60s GM Fan Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 Since I finally have my 66 Toro back I'd like to swap out the old AM radio for the rebuild AM/FM WB radio I acquired some time ago. Based on my research the process is: 1. Remove the two bolts from the steering column and drop the steering wheel. 2. Remove screws for the dash bezel and pull dash forward while being careful of wire/vacuum connections. 3. Remove connections/screws for old radio and remove. 4. Install new radio and reinstall everything. Does this sound right? Anything else I should be careful of? Also is this better to do with a second pair of hands or can it be accomplished solo? Thanks, Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 Pretty much. I've done this job solo several times. You'll need to disconnect the support bracket. Be careful with the shift pointer. You may have to adjust the antenna trimmer on AM band but that's easy enough. Shop book should walk you through it. Or can you pick up enough AM stations to make it worth the effort?😄 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60s GM Fan Posted March 21 Author Share Posted March 21 Surprisingly in the east valley we have several. Ones an old country, the others classical, and the third 60s/70s. I can even pick up a classic rock station down in Tucson if I'm lucky. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60s GM Fan Posted March 22 Author Share Posted March 22 I do have a second nearly mint deck if you or anyone else is interested. I bought it on wim after I rebuilt the first one. Just trying to clear my spare parts. Too many atm. Also idk if you know the Toro guru in Maricopa but he was a life safer with the trans. My friend here calls him Doc because he had a plethora of Toro knowledge and parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldsfan Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 20 hours ago, rocketraider said: Be careful with the shift pointer. This ^^^^^^^^^. And - don't pinch the harness when reinstalling the column clamp/bolts. It lets the smoke out. 😞 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ourkid2000 Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 (edited) Having just completed this same job on my '66, there's been some excellent advice here. I'll add a few tips: 1. Put something soft on top of the steering column so that you can rest the face of the instrument panel on it without scraping anything up. 2. You'll find that the wiring harness behind the radio will now foul on the dashboard brace when you put the larger AM/FM in. It gets pinched between the back of the radio and the brace. Grab yourself some good 3M Super 88 tape and tape the harness then get some of that convoluted tubing to go over the whole thing and tape it in place. 3. Replace all your instrument panel bulbs while in there. 4. Oh, and I hope your replacement AM/FM radio came with the bulb holder because the AM one isn't compatible with the AM/FM model. I went to the end of the internet trying to find one with no luck. I had to get one from our man in Vegas, no option. If you need any photos of mine just le me know and I'll post em. I have tons! Edited March 25 by ourkid2000 (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60s GM Fan Posted March 26 Author Share Posted March 26 Yes please I'd love to have photos! I haven't taken care of it as of yet due to the complexity of the whole effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ourkid2000 Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 Here's a few shots. I've highlighted a few things. Note the difference in size between the two radios. Also I've attached a pic of the correct bulb holder for the AM/FM wonderbar radio. Hope this helps! If you have any questions, just let me know. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60s GM Fan Posted March 26 Author Share Posted March 26 Wonderful information. Doesnt appear to be too difficult however I'll pay close attention to the harness and use your suggestions. The radio I have has the correct bulb holder so it should hopefully be a plug and play scenario. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ourkid2000 Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 One thing we all forgot to mention! Remove the speedo cable from the transmission and also remove the heater cable where it connects to the box just under the cowl. This will give you so much more slack when pulling the panel down. These are really easy things to do and will help immensely. It's not too difficult a job, but the devil is in the damage you can cause when you take things apart. For example, the plugs on the back of the panel that attach to the fuel/temp - oil press/charging. Those pins can easily get loose if you mess with the connectors. I had to repair mine as they are prone to coming loose and causing a bad connection. You can easily pinch wires, etc. Take you time and take lots of pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60s GM Fan Posted March 26 Author Share Posted March 26 Now I understand why the radio wasn't fixed by the previous owner...haha. Thank you for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60s GM Fan Posted March 27 Author Share Posted March 27 Okay here's another question. Does anyone have a manual antenna in good to excellent shape for a 66 Toro? I have everything already in place however the copper tip for the cable is broken. I have another fitting in front of it that plugs into the radio but I'd like to get that fixed if possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 Can it just be soldered back together? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 1 hour ago, EmTee said: Can it just be soldered back together? It's a coax cable. You can't just solder it back together. You can crimp a new male connector onto the end of the cable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 20 hours ago, joe_padavano said: It's a coax cable. Yes, I realize that. It sounded like the center pin broke free, so I was imagining it might be repairable. A picture of the damaged cable would help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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