I just purchased a chrome gauge bezel overlay and I found out how to remove the gauge cluster and everything (which is a pain compared to my friends mazda when I installed his reverse glow gauges, just had to take out six bolts and the whole cluster was out instaed of having to take off panels like in my ranger) anyways, I was able to remove the clear plastic from the cluster but my problem is that the trim, that my new overlay is supposed to sit on, is glued or melted to the clear plactic cover and I need to separate them to lay the new overlay on top.

 

DO NOT TAKE IT OFF... it will look like crap when lit up.

Thier overlays, do just that. Overlay it over the black stock guage.

 

I was thinking maybe cut out the black trim from the clear cover and laying the new overlay on top of the gauges then put the clear cover back on like its supposed to

 

I dont know how well that would work though

 

How am i supposed to overly it when I cant get to the black gauge trim at all. Heres what I'm trying to install............
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you cant link pictures from your computer.

 

i took my stock overlay to put my aftermarket one on and it looks just fine. if the trim is on the plastic cover then keep it there. the stock overlay should just peel off and the new one should line up in its place. make sure you put the stops on first. it makes lining things up easier.

just put the overlay down and put the plastic over it, thats the way its supposed to done.

 

i know what youre talking about. youre trying to separate the clear plastic gauge window from the plastic gauge bezel, right? i melted mine trying to separate em with the oven method. heres what you do; get a big sharp kitchen knife, and slowly stick it between where the two pieces are glued, and twist the knife a bit. youll slowly break apart the two pieces. be sure to take your time, or you can crack the window :o) (i know from experience hehe)

 

Yeah you know what i'm talking about. When I first got my guages out thats when i realized the two pieces were melted together, i took i screw drive and stuck it between the two peices trying to pry them apart then i just barely cracked the clear window, but not noticably and thats when I gave up for the moment. Well if I do what you said Barrman and lay the bezel overlay on then how would i get the clear window to stay in place?

 

Someone else I know used a dremel and a thin cutting wheel to separate them. USE LOW SPEED and go slow or you'll melt the plastic. He put a brushed aluminum bezel on it and it looked nice when he was done.

 

well what i did was reattached the two pieces after i separated them with some clear silicon glue.... and i cracked mine a little too, from rushing, but its not visible once the gauge cluster is back in the dash.

 

I used a heat gun and a razor blade for mine. I color matched the trim and added a silver carbon fiber overlay on a set of Explorer Sport white gauges. I then used epoxy and some clamps to put the cover back on.



http://home.kc.rr.com/thoe/03_ranger/gauges.htm