dash removal question

[acco-R-d]

Ok, i know there are many threads about removing the dash. the part i want to remove is only the top vinyl part. i was wanting to paint it black instead of beeing poo-poo brown color. And yes, i have read most of the threads out there and i also know of the online manual, which was no help at all. i already know of the 10mm bolt behind the clock. do i have to removal the whole thing?

[lostforawhile]

from what i can tell from having it out it's one piece, there is no way to remove just the top half of it. probably the best way is to take it out and mask it off. see the thread-what's the worst thing you ever had to remove on your three g. while it's out put in a new heater core, because according to murphys law as soon as you put it back in the most difficult thing to remove behind it will fail within five minutes. :lol:

[88accordalltheway]

i pulled a dash from a yard thinking i could do the same thing, but after taking it home, i found out that it couldnt be done. There are about 50 plastic rivets holding the bottom to the top. Sorry bro.

[acco-R-d]

so then let me get this strait, i have to remove the 10mm bolts from the bottom of tyhe dash, one behind the clock, and on the sides next to the door. then i had to remove those two screws under the dash cover. then what?

[smufguy]

once the gauge cluster is removed and the heater core cables disconnected, and all the bolts taken out, u should be able to slide the dash out. the easiest way i have found out is to drop the steering column and then work on the dash, cause i dont have to fiddle with it above the steering wheel cause unless the wheel is gone, it wont budge. so i just drop the column cause its held on by four 12mm bolts and a 5th 12mm bolt is in the middle and just drops out with a swivel.

if you dont wanna drop the steering colum, open the H emblem on the steering wheel, remove the nut and before you slide the wheel off the column, take a permanent marker and draw a line on the wheel and the stub stickin out.

well after that the dash should be able to come loose. i dont know why you having problems with it, last time i removed my dash, it took me litereally 6 mts.

click on the image to enlarge.
http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/2136/21884rr.th.jpg (http://img243.imageshack.us/my.php?image=21884rr.jpg)

[lostforawhile]

mine was just a pain because i had a lot of custom stuff in the way that isn't factory.

[acco-R-d]

how do i get the gauge cluster and the heater duct joint removed? its not really clear on that picture. sorry about the question, but im stuck with the final steps.

on a side note, is it possible to get what i think is called a mat finish on the dash. thats how they do the dash these days in new cars. i think it would make it look better in the interior.

[smufguy]

how do i get the gauge cluster and the heater duct joint removed? its not really clear on that picture. sorry about the question, but im stuck with the final steps.

the gauge cluster comes off after removing the screws. that are behind the gauge cover (on the top) and the screws behind the sunroof, mirror adjuster and the three combo switches. here is the pic

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/4126/21819cq.th.jpg (http://img186.imageshack.us/my.php?image=21819cq.jpg)

and heater duct? what you mean heater duct? you mean the cables? y ou dont have to remove any duct or duct joints to get the dash out.

[lostforawhile]

when you get the cluster loose in order to get the cable out of the spedo,you press the little tab on the side of it and it unlocks and slides out of the spedo. when you take the heater cables off their clips mark the relationship of the cable to the clip wth a paint marker, this will ensure they are adjusted corectly when you reinstall them. :)

[acco-R-d]

all right, some final questions. if i remove the speedo cable, will it screw it up? also, about removing the steering wheel, i looked inside the "H" i dosent look like theres a bolt but its just a round cylinder, or am i wrong. i think i could drop it but i would rather just remove the steering wheel. and finally, does any of the a/c and heating conrols need 2 b removed, is so, how?

[lostforawhile]

i'm trying to remember,the spedo just unlocks with that little push tab, it won't hurt a thing. do you have the two slide controls? the two cables attach to the heater box with two metal clamps. those are what i was talking about marking so you know where the cable was at on the clamp.

[acco-R-d]

yes, i do have the 2 slide controls.where is the clamps? where can i access them(left, rite behind, or right side of center console)?

[lostforawhile]

you need to pull the dash partly out they are on the heater box. you disconnect them and then pull the dash the rest of the way out. in other words balance the dash part way out while disconnecting the cables at the same time. it helps to cuss a lot. as far as anyone saying you can pull the dash out in a few minutes, i mean do everything, my wife's response was :lol: she kept me from killing the car. oh don't try to remove the center vents. they are part of the dash and don't need to be removed. i'm not sure if the lxi has cables attached to the dash, lucky dog.

[acco-R-d]

oh don't try to remove the center vents. they are part of the dash and don't need to be removed. i'm not sure if the lxi has cables attached to the dash, lucky dog.

yea i tried to remove them and i think i broke them.

[lostforawhile]

maby someone on here has an extra set, i'm not sure if you can even remove them at all without damage. i broke mine by acccident and i spent hours putting the parts back together with plastic bonder.

[smufguy]

if u followed the two instruction pages i posted, u wont have any problem, U can access the cable on the heater core, from the right side of the lower dash part.

the steering wheel does have a bit nut on it, its the only thing that keeps ur wheel locked onto your column. those two pages pretty much has everything you need to safely remove the dash.

you do not have to remove anything else, the glove box or the heater controls or the radio to get the dash out, but you do have to unclip all the wires from the back so dont forget those, its easier if u can unscrew the fuse box and have it hanging loose when u pull the dash out

[lostforawhile]

if u followed the two instruction pages i posted, u wont have any problem, U can access the cable on the heater core, from the right side of the lower dash part.

the steering wheel does have a bit nut on it, its the only thing that keeps ur wheel locked onto your column. those two pages pretty much has everything you need to safely remove the dash.

you do not have to remove anything else, the glove box or the heater controls or the radio to get the dash out, but you do have to unclip all the wires from the back so dont forget those, its easier if u can unscrew the fuse box and have it hanging loose when u pull the dash outyou do have to remove the glove box,the bar it's bolted to has to come out.

[smufguy]

you do have to remove the glove box,the bar it's bolted to has to come out.

i have taken out like 6 dash boards without the glove box being removed, so i dont know why you remove it every time. it even says in the page of the manual i posted that you dotn need to remove the glovebox.

[lostforawhile]

for one thing it's easy to remove,it also makes it less of a chance it will pop open while you are removing the dash and become damaged. also it gives you a good point to pull on the dash.as in a handle. i just grabbed the dash where the instrument cluster was and where the glove box was and pulled it straight up and off of of the dowel pin.