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Dash Removal drama......

60K views 103 replies 16 participants last post by  Ironside 
#1 ·
Well since i have nothing else to do this week, I decided to dive in to a much dreaded project of mine. Removal of the dash so I can fix some issues behind there.

Well I read up on this as best I could find and it sounded like a pretty difficult job. After working on it now for 3 hours, I have the dash hanging. It seems like everytime I think I have it looses, I find another bolt or two, or three I need to remove.

My biggest issue right now is this. All I want to remove is the dash skin, but it seems like all the duct work behind it and a shit wad of electrical is still connected to the skin some how.

Here is what it looks like so far.






This is one of the reasons for going thru this torture. When I replaced the heater core last year, I could not get this control cable back on, there is a tiny access hole that you have to contort your hand to even feel this damn thing, much less get enough leverage to get it back on. Well at least thats fixed now. I can select hot or cold again.


I thought this was the last one holding the dash skin on, but apparently not.....I took alot of cuss words to get this one out too.




I didnt think this was going to be a multi day job, but apparently it is. Good thing I dont have anything to do for a few days.
Does anyone have any suggestions on places to look for hidden bolts or do I really HAVE to take the other stuff out too?
 
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#2 ·
I have done 2 of them. The first one I took out in many parts. I took out every bolt I saw and it came out in many parts. And a lot of the bolts go in from the back side. The 2nd one I did I took out as one unit and once you get the crap out of the way (glove box, radio,cluster. Trim) its only a handfull of bolts to take out as one part.
 
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#3 ·
I'm sure someone here is an absolute expert on this, (steve83 where are you). Pictures, diagrams anything.....


My other issue is, the P.O. Cut the door speaker leads somewhere under the dash and I couldn't find them. I wanted to pull it so I could find it and pull new leads. Also the whole dash was rattling a lot and the right side piece was broken, I wanted to do so repairs there. Also I need to replace one of my vacuum motors or the vacuum line. And just overall go thru the vent system and clean it. There's a gallon bucket of dirt and crap back there.
 
#11 ·
(steve83 where are you).
Busy.



But SMN is always there! ;) Just look around...

The easiest & quickest way to remove the dash skin is to remove the dash, then remove the skin from the ducts. The ducts are actually the structure of the dash. I let Cody talk me into pulling JUST the skin off his dash (partly because I had never tried it), and it was a nightmare. I'll never do that again.



If you have a plastic tab beside the R door hinge, it's even more logical to pull the dash.

 
#4 ·
Take lots of pictures and post them up. Ill be doing this when i cage the beast to run pillar bars. Id pull the stering colum out. You only need to unhook afew connections and one bolt at the universal. This should give you more room to move around and look around. Will only take about five more minutes. And i hope you have your battery diconnected for all of this.
 
#5 ·
I have pulled the dashes on 87-91 era trucks about six times and installed them back with no issues. I have one dash that is going in its third vehicle right now. I just got done installing it. Takes me about 30 minutes to remove one and a little bit more to install. On the other hand, it took my girlfriend 6 hours to get one out. The thing she was doing, was overlooking some very teeny tiny things. I'm not familiar with removing 92-96 dashes since I never have had a reason too but... I guarantee you are overlooking something so small and insignificant looking you pass over it.
 
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#6 ·
its definately a puzzle. I actually am enjoying the challenge. Ive never attempted anything like this before, but it seems like a good way to get to know my vehicle a little better. I have had little trouble so far, but damn, i must have taken out 50 + screws nuts, bolts and such. Im sure I could just continue and get it done, its just all the electrical crap thats mounted to the duct work that has me trippin. and i have taken so much apart, im just hoping i can remember how to get it all back in lol. I thought it was just 8 or 10 screws and a couple of other things when i started. boy was i wrong. lol. I didnt think it was such a big deal so i didnt take enough pictures.
I do think im ok at this point though. Ive gone to far to give up now, and i dont think I can get all that duct work secured again without getting it completely out and seperating the dash skin so i can see what the hell i need to do. There is so much dirt and crud back there its amazing, almost 20 years worth of accumulated filth. I have to get all that out of there. One things for sure, when I get it all out and put back together again, I will have learned a whole hell of a lot about this truck.
 
