Need Help - Au Dash Removal

[Scruba]

Need to get the Dash out.

Anyone with intructions please?

[whiskers]

Hmm I will need to know this as well soon.

[sly]

Best bet is to invest $50 or so in a workshop manual. Why do you need to take it out?

If you need to replace a heater core or anything else involving removing the heater/aircon box, you'll need to get the aircon degassed before you start and regassed after you finish as you have to disconnect the aircon piping as well.

[JC]

Send a PM to fordon - he just did a dash conversion in his ute, so should be able to help you out.

[Peuty]

Originally Posted by sly

Best bet is to invest $50 or so in a workshop manual. Why do you need to take it out?

I wouldn't waste your money. From what I have experienced with workshop guides they tell you everything you DON'T need to now and the stuff you do need to know, they go into very little detail.

[sly]

Well, if I tried to write a howto for him, I'd need to start with the steps as listed in the manual as it's been over a year since I did it. I can tell him the few little things where the manual didn't help much, like just dropping the steering column instead of removing the airbag and wheel then dropping the column anyway. Or removing the radio with a jemmy bar instead of bent bits of f#&@ing coathanger and just getting a replacement radio from the wreckers later LOL. (I found out later that the pro's use 3mm drillbits inserted smooth end first to get the radio out).

So yeah the manual isn't the be-all and end-all, but it's a fairly good checklist for a complex job like this IMHO, along with a little bit of help from the friendly folks at AFF

[Stav]

Ok. I dont know where my manual is but here goes nothing...Firsly you need to access the main retaining bolts. At the windscreen there is a panel which has the air vents. This panel is held bt 2 phillips head screws.Remove the screws and gently prize the pnel off and remove it.

Underneath it you will see 5 bolts.The green bolt is the main dash earth and the other 4are the upper retaining bolts.
Next ..remove the centre console. There are 6 8mm bolts holding the console down.2 bolts are under the drink holder plastic removeable base.The next 2 are in the space in front with the big plastic cover.The last 2 are at the rear next to the seats.Remove the console.Once removed you will see an airbag module in the centre tunnel .On either side yoy will see the main bottom dash mounting frame.From memory there is 4 bolts to remove here.

Open the car doors. Looking at the dash side on view from the door you will notice removable panels that sit facing directly to the door . Pop these out with a screw driver on both passenger and drivers door.This will reveal 2 more mounting bolts on each side. Right ...disconnect the cars battery.

At this stage you have all of the main bolts exposed.

Next..the steering column must be removed.Put your seat back as far as it will go.Stick your head under the dash.The steering column is held by 2 bolts. They are very obvious.At the floor side you will have a circlip and 10 mm bolt securing the steering wheel assembly to the external steering shaft.The circlip is removed with a screwdriver.You must unplug every wiring connector to the steerng column.Once this is done you can unbolt the 2 underside bolts hold the column up and then undo the 10mm bolt I mentioned before and circlip.Before you remove it be careful to not spin the column as this will break the airbag assembly on installation.Remove the column in exactly the same position and place it on the floor in exactly the same position for installation.

Remove the fuse box screws.Pull the fuse box towards you.Unplug all of the plugs.Put the box out.
Next you must decide which min bolts you want to remove . I removed the top bolts and then side bolts and left the bottom tunell are bolts on to lever the dash towards me as it is very heavy.

When the dash is leaning towrds you take special care to remove all main looms with big plug connectors.Note how they run or just leave them in their position.

Remove the bottom bolts and voila your dash is in your hands.
If you want to access your heater core/air con or blower fan well just ask and Ill try to help.
If you have never removed one before allow 7 to 10 hours if you are mechanically minded or 2 days if you are not.

Oops one other thing I forgot...in the left hnd kick panel remove the main computer s the dash may fall on it and damage it.

the more I think of it ..just take it to a mechanic and save yourself a day of suffering

[kcej]

Plus, don't forget to disconnect the aircon fittings on the engine side of the firewall, and also the heater hoses etc, otherwise you'll have every bolt n screw you can see undone and the dash still won't move, and you'll swear and throw things about for an hour or more.

Don't ask me how I know this, I just do.

[Stav]

Originally Posted by kcej

Plus, don't forget to disconnect the aircon fittings on the engine side of the firewall, and also the heater hoses etc, otherwise you'll have every bolt n screw you can see undone and the dash still won't move, and you'll swear and throw things about for an hour or more.

Don't ask me how I know this, I just do.

If you dont have to change the heater or aircon..dont disconnect it.

If air con or heater core needs removal then remove the dash first.Only then disconnect heater hose form inside the engine bay as well as the double connector for the air conditioning.To get better access to aircon ,remove the washer bottle. For the heater hoses I bought new ones from ford as I expected alot of trouble removing the old ones and they gave me alot of grief just cutting them off with a knife. Then there is around 5 nuts /bolts which hold the heater core air con assemblies inside a big plastic box.Once removed there is around 60 philips head screw to open It will need a flatblade screwdriver to gently prise it apart.
Cheers

I hope the new fords are like toyotas and we dont have to do all this work as has been for the past 10 odd years of ford cars.
They remove the glovebox in 20 minutes and have access to all that stuff.