Joe -
Another one of my long answers to a short question -
Disconnect the battery. Label all wires and bulbs as you remove them from the housings and gauges.
Remove the speedo first. It will make removing the gauge cluster housing MUCH easier. You may need to remove the ignition switch.
The oil pressure tube is held to the back of the gauge by a compression fitting. You can remove the tube before you remove the gauge or gauge cluster.
You cannot remove the tube from the temparature gauge. It will be easiest to remove the gauge cluster with the temp gauge attached. Be careful not to kink it when you pull it through the firewall.
While the speedo and cluster are out, lube the speedo.
Also while everything is out, you can spiff up the gauges, housings, and routing though the firewall ...
Reface the gauges if needed. New chrome bezels are worth the cost, too. If you are really anal, then paint the clusters in and out to match the original. The bulbs for the high beam indicator and the turn signal indicator are shielded by cardboard tubes. Be gentle with them. They will be old and dried out and will easily break off (if they are still attached to the inside of the cluster.) They should have red (hi beam) and green (turn signal) plastic covers on the ends. The plastic is often burned or broken off. You can try to find a suitable substitute. I painted my bulbs red and green instead.
When you run the speedo cable, and temp and oil pressure lines throught the firewall, note that they go through the grommets a little differently than earlier model trucks. '54/'55.1 trucks had the speedo cable, oil pressure tube, and temp tube in a 3-hole grommet in the firewall. The choke and throttle were in a two hole grommet. Don't know if anyone has found a source for the two hole grommet. A speedo grommet from most suppliers can probably be drilled to make a 3-hole grommet. The routing is noted in Sect 1, Sheet 3.19 in the FAM.
I believe that the speedo cable for a 55.1 should be a metal sheathed cable instead of vinyl.
A dual clip holds the speedo cable and wiring harness onto the firewall, as seen in Sect 12, Sheet 1.001 (left page) of the FAM. An alternative clip is shown on the facing page of the FAM (same Sect and Sheet number).
> Jeff Erickson's Lube and Reface Tech Tip> John "53John3100" Rooney's Gauge Refurbish Tech Tip> My gauge reface saga> 70" metal case speedo cable - American Classic Truck Parts part #SPC-2
> Dual clip for mounting speedo cable and wiring harness onto firewall - American Classic Truck Parts part # FA-113
> Grommet thread with pics of the grommets.
Good luck,
- Lonnie