#7 ·
Another good thing, I have found several things that are broken that i didnt know were broken. More to add to my list of parts. Just wish I had everything while I have it all apart.
 
#8 ·
Here goes.

So first off, you need to remove the dash pad that is above the radio and the glovebox opening. I see from your last picture that you haven't pulled it yet. It is held on with 7 10mm nuts from the back side. That will expose three other screws that thread in from the back. Two around the radio hole and one buried deep in there above the glove box.




The most difficult one is the one that screws in from the back above the glove box. It actually comes in from inside the ductwork. The way you get to it is by loosening the 4 bolts that hold the big metal steering column bracket to the body and completely remove the the screw from the bracket that holds the right (passenger) side of the dash to the body. Then you can swing the dash out and stick your arm behind the dash with a 1/4" ratchet, 6" extension and socket to get to the screw from inside the duct.

Also you will have to swing the dash out from both directions to get the screws that hold the skin to the ducting on the sides near the door hinges. Here you can see I have swung the right side of the dash out to both get to the screw through the duct and the right most screw holding the skin to the ducting near the door hinge.


I made comments on the pictures in this album that should give you some good tips. Album

Also, be sure to inspect this tab on the top right side of the dash when you get your skin off. Mine was broken and causing the dash to squeak like mad. Also every truck I took apart at the junkyard was broken as well. Seems like a pretty failure prone place in the ducting.


I built it back up with ABS plastic and MEK.


This is what you will be left with once the skin is removed. None of the wiring will come out with the skin.


Finally, I would highly recommend to go ahead and completely remove the (or drop down) the steering column. Looks like you've got it mostly removed. Pulling it on out is not that big a deal and will make your life much easier.
 
#9 ·
WOW! Thank you so much KAWAMATT2! That is EXACTLY what I was looking for!
I had a feeling there might be hidden screws behind the dash pad section. I started removing the nuts for that last night before it got dark, but didnt finish getting it off. Im pretty sure I have everything else off. I will see if i can get it without completely removing the steering wheel. There are enough broken pieces in the steering wheel already, and I pretty much need to tear it down completely and rebuild it. But that will have to wait till i can find a good bit of parts from a junk yard. Most I have found were worse off than mine was.

Yea that piece is broken on mine too, probly the source of my rattles as well.

Thanks again! That is EXACTLY what I needed! FSB RULES!
 
#14 ·
Success! Couldnt have been that hard, I didnt cut myself one time.


This is a must have tool for a project like this!


Heres one problem.


and another......


and another.....



and another....
 
#15 ·
My Bezel is shot too, its been in and out so many times theres not much of it left.
I seriously need a trip to the junk yard.

Is the duct work only secured to the vehicle by that one bolt on the right side and the 2 across the bottom?

I think im going to go ahead and pull the entire front duct system out. I need to do that mod for the right side anyway.
I hate all the nasty mess under there. Tomorrow I can chase down my speaker wire problem, or run a new one.
I have no idea how im going to fix the rattling issues.

Anyone have a feel for how much a good dash and duct system would be from a junk yard?

Weird thing is, I can secure the steering wheel and it will still run and drive without all that stuff connected.
Freaked my wife the hell out. she didnt know what i was doing the last couple of days.
 
#16 · (Edited by Moderator)
My Bezel is shot too, its been in and out so many times theres not much of it left.
...
Freaked my wife the hell out. she didnt know what i was doing the last couple of days.
:rolleyes: So "Bezel" is the nickname you use for yours? :histerica Yes, that's in the quote thread now. :thumbup




Hello, I'm Steve, most people know that I am a total DICK. But in case you didnt know, Im a SUPER DICK, and I KNOW EVERYTHING, If you dont agree with me, your stupid.




Most bezel breaks are easy to fix:



This one is a little harder:

 
#19 ·
Mine was not secured to the steering column bracket. Guess the dash has been off a few times before. Thanks again to Matt & Steve. Your help was much appreciated.

I look at this as a learning experience, I'm no mechanic, but with the help of this forum I've been able to fix 80% of the problems I've had so far. FSB is worth it's weight in gold!

Everyone here should send Steve83 $10, I'm sure he's saved everyone here at least that much.
 
#22 ·
Well ive been busy the last couple of days working on fixing some of the broken bits. I used to build radio control airplanes and it taught be alot about using what you have and being creative with 1/64" plywood. So A bit of wood and some epoxy and some superglue, dremmel tool, and there you have it.

Every single attachment point on the top was either cracked or completely broken.
I ended up fixing the broken ones like this.





For extra strength, I took the metal insert and cut the wings off of it leaving just the mounting point, then stuck that in the space with epoxy, then laid 2 layers of 1/64" play over the top. Worked perfectly and very very strong.


The cracked ones, I just gobbed the back side with epoxy and put a small piece of ply behind it for support.



Its so much stronger than the surrounding plastic, It should never break in the same place again, and adding the wood behind it spreads the load over a much larger area, altogether much stronger.

The vent gaskets were all messed up and rotten, so i fixed those too.




Nasty mess......

Plus a little of this....


and 15 mins later.......



All done.....


I thought I would be finished today and have it all back together, but every time i look closely, I find something else to fix, so maybe by Friday i will be done. Good thing I have nothing else to do.
My goal is to clean every thing i can clean behind the dash and just generally clean everything up. Also im gonna go thru all the vacuum lines to make sure theres no leaks, clean them all up and vaseline the connections.
Its nasty under there, whew.
 
#23 ·
Also im gonna go thru all the vacuum lines to make sure theres no leaks, clean them all up and vaseline the connections.
Vaseline is petroleum-based and could attack the vacuum lines or the (already-brittle) dash plastic. If anything, I'd use silicone grease (dielectric or electrical), but it's not necessary.

While it's easy, you should check under the heater core to make sure the drain is empty & clear. You may also find a few bucks in change or some pens & paperclips that have come down thru the defrost register.



And could you snap a pic or 2 of the factory amp location (even if yours doesn't have the amp or the plate)?



I also notice you still have the early push-pull single temperature cable; you might as well upgrade to the revised pull-pull dual cable - they're fairly easy to find in junkyards, but only in '94-97 trucks (with that style of dash). There are a few other relevant TSBs that you could do while the dash is out, so start with this one, and keep going to the NEXT until you get past everything related to the dash:

 
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#26 ·
Looking back at your picture i think this is where the plate goes.
That's it. :thumbup
...the digital temp and compass? Mine keeps flashing on and off...
That and the airbag light keeps flashing too.
Don't hijack his thread while it's still active. :smilie_slap Click my black Bronco in my signature & read all the captions in the Overhead Console & Dual Visors album. :deal The airbag light is unrelated - read this caption:



But DON'T REPLY IN THIS THREAD about it - find an old thread about airbags to post in. There are PLENTY. :thumbup Same for the overhead console.
 
#25 ·
yes the harness for the overhead console runs up the drivers a pillar and across the top of the windshield. My OHC computer is shot, so i have to find one out of an explorer. every one i find in the JY is already gone.

As far as the airbag light goes, Does your horn work? If not it could be the clock spring. I put a new clock spring in mine and the airbag light went out.
Is is just solid or does it flash? count the flashes, look through broncolinks site for airbag codes.

http://www.broncolinks.com/index.php
 
#27 ·
Today I fixed the cracks on the dash skin. There were 5 cracks here and there. The biggest was the top bolt hole on the drivers side, it was just a giant hole. So I used my wood working skills to build up a new piece.

you can build up almost anything with 1/64" plywood and superglue.
This is the hole.


I laid in some wood and contoured it layer by layer.



Filling it in and building it up from both sides.





Now its much stronger than the original piece of cheap ABS that was originally there.
If i had some carbon fiber cloth I would add that, but I dont think I even need it. Its super strong.


Ok, Does anyone know what this is for? Its just below the hood release.
Just curious.

 
#29 ·
Excellent work dude! I would suggest maybe instead of using epoxy, mix up some MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) and ABS pieces into a paste and use that to reinforce some of your repairs. ABS (which is what your dash is made of) is dissolved by MEK and it is a thermoplastic material, so when you dissolve it (or heat it), it will solidify back into its original composition. Doing this would actually help make the repairs a part of the original plastic, much like welding when working with metals. You can get MEK from Lowes (or the like) and then grab some ABS pipe caps from lowes and cut some pieces up and mix with the MEK. Let it sit overnight and add MEK to get the consistency you like, then just glop and spread it on like peanut butter and let it cure for a day or so.

My ducting wasn't in nearly as bad a shape as yours but the picture I posted earlier in the thread was a repair I made using ABS/MEK slurry. Not saying it would be any stronger than your wood/epoxy composite, just offering an additional option.


Also, you made mention of the black ducting not being attached at all to your steering column bracket. That needs fixed! Thats the only thing that hold the ducting in place on the drivers side.
 
#30 ·
Also, you mention you want to check out the HVAC vacuum lines while you have the ducts out. I would also encourage you to check, and replace if necessary, the damper door switch on the HVAC control panel. As you're no doubt aware, vacuum actually runs through this switch. I was at my wits end trying to find the vacuum leak in my HVAC system after checking all lines and reservoirs. I finally got around to pulling vacuum on the ports of the actual switch itself. Bingo! I had leaks in basically every position. This explained symptoms of hearing a whistling from the HVAC control panel when shutting the truck off. Also explained the air switching from vent to defrost when going up a hill. Basically I had a constant (although small) vacuum leak through the switch.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C5HZUG/ref=pe_175190_21431760_M2T1_SC_dp_1

 
#31 ·
I was wondering how you did your repairs specifically. Thanks for that info.
The repairs I did are so strong, I doubt it will every break on the repair spots again.
When you layer that wood and alternate the grain between each layer its bad ass strong.
On the duct side, I sandwiched in the clip with the ears cut off, so theres metal in there too to grab the screw.
I might have to try that MEK method next time though.

Where is that switch located Matt?
is it here?


or here
 
#32 ·
Where is that switch located Matt?
Ah! I see you still have the original switch in yours. Most assuredly its leaking by now. The switch is that flesh tone/tan one on the back of the actual panel that you use to adjust the air/vent/heat etc (second picture). This switch is actually what the knob that controls the A/C, vent, floor, mix, defrost attaches to. If you look closely at the back of the panel in the picture, you can see the yellow, blue, and white vacuum lines running to the switch. You can remove these lines from the switch, unplug the wire connector and unbolt the switch. The knob on the front just pulls off.

I would say to test the switch first though. Maybe Steve could chime in but I'm pretty sure vacuum is supplied to the switch on the Black line (which comes from the engine compartment). So the way to test would be to pull the lines off the switch and pull vacuum on the port corresponding to the black line while plugging all the other ports with your fingers or rubber stoppers. In my case I could hear air hissing through the actual switch when I did this. Again, hopefully Steve can post a diagram of the vacuum routing of the dash so that you can test each individual component.
 
#33 ·
Say dude, this is really a simple project if you go at it correctly. I've remove several and it usually only takes about 2 hours to remove. First, remove all trim from the headliner down to the kick panel and the thresholds. It's best to drop the steering column while attached to the aluminum bracket its attached to . There are approx. 4 bolts going up through the aluminum bracket to the dash, they need to be removed first, they are usually black and easy to see. You need to unbolt the emergency brake and lay it in the floor, then unbolt the bracket, it has 4 large bolts. Then you will need to go under the hood just below the brake pump and unbolt the 2 wiring harnesses, then press the locks at top and bottom of each and push into the cab. There aren't many fasteners left. about 4 at the top next to the windshield, one at each end of the dash and 2 under the dash, 1 under the ash tray and 1 closer to the passenger door. When loose you will need to carefully pull up so you can unclip the HVAC cable, the antenna and pull the wiring cables from behind the steering column aluminum brace. There are 2 plugs attached to the aluminum brace that will have to be un-locked and separated. Need any help just email me at RicRenfro@yahoo.com
 
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