Steering wheel and dash removal off 420 (similar 3550)

What do I need to know before I tear into trying to install a new ignition key switch
and (diesel) fuel shut off cable? Looking at it the dash appears to need to come
off which means the steering wheel needs to come off. I assume the plast cap on
the steering wheel just pops off rather than screws off. It's not buggered up so I'm
thinking it's never been off.

Thanks in advance!
 
If it is like my Ford 3600 ag tractor that plastic cap comes off and there is a nut under it holding the steering wheel on. A little pry and the cap will pop right off. That's the beginning of the struggle to remove the steering wheel if it is like mine. Remove the nut holding the wheeel and try to lift the steering wheel. It should sit on splines on the shaft. Good luck lifting the steering wheel. Before I got mine apart I had ordered a new steering wheel and used an air chisel to break the plastic away from the steel part of the wheel, then used an angle grinder to make a slow nearly to the splines. I ended up doing that on all three sides, then used the air chisel to break them away from the splines...yup, all three sides. Best wishes, hope yours comes off easily.
 
The lower sheet metal shroud below the dash is two pieces with a couple of brackets holding them in place. If you can get those off then you should be able to access and replace the key switch and shutoff cable from below without having to remove the dash itself. My '73 4000 gasser was missing the lower shroud when I got it and I am able to access the key switch, light switch and choke cable (same location as your shutoff cable) as well as the S-O-S PTO cable without having to remove the dash.
 
The dash is 2 pieces? When you look at the one for
sale on this site and eBay they look like one unit
that is made up of 2 pieces pressed together. I'll try
those brackets first to see whet happens.
Thanks
 
Trust me, that plastic cap on top of the steering wheel will be the least of your troubles. Sometimes, it darn near takes a stick of dynamite to get that steering wheel off.
 
Take it all out the bottom.If you have a loader it will be tight quarters but easier then taking the steering wheel off.
 
(quoted from post at 09:05:59 09/26/15) The dash is 2 pieces? When you look at the one for
sale on this site and eBay they look like one unit
that is made up of 2 pieces pressed together. I'll try
those brackets first to see whet happens.
Thanks

Not the dash, the shroud below the dash that covers the lower part of the steering column.
 

Remove shrowd below dash. reach up and carefull remove nut off ignition switch and work it down, gently pulling the wires with it. put wires on new switch, and work it up to the hole and reinstall..


same on kill, but nut in on inside so a small crescent wrench will take off the nut. pain in butt but doable.

do not remove dash cowling.
 
take the battery cable off before you do anything, then take the tin off under the cowl and tank you can then replace both parts EZ
Boss
 
Thanks everyone for the suggestions! For the most part it was a success! Half done, but a good start. I must've done something right because it started - which was my main problem. The "key" was to remove the two pieces of tin around the steering box, which allowed me to reach up behind the dash from below to get the ignition key cylinder out and the new one plugged in. Taking the instrument cluster out helped a little also. I didn't do the diesel fuel shutoff, but I did reach up and got a sense of how it'll be done. Maybe tomorrow or next weekend.

Thanks again.
 

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