BLACK3.2

TimmyH79

I second the nylon trim tools , I was able to get mine out without messing with other gauges or wheel with those

TheBen

+1 on the trim removal tools. They're inexpensive and makes thinks much easier especially if the gauges haven't come out before.

993pbug

95-933-cab

Tore's method will absolutely work; there's no need to remove the airbag and steering wheel to service the tach.

I made a few small modifications to make the process easier:

1 - Remove the 6 screws holding the steering wheel trim in place - one on each side on the lower section of the trim, and four larger screws behind the wheel (rotate the wheel 90 degrees right/left to access the ones behind the wheel, two on each side). Removing these screws won't allow you to remove the trim altogether, but it *will* loosen the trim and let the trim drop enough to prevent binding with or even touching the tach on its way out. There's quite a bit of play with the screws removed.
2 - Use two thin pieces of plastic (I used plastic divider sheets from a 3-ring binder) wetted with Armor-all or similar placed above and below the tach to create a very slippery surface that tach can slide on and serve as a smooth ramp (see picture). There was enough room and sufficient lack of friction that I could even keep the rubber ring installed the whole time on its way back in.
3 - Rotate the tach 90 degrees (OBC pointing to the right) to make getting the tach easier to remove and reinstall. Maybe it was just my imagination, but there seemed to be a hair more room in this orientation.

Not a scratch or rub on any surface throughout the whole process. As a side note, I was lucky with the OBC and all I had to do was to replace the bulb.

I hope this helps other avoid airbag/steering wheel removal.


Placement of plastic helper sheets (tach reinstall shown here)

pp000830

Quote:What is the secret to remove the tach?
The keeper of this secret is the same guy who recommends the first thing you need to do when the trouble light goes on on your dash is a top end rebuild!
Andy

fnckr

Anyone else try the suction cup method? Will it pull the glass off or cause any other damage? I
Suction cup seems to be the safest for not damaging surrounding areas with prying.

boomboomthump

Assuming no one has previously removed the bezel and done a poor job at rolling the edges back onto the flange, should not be an issue. I've done all mine that way.

I'd suggest a bit of CW/CCW turning vs pure outward pull to be safe.

ToreB

I would not recommend this, it pusts a lot of strain to the fragile plastic tachometer instrument ring fastener rim. I never pull hard at the ring or edge of the instrument, and I have repaired numerous tachometers with a pulled-off front.
It is really easy to avoid this: Pull out the speedo or oil instrument first, and gently push the tachometer from behind through this opening.
Cheers,
Tore

Holger3.2

I can only support Tore's stand on this.
Suctions cup is very dangerous to the plastic, don't ask .....

fnckr

Thank you all for the quick and insightful responses.

I plan to install my Immoblock and to also sand and lube up the trim rings to get them back to black. Or….maybe just order new trim rings.

fatmike

You bumped an old thread started by Richard. He was a very active member and put ~300K miles on his 993 but passed away a few years ago. I know you're a new guy on this forum and probably didn't know that so no harm. Just an FYI. It might be a little startling to some for some to see a thread with him as the original poster.

Pry it off with plastic lever. Maybe even slip a credit card in then use the plastic lever on the credit card (not the actual tach). Once you get it started it's easy. Twist it a little as you go and it will come out. I probably have some of the tools laying around somewhere if you want help.

Let's meet at Sunday Motor soon?

/

jay@EZimmoblock.com

I originally did mine with a stiff putty knife wrapped in a few layers of painter's tape, but plastic trim tools are better because you can get at the top edge better. Harbor Freight carries them. Amazon has a ton of them, too.

joshdunn87

Hello all, will the car start with the tachometer removed?

jay@EZimmoblock.com

Yes. The TACH is just a display.