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Dash Top Removal

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jjbunn

jjbunn

Jedi Knight
Offline
I have removed the three bolts at the top, next to the base of the windscreen, five nuts and washers from under the dash top, and the four nuts that secure the two windscreen vent escutcheons. But the top still doesn't want to come off ... is there anything else I need to undo?
 
No, the windscreen is still on. Arrgh ... don't tell me I have to remove the windscreen?!
 
I'm afraid so Julian. I'm dreading having to do that myself as mine is cracked and warping at the ends. I was tempted to just cut it around the inside edge of the windscreen, but that's probably not a good idea. Post some pics as you progress.
Regards
Craig
 
jjbunn said:
No, the windscreen is still on. Arrgh ... don't tell me I have to remove the windscreen?!
Click to expand...

BUMMER {valley speak}
 
Mine came off with a minimal amount of PB Blaster having to be used on the main support posts. Don't force it, just take it slow and easy.
 
Julian, the following is a copy from a previous post
I have written in an attempt to assist another
forum member. I think it might have helped. I wrote
this as I had recently done the windscreen removal
to replace my crash pad. I hope this will help you
remove your windscreen and get the old dash pad out.




Go to this member's web site by clicking on the
link here: https://www.74tr6.com/glassreplacement.htm

Do you see the extended tubes on the bottom of the
windscreen frame? There you'll find two nuts with
washers. They are on the inside of the car. Look up
near the hood latch release, then cast your eyes
backward along that plane. You'll see the tubes that
go to the windscreen with the nuts and washers. Remove
them.
Now open your car door and loosen the bolts on the
inside of the door jam. One will be holding the fender;
the other is the one you loosen. I say "loosen," not
remove.

Take a wide plastic putty knife and carefully break the
windshield rubber at the bottom of the windscreen loose
and away from the car. It could have a little glue holding
it down.

Now with a helper, step/kneel/whatever, inside the vehicle
and each of you pull/tug/jerk, somewhat, on each end of the
windscreen. Your entire windshield with glass in the frame
will pop out revealing the dash pad.

The web site you visit is that of Paul Rego. He is a
nice historian and posts great pics to help us all.

Hope this post is timely.
 
Great advice so far but I just want to add some of my memories from this repair.
After removing all the relevant bolts/nuts etc. I still could not get the frame off the car. Lots of swearing and sweating. I ended up taking a brass drift and tapping the bottom of those supports until the brackets released them. It seems they were assembled with slightly wet paint at the factory! Good luck.
 
I was lucky as mine came off with minimal effort, though I also found paint on the interior surfaces of the bracket & post. Maybe mine got interupted by tea-time and had a chance to dry.

Whether you tap with a hammer or pull from above, I suggest you leave the nut threaded on the end of the post while you work it loose. In the former case it will protect the threads and in the latter it will save you from flinging the windscreen up should it suddenly loosen.
 
Some come right off,mine with minimal effort. Some take a couple of days of swearing ,soaking, pounding. Good luck.
 
2wrench said:
Julian, the following is a copy from a previous post
I have written in an attempt to assist another
forum member. I think it might have helped. I wrote
this as I had recently done the windscreen removal
to replace my crash pad. I hope this will help you
remove your windscreen and get the old dash pad out.




Go to this member's web site by clicking on the
link here: https://www.74tr6.com/glassreplacement.htm

Do you see the extended tubes on the bottom of the
windscreen frame? There you'll find two nuts with
washers. They are on the inside of the car. Look up
near the hood latch release, then cast your eyes
backward along that plane. You'll see the tubes that
go to the windscreen with the nuts and washers. Remove
them.
Now open your car door and loosen the bolts on the
inside of the door jam. One will be holding the fender;
the other is the one you loosen. I say "loosen," not
remove.

Take a wide plastic putty knife and carefully break the
windshield rubber at the bottom of the windscreen loose
and away from the car. It could have a little glue holding
it down.

Now with a helper, step/kneel/whatever, inside the vehicle
and each of you pull/tug/jerk, somewhat, on each end of the
windscreen. Your entire windshield with glass in the frame
will pop out revealing the dash pad.

The web site you visit is that of Paul Rego. He is a
nice historian and posts great pics to help us all.

Hope this post is timely.
Click to expand...

Thanks 2wrench et al. I will take some photos as I go along. Fortunately I had the foresight to include new windscreen rubbers etc. in the large order that just arrived from Moss, so at least I have the parts on hand.

In other news, I have just returned from the DMV, where I registered La Belge. So it is now street legal. This raises the prospect of at some time actually getting it on the road! How exciting!

I must say I'm a little surprised it is so easy: the car has been off the road (file no-op) since 1995, and you'd think that they would want to check its roadworthiness before issuing a registration?
 
Here is a photo of nut that needs to be removed, on the RHS, under the dash:
2048213377_8abd15a273.jpg


Here's the nut that needs loosening, on the outside, in the door jamb (with a trickle of PB Blaster running from it):
2049002020_c4a154e787.jpg


Here's a putty knife being used to separate the seal from the body: it's pretty gooey under there!
2049001908_5230080729.jpg


That's as far as I've got today.
 
Julian, Look up the topic "windshield help" posted on 8/7/06. This will shed some light on the subject. Windshield removal can be a bear If it hasn't been done in nearly 40 years. The first one I did took me weeks of soaking in PB Blaster until I found the trick. The second time around on another TR took me a couple hours.
 
Julian, thanks for taking my verbal stuff to the next
level with photos.

I get so into just getting the job done that it's
difficult to stop and take a photo. Also, when I
screw up so badly, who wants a pic??

Okay, so I'm trying to get past this cause it is
really helpful. Expect to document photographically
my engine removal and rebuild no matter how embarrassed
I am.

Just need to start. Weather turning cold....expect
to be wet. We are in somewhat of a drought here in
California. No rain and normally the ski lodges open
in full swing around Thanksgiving...but not this year.
No rain....no snow...just bummed cause I could be
driving but the car needs work.
 
philknight said:
Julian, Look up the topic "windshield help" posted on 8/7/06. This will shed some light on the subject. Windshield removal can be a bear If it hasn't been done in nearly 40 years. The first one I did took me weeks of soaking in PB Blaster until I found the trick. The second time around on another TR took me a couple hours.
Click to expand...

OK will take a look. The windshield is now a little loose: I can wobble it backwards and forwards, but I can't yet pull it out. The rubber seal between