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58 dynamic 88 issues with removing instrument cluster
So I’m in the process of removing my instrument cluster to see why I have no power going to anything and also to make sure all the heater and summer controls which are powered by a number of vacuum lines and vacuum switches are done correctly and also not leaking. After failing to get to cigarette lighter and ignition, I finally decided to remove the glove box to make access to the vacuum lines happen.
JACKPOT!!!
I have “easy” access now 🫤😃
so everything is off except the cigarette lighter. The manual says it just push out once the bolt is removed. Despite even prying on it to the point I was afraid of breakage, it will not budge.
anyone have ideas?
also if anyone is familiar with this, anything I should know moving forward?
All the ***** removed except for cigarette lighter The stubborn bastage! Shot from behind
Now I’m supposed to remove the top bracket that the steering column is secured to. I’m poking my head under the dash and nothing jumps out me as to why I have to do this.
I’m starting to get annoyed, plus all the under dash acrobatics I have to do are starting to take it’s toll on my body 🥴
Im hoping someone is more familiar with this old car than I am and can shed some light on this.
I unbolted the steering column bracket. 😀
I was whining because I couldn’t get a socket or a wrench on it. I stuck my head up there and decided that 1/4” drive might work.
IT DID!!
Olds certainly didn't make their 57 & 58 dashboards very mechanic accessible.
To make matters worse, the dashboard is welded to the rest of the body shell.
The whole outer shell of that cigar lighter unscrews off the inner part .
Here is an illustration of the dash, from the parts book.
Last edited by Charlie Jones; May 5, 2025 at 06:48 PM.
Olds certainly didn't make their 57 & 58 dashboards very mechanic accessible.
To make matters worse, the dashboard is welded to the rest of the body shell.
The whole outer shell of that cigar lighter unscrews off the inner part .
Here is an illustration of the dash, from the parts book.
I have that illustration in the cd manual I bought
Which doesn’t make the writing clear.
side bar, I prefer books over cd when I comes to repair manuals.
anyways, I eventually realized how it worked which was way different from a YouTube video I watched.
apparently someone, probably the previous owner, had issues removing it and then when he put it back together, tightened it to the point where it was a permanent fixture.
I was at the point where at the end of the day, I really don’t care about a cigarette lighter.
so
I grabbed my die grinder and ground Off the lip of the lighter from the passenger side.
viola!
done!
here are some pics Realized the previous owner messed up the threads so I decided to move forward another way And just like that I can proceed 😁👍😃 You can see the warpage
So today I did nothing on my car. For one, I have such a kink in my neck from doing a combination of acrobatics and yoga to get under and inside my dash. Second, I am waiting for vacuum lines. About 20’ of 1/8” ID vacuum lines to be more specific for my heater and summer controls.
thus is a situation of…while I’m here, I may as well replace….
the vacuum lines, I’m sure aren’t leaking but they ARE almost 70 years old, and in order to replace them, everything I’ve done up until now will need to be done again, in order to replace the lines in the future.
SO, since it was quite the ordeal to remove the dash, I’m replacing everything to do with the heater and summer controls which are controlled by vacuum lines.
I couldn’t find anything locally yesterday so I bought some off Amazon. It came today but it was 5/32” which is too big. I ended ordering something off Amazon again. Hopefully this will be correct. However, it won’t get here until Friday, in two days. I will spend that time doing some brake inspections.
Yesterday I wasn’t hurting and didn’t want to start anything big before finishing this task and I didn’t want to waist the day.
I decided to clean off rust build up on my fuse panel (I will get it replaced professionally next year, right now I just want to drive my car) and my instrument cluster… You can clearly see the rust build up in the fuse terminals. I think I know why nothing in the instrument cluster works This is after I cleaned it. It’s not perfect, but it should be good enough for at least a year.
I should have taken a pic of the circuit before I cleaned it but I forgot. There was a build up of rust where the dummy lights made contact to the circuit. So anyway, this is after I cleaned off the rust. This is a shot of the heater controls. You can see on the right where the vacuum lines go. This is the summer controls and the vacuum lines go into those fittings on the left On the right is the original light and plug. You can clearly see the rust build up. On the left is the new plug and new LED light. I was initially going to clean the contacts on the original, but decided that for less than forty dollars, I can simply buy new plugs and upgrade to LEDs. It uses less power, puts out a brighter light and will likely never have to be changed in my lifetime
Here is my instrument cluster with new plugs and lights installed. Looks pretty sweet.
The old vacuum lines seem fine but WHILE IM HERE, I may as well replace them I labeled them all for ease of installation
[img alt="Added an extra 10” so I can pull the instrument cluster out without having to disconnect the vacuum lines from the heater and summer vents. The factory doesn’t give any extra line which means you have to unplug everything and the either stick your head under the dash and or use a mirror or the other option is to disconnect the lines from the other end.
I chose to add the extra line and simply tuck the extra line up under the dash. The next person working on this will thank me"]https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/classicoldsmobile.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/img_7616_db474a635a2f38c85b6961490f5e84dc03c20112. jpeg[/img] Added an extra 10” so I can pull the instrument cluster out without having to disconnect the vacuum lines from the heater and summer vents. The factory doesn’t give any extra line which means you have to unplug everything and the either stick your head under the dash and or use a mirror or the other option is to disconnect the lines from the other end. I chose to add the extra line and simply tuck the extra line up under the dash. The next person working on this will thank me Lots of extra line Turns out, there was a massive vacuum leak from the heater side
[img alt="From here. I took it off thinking there would be a rubber o ring or something, nope.
There was remnants of grease"]https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/classicoldsmobile.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/img_7628_6a9c3e6fd694d6869136e6a6d8f0c30947a121a8. jpeg[/img] From here. I took it off thinking there would be a rubber o ring or something, nope. There was remnants of grease
[img alt="So I just wiped it down and reapplied grease
What do you know, it worked. Everything now works as it should "]https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/classicoldsmobile.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/img_7629_dcadd7fb68fc62504e157d09ae2faf6918668b68. jpeg[/img] So I just wiped it down and reapplied grease What do you know, it worked. Everything now works as it should I wrapped rags around my steering column so I don’t add another scratch
[img alt="A pic of the vacuum lines going to the proper unit
Note the ease at which I can do this"]https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/classicoldsmobile.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/img_7623_923a2e7d2c56472b39afee5b0c5e91a501c57c12. jpeg[/img] A pic of the vacuum lines with the extra length. Note the ease at which I can do this
[img alt="Another view
"]https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/classicoldsmobile.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/img_7625_dacb314d289249e44f258bcb520506df386cdfd7. jpeg[/img] All connected
After cleaning the fuse box, I now have a working fuel gauge, my signals work better, my radio, although it doesn’t work, now has power going to it.
however, everything else in my instrument cluster doesn’t work. I have signals, brakes and lights working outside the car but inside nothing. I’m going to move onto the power brakes and once that works properly, I’m going to take my car to a shop and get them to replace the fuse box. I’m so close to insuring and driving my baby. Everything else left to do is icing.
