Pinto Car Club of America

If it was a Chevelle I could tell you, but..
How does one get the guage cluster out and also access the headlight switch bulb?
There are a few bulbs that need replacing.
Thanks,
Mike

For a 71-78 cluster, its not bad.  I've never removed a 79-80 though.

1 Reach up under the dash and feel for a large cable that runs to the cluster.  This is the spedo cable.  Run your fingers around the smooth plastic part closest to the speedo and your kinda feel some tabs.  Squeeze the center of these and pull off of the speedo (twords engine) and it should come off.  You may have to wiggle it a little.

2 Sit in the seat and there will be two screws that go into the top of the "pods" of the cluster.  Remove them. 

3 After the screws are out, lean the top of the cluster to you (if you have a smaller aftermarket steering wheel, it will probably have to be removed first.) With the cluster leaned forward at the top, slide your hand in and feel for the wire harness connector.  You'll feel a tab on both of the narrow sides of the connector.  Push them in and pull STRAIGHT back.  If its the least bit sideways, it won't come out.  It will probably take a few tries.

4 with the top leaned twords you, carefully pull the cluster up so the two metal tabs come out of the dashboard.

5 carefully slide, wiggle the cluster twords the passenger side until you can get out from behind the steering wheel.

Installation is reverse of removal.

For the headlight switch, its pretty simple.  After the cluster is out, work your hand through the dash to the headlight switch.  You should feel like a round nub or button twords the front of the switch.  Press this down and pull the knob like you're turning your lights on.  The knob and shaft should release frome the switch itself.

After that, you'll notice where the knob was that there seems to be a phillips head pattern on the switch.  Take a wide blade flathead screwdriver or a chisel and put it in the slot.  Loosen it like a regular screw.

After that is lose, the chrome trim round the light switch will slide out and the switch itself will pull out of the back of the dash.

-Harry

Excellent!
Just what I needed.
Perhaps soem day I can be a guru too.
Thanks,
Mike

Drop the colum down first!!

It is very easy to do, and you don't have to take the nuts fully off and it will give you tons of room. You will be less likely to mark up that hard to find interior plastic.

Bill