Question: 1969 spedo bulb replacement

[1969stingray]

Hi I am new to the corvette owners group. I recently purchased a 1969 stingray. I have purchased the owners manual and chilton repair manual. Neither of them explains how to replace the bulbs in the spedo. I have a light out for the left directional. Do I need to pull the dash to get behind the spedo or can I replace them from the front. Help. Ron

 

[Bob Heine]

Hi I am new to the corvette owners group. I recently purchased a 1969 stingray. I have purchased the owners manual and chilton repair manual. Neither of them explains how to replace the bulbs in the spedo. I have a light out for the left directional. Do I need to pull the dash to get behind the spedo or can I replace them from the front. Help. Ron

Ron,
Welcome to the forum!

Others on the forum may have a better answer but I found it necessary to remove the dash to replace the bulbs. While going to all that trouble it's a good idea to replace all the other bulbs at the same time -- putting it all back together and finding another bulb out is not fun.

Before you remove the dash, you can try reaching up under the dash and try to feel the bulb sockets. The bottom of the speedometer has three bulbs -- two near the outer edges of the speedo housing. The third socket -- in the middle -- is the one you are after. It would be real helpful to have the diagram of the bulb locations, found in the factory Service Manual. The Chilton manual may have the drawing as well.

Here's the procedure for removing the Left Hand Side Instrument Cluster (from my 1972 factory Service Manual):

1. Disconnect ground cable from battery.
2. Lower steering column, see Section 9.
3. Remove screws and washers securing left instrument panel to door opening, top of dash and left-side of center instrument panel.
4. Unclip and remove floor console left forward trim panel.
5. Pull cluster assembly slightly forward to obtain clearance for removal of speedometer cable housing, tachometer housing, headlamp switch connectors and panel illuminating lamps.
6. Install by reversing removal procedure, being careful not to kink the speedometer or tachometer cable casings.

The manual includes lots of helpful drawings and photographs.

The two indispensable documents for the Corvette owner are The factory Service Manual and the Assembly Information Manual (commonly referred to as the AIM). The Corvette parts suppliers carry these for a reasonable amount. The Service Manual, which covers the whole Chevrolet line, is available as a printed document or on CD, which I believe allows you to search for answers with your PC. The AIM is a collection of engineering drawings used at the factory to put the Corvettes together. Corvette Central offers all of them, for a fairly reasonable price:
Assembly Instruction Manual:
http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb.dll?parta~dyndetail~Z5Z5Z50000050g~Z5Z5Z519006~P19.95~~~~S3BS1FEGFU76109113080f~Z5Z5Z5~Z5Z5Z50000050G
Printed Service Manual:
http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb.dll?parta~dyndetail~Z5Z5Z50000050g~Z5Z5Z518870~P29.95~~~~S3BS1FEGFU76109113080f~Z5Z5Z5~Z5Z5Z50000050G
CD Service Manual:
http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb.dll?parta~dyndetail~Z5Z5Z50000050g~Z5Z5Z531441~P29.95~~~~S3BS1FEGFU76109113080f~Z5Z5Z5~Z5Z5Z50000050G