched instrument cluster opening.

By the way, the dash lights on a 54 sucked when new. Your best bet is to jump the rheostat on the light switch so that the dash lights are on the full brightness any time the parking or headlights are on. Over the years, the reflective material on the instrument face gets dusty and also dries up and falls off, reducing their effectiveness.

One more thing, almost every 54 that I've ever owned (10 or more) all of them had the same problem where the top of the cluster sits low in the dash frame.

[mbflemingkf]

Rex, I concur with Jim's assessment of the speedo cluster sitting low...mine does too.  Every other one I've seen is also the same way.  I can't explain it and it doesn't make a lot of sense to me but it is what it is.  Once when I was at Larry Barker's house in AZ, we had a speedo cluster and the upper housing and I mean we pushed up like an SOB and it finally went up but it took close to 100 lbs of force I'd estimate.

If you come up with a fix, let me know!!

Regards, Mike

[rex]

Thanks to you both for these suggestions.  I'll let you know what I find out.  The speedometer appears to be held in place by two screws that are behind the gear selector cover, but more importantly, it appears to be wedged between the front and back of the dash surround.  Mike, if I understand what you're saying, it would have to be really forced up in there to go to the top where is was designed to be, but I wonder if this does not affect the lighting since it can be lined up as designed?  I know none of these black light instruments are very bright, but for instance, my clock is very visible at night compared to the speedo which I cannot see unless it's pitch black.  None of my car is really deteriorated, so I am thinking it really should be better than it is.

Thanks!

Rex

[mbflemingkf]

Rex, I don't know what's different with my light set-up from other 54's but mine is very bright!  It works with the rheostat too.  Most who post on the forum also say there's is very dim but this is not the case with mine.  I can only suspect the previous owner did something unique to mine, but again, my speedo lighting is excellent and it sits low in the cluster like the rest of them.

[hollenway]

Here's one that's in the correct location...
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1074540763029945987ilTXcD

As for the lights..... the 54-55 cars used a green plastic cap over the bulbs in the cluster....
They turn dark over time so just throw them away when you have the cluster apart.  If you
absolutely must have a green tint to the bulbs cut sleeves from a green plastic mountain dew
bottle and reinstall them. 

To get the dash cluster to fit..... try trimming the dash pad in the area where it interferes
with the cluster install.

[rex]

Hi,

I wanted to let you all know that I had some good success with my Kaiser speedometer thanks to Jim et al and your good suggestions.  The main problem turned out to be a big wad of dash padding obstructing the speedometer housing.  Obviously, my car had been this way since it was new.  Once I cut that out, I could lift the speedometer up about 1/2" which put it just where it needed to be.  I also changed out all the dash lights for the brighter version.  The purple lenses on this car were glass, not plastic so I left them in place, but I can see the speedometer now and was able to lubricate the head. I pray I never have to remove it again, as it was a big job, just like Jim said.

Happy Motoring in 2010!

Rex Crews

[GA Kaiser]

I see this is an old topic.  I tried to remove it a few years ago as well, but failed, but I did get it to sit higher in the dash so I could see the odometer.  There is a third screw at the top center of the cluster.  It just took some prying.  However, I got serious this week and just removed and reinstalled the speedometer.   I had to remove the escutcheon from the ignition switch and push it in and down to create some room to move the cluster.  I then worked it down, bottom in, and rotated to the left until I could disconnect everything from the back.  That gave even more room to move it around and get it out.  It came out face down and right side first.  I removed those glass domes that prevented the light from hitting the gauges, cleaned up the rest, and put it all back, and it is now bright, so I can retire my flashlight.  The rheostat does not work on my car (unless someone jumped it), but I have not had it out to look.  That is another day.  Thanks for all the advice!