legacycentral bbs

Hello, i'd like to get to swapping my beigetastic dash out w/ a black turbo one this weekend. Does anyone have any tips?

I just plan on removing/bagging/labeling all the bolts, nuts, and clips. Any idea if the dash can be removed and the car remain driveable? i may have to spread the work out over a few days.

MK

Disconnect the battery! Seems like common knowledge until you forget and BAM air-bag in your face.

Wait... the 92's didn't have airbags, did they?

Then no, you should be good with everything.

I saw an Eclipse last week with no dash and he was driving. As long as you have the speedo and such all in place, then you should be fine.

good idea about the battery, i should disconnect it anyway, jsut in case. I don't know if 92s had airbags or not... mine doesn't have them, it was an L model though.

MK

They were an option in 1992.

I drove my Benz around for many weeks with no dash. The gauge cluster was ziptied to the steering column. The only working gauge was the oil pressure gauge.

Be patient when removing the dash. There are a lot of fasteners and you don't want to force any of them. Also, the wiring harness is clipped to the inside of the dash and must be gently unclipped. You may find it helpful to label some or all of the wiring connectors that you undo.

I don't know how well this stuff works, but have you thought of dying the one you have? Its very difficult to get them back in without geting a few squeaks and rattles in the end. I hate the beige, too, so I understand why you're doing it. I painted the beige dash of my old one with black vinyl paint. It scratches off, but looked OK. I don't recommend it.

Steve

haha, yeah. Tan interiors in the legacies are REALLY ugly. I'd say patience is the key, i've never removed the entire interior, but the IS technically driveable without the gauge cluster, just not legal(i've done it)

on a sidenote, my 92 turbo doesnt have airbags

tips?> i am on the same boat as mtk

If I can remember correctly it's not that hard.

I removed the dash in my 92 when I stripped it.

There are 5 major bolts holding it in place,
12mm if I'm not mistaken, 3 up toward the windshield and 1 on either side, left and right.

The rest of it is mainly trim pieces. Take all the trim off, deffinately take out the steering wheel. even the seats if you want to do it right with a lot of room.

Try and keep track of your screws mainly, they tend to pile up.

I think reassembly will be the harder of the 2. and I didn't reassemble mine so I can't help.

I did the majority of this today in preparation for rewiring the car for the swap. It took less than 2 hours. I didn't encounter any clips other than two on each trim piece at floor level. Everything else was phillips screws ot 10mm.
But it is not out yet. I encountered one problem, that I was actually reading through threads to find an answer. Does anyone have a trick to remove the steering wheel in absence of a steering wheel puller? I don't want to go buy yet another one time use tool just to get the damned wheel off...

why do you want to remove the steering wheel? if u dont mind me asking.

I have swappe out my dash finally. It was not hard at all. I also replaced the heater core with one i had from my 90 parts car.

Like matt said, 10mm bolts, and phillips screws, except for some ground wires that were attached to the body (12mm bolts).

matt: other than hitting it with a hammer, maybe using a tie strap attached to the steering wheel and then around the b pillar. Ratchet the sucker and see if the wheel pops off

MK

jake15 wrote:why do you want to remove the steering wheel? if u dont mind me asking.

Can you suggest a way to get the dash off with the steering column still intact?

Sawzall?

MK

Matt Monson wrote:

jake15 wrote:why do you want to remove the steering wheel? if u dont mind me asking.

Can you suggest a way to get the dash off with the steering column still intact?

use a steering wheel puller joking of course

I got a cheap puller for ~$12. I'd lend it to ya if you were closer, but buying one would be cheaper than the shipping.

Steve

autozone will loan them to you. No cost, fully refundable deposit.

MK

Can you suggest a way to get the dash off with the steering column still intact?

unbolt the steering column. it has 2 bolts that hold it to the gray thing the computers are on. after you unbolt it it will just lay down out of the way. or if u have an adjustable steering column u can put it all the way down and lift up the dash, i think that works , and take it out one side (passenger side is easiest, to me) it also helps a little if you have someone help you lift it out, so they can be on one side and make sure it doesnt get caught on anything.

I didnt have to pull the steering column. with some creative adjustments, it's possible to get the black part to flex enough to come out. just make sure the steering wheel is all the way down

you don't need to pull the column to remove the dash, bu you do need to pull the wheel.

as far as the cluster etc.. the wheel can be left in.


mk

oh... the entire dash.... I get it now...

LaureltheQueen wrote:oh... the entire dash.... I get it now...

YES, the entire dash, in order to rewire the entire car. The cluster was out in the first 30 minutes...

i'm not talking abour removing the whole steering column... just unbolting it from where it bolts in the car, it lays down out of the way and u can take the dash out. and u dont have to pull the wheel, and u can just bolt the steering column back in when the dash is out and u can still steer just in case you need to move the car.