[forever young]

OK, my car is all but 100% completed and I just got back my am/fm/8 track stereo from the radio shop. I went to put it in and the crap starts again, it is not fitting in. I took off the pad successfully and started the process. It seems like the 3 cables that go to the heater, defrost are in the way. Are these supposed to be run through the steering support hole or sitting under the support? Under it does not allow enough clearance to raise the radio in place or so it seems. Then the main harness seems to be run on the wrong side of these 3 cables that makes for more aggravation because it is just too tight. I tried to remove the heater slides controller but that didn't help because of the cable routing and not enough slack to do or move them to the other side of the harness. I want the harness up on top of the radio if this is where it belongs. Has anyone else had this problem trying to put their radio back in?

Thanks,
Roland

 

[LevonH]

Hi Roland.
Heater contol cables exit the control head towards the drivers side then sweep back at 90* to a clamp at the top left of the heater box. Then on to their attaching locations. Should not come anywhere near the radio. Radio is below the cable paths.

Main wiring harness is above the cables. Pull the dash pad off and you might be able to reroute the harness to above the cables. There is not much going over to the passenger side.

 

[SS4Real]

I remember doing this years ago with another '70 SS. If I remember correctly, I installed mine by going under the dash. You have to remove the ash tray first and also the cig lighter assembly out of the dash to make room for the radio install. Remember to use the correct support bracket for the larger and heavier radio unit you have. I just checked my assembly manual and it says the same thing.

 

[forever young]

Levon, Jim, I am where you both have mentioned. The dash is off. The harness is currently below the radio. ( I managed to get the radio into and about where it should be. ) I had to disconnect / remove everything, door light switch, glove bow, cig. lighter and shell., heater fan control feed and all my gauges below the dash. The 3 heater control cables are where you said Levon. The issue is that they are so tight to the heat sink on the side of the radio, this is what is really stopping the final docking. There is no independent support with the radio. It is currently sitting on the dash metal frame. Where would the independent support attach to? I can make a support if I know where I should attach to the radio and the firewall or dash frame.This radio weighs about 20lbs. which feels more like a ton in these awkward fit up position. Also, I think I am going to line the sharp edge of the dash frame with rubber tubing to avoid insulation abrasions where I can.
I am going to radio shack now to try and find the nuts that lock it in to the dash. I will be on this today. I want to put my car back together. Thanks, Roland

 

[LevonH]

Roland the bracket looks like the one in the picture attached. I JUST happen to have the interior/dash out of my car .

The heater cables do not go near the radio/8 track. Sorry for the bad picture but you can see the sweep/attachment to the heater box in the second picture here. If you need more, let me know and I'll email you a bunch.

 

[forever young]

Levon, the support bracket is somewhere in my shed, I am going on the scavenger hunt right now, I can make one out of an 90* angle bracket if I cannot find it, But it does sit on the dashboard frame, I was not sure. The challenge I have is now those control cables, I can move the main harness, but those cable run straight out of the slide control, above the radio, but interfere with the heat sink on the drivers side. The 3 cables sit under the steering support and come up extremely tight when trying to set the radio in place. They are about 1/4" dia. but are in my way. I will take the harness up on top and free up some lower space. thanks.

 

[LevonH]

The bracket has 2 90's in it.

The cables rest above the steering support when all is installed but one key is to get them attached to the heater box which pulls them to the firewall. I won't have mine in for a few weeks so cannot help on your schedule
However, I cannot see how the cables are getting that close to your heat sink unless they are angled down at an extreme angle.

Here's a better picture of the bracket.

 

[forever young]

Levon, good thing I am a junk man and saved the old bracket from 6 years ago when I took it apart. I found the bracket with the 90* angle bracket still intact in my shed. 3 times I had this in the junk pile to go and each time I brought it back in. I looked at the clearances again and I am going to take the slide controls off, raise the harness on top of the radio and try to reinstall from there. Also, I have some 3/8" fine thread nuts from my lamp parts box. I think this is the size of the radio controls to lock it in if I fit it up. I know this has to fit somehow as Chevy installed this 44 years ago.

 

[forever young]

As I said the aggregation continues. The radio I am installing is a 71 but the dash and cut outs for the radio SHOULD all be the same. The radio I am using is an 8 track, push button stereo Model #11AFMT1, serial # 1004746 if my eyes saw correctly upside down. The factory installed rear support bracket will not fit in the same place as was on the old dash. The face seems to be larger than the cutout in the repop dash. It appears to be about 1/16" too small top and bottom and both sides. The radio looks bigger than what the dash wants to accept. Does this make any sense? I am fighting this radio every inch of the way.

Roland

 

[forever young]

Levon, thanks for the help. I have everything finally lined up and am making a support bracket in the right rear of the radio. The only thing holding me back now is the 2 - 7/16" I.P. thread mounting nuts. going hunting for them tomorrow.

 

[LevonH]

Glad it's working out. Enjoyed the phone call.

BTW the offer is still there if you want to come up here and pick up some radio shaft nuts . We'll even take some off of our radios.

 

[forever young]

Levon, here's the counter offer if you come east and visit NYC or in the surrounding area., call me/ let me know and I will take you to some outrageously good restaurants. Your help and advice has helped me out so much.

Glad it's working out. Enjoyed the phone call.

BTW the offer is still there if you want to come up here and pick up some radio shaft nuts . We'll even take some off of our radios.

 

[forever young]

I successfully installed the radio with the correct rear mount, was off a bit so I made another rear mount and it fit up great. Next I turned it on, I now have a complete knowledge of every screw, nut and bolt in the dash board, but I still have some issues to overcome. The radio has static intermittently; I think I nailed it with high resistance or in other words, loose splices made at the resto shop. This is easily fixed, I will re-splice. The last issue with this music oddysey from 1970 is the dial slide / station indicator. The button presets work as they should, but when fine tuning, the knob turns but the tuner does not move with it. I have not taken off the cover, but I remember there being a string that goes around the pulleys to the tuner and it sure looks like it is slipping , a lot. The guy who did the restoration for the 8 track should have checked this but apparently did not. Has anyone ever been able to tighten up / repair easily a loose slider/indicator/ tuner? I really do not want to send the radio back to Arizona to the restorer if this is easily fixed.

 

[espos1111]

If I recall correctly, and mind you this was an early 80's era radio in the 80's, there was some small rubber bands in/on the pulleys of my radio. I haven't worked on a radio like that since so take that for what is is worth.

 

[Coppertop]

There are no dial strings. There are no rubber pieces in the tuner .

This should be sent back. I sent you a PM!