lizardkng

So, if any of you have been following my little project, you know I had mice, and I have decided to just pull the whole dash to get to all the heat and AC ductwork.

I plan on replacing the heater core while Im in there, given its inexpensive and since it sat for so long (12 years) that thing is bound to be ready to go, and I dont want a floorboard full of coolant.

I also have to do that tachometer fix thing while Im in there...

Is there anything else I should look at, check, replace, or whatever to "finish" this part of the restore? Or does anyone have any tips or suggestions to make this easier/save time? Not really mechanically inclined here

Faded

I recently pulled my airbox out. If you're actually going to be unbolting the airbox from the firewall (I would recommend it so you could soak it in some soapy water), there's one bolt behind the AC evaporator that holds it in from the engine side. You'll need to pull out both the accumulator and the evaporator to get to it. If you don't have AC, I'm not sure but you'll probably still need to remove the airbox under the hood.

Kazz

In addition to that, check out the thread on cleaning interior plastics and carpet. Would definitely be worth it to get a nice look back to your dash while its out now

lizardkng

I know! That thread on restoring plastics and carpet is awesome! But Im not sure Im going to have that kind of time right now. All the dash plastic is in great shape anyway (except the pad has a few cracks), doesnt really need restoration, but the colored pieces in the trunk area certainly do. Its on the list.

Thanks for the advice on the air box, Ill definitely pull it off while Im at it.

KuroNeko

make sure you keep track of the bolts... i kept them all in the same container and forgot what went where, so if it fit i stuck it there

lizardkng

Ive learned to (if possible) put every screw back in the hole it came out of until youre ready to reassemble everything.

Crasher0083

Allow yourself plenty of time! Its not a quick job thats for sure. Be careful removing any duct. Mine looked fine and when I took the screws out and went to remove it....It fell apart. It was all completely dry rotted and brittle. Now I have to find somewhere to get new duct. You might want to check all the wires while your in there. Thats the reason I had to pull my dash. I had a shorted out wire. While replacing the wire, I found a lot of wires that I went ahead and replaced. So you might want to have some cash set aside just in case. I got lucky and happened to have the money but now I cant find any duct for sale and the local bone yard dont have any 3rd gens go figure. Good luck bro! Im attaching a pic of my mess lol.

lizardkng

Wow, thats terrifying. But Im gonna dig into it and learn this one way or the other. Only way to get wet is to jump into the water. Thanks

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

If you can, lay the dash out in the sun with the duct side up... The plastic has less of a tendency to break if it's warmer.

Other than that, I would look into replacing the foam that seals the ducts together (if necessary after having sat for so long), soak the ducts in a soapy water solution (to make sure you're not going to have mouse droppings blowing out at you when you turn the blower on), and generally clean EVERYTHING on the back of the dash. Also inspect for chewed wiring.

babyspoon

iTrader: (1)

Best advice you can get when taking apart the interior.
You can also never take enough photos.
Pretty much any phone these days have a camera on them, snap and up load to your computer they will be a life saver.

My interior is completely stripped. Got photo's out the ****!
I've had to sub folder all of them to know what exactly I'm looking at.
Trying to "update" the car for a everyday driver with features of a new car.

AceBoogie!

x2

stealtht/a

iTrader: (1)

Yes, photos are the key to successful reinstall. Take lots of pics at different stages of disassembly .
I think the hardest part on these cars is getting the ac parts out of the way from under hood.
The evaporator housing is often brittle with age and heat and the nut on the firewall near the bottom can be a bitch to get off.
Oh and don't be tempted to do it with the center console in place, pull it before the dash.

my86bird

I just saw your post, so I don't know if you've already done the job. One thing I came across when I replaced the heater core in my '86 Firebird is, believe it or not, Haynes was quite helpful in removing the dash. One problem I had was the so-called exact replacement heater cores-they aren't. The first one I bought was made of aluminum(?) and the 2 pipes could turn in their point of attachment so they could fit into a variety of firewall openings. Well I couldn't push or pull the damn thing in far enuff to get a sufficient amount of pipe thru the firewall to hook up the hoses! I was lucky enuff to find a radiator repair place that had an NOS core. Whatever and wherever u buy a core, make sure ALL the dimensions are exactly the same and that it fits into the original mounting "bracket" (or frame, whatever u want to call it) with the original hardware. If u buy it in a store, bring the old one with you, with the frame to make sure it's exactly the same and doesn't need alterations.

Good luck with your project.

Bobby Suth

iTrader: (2)

be glad its not a berlineta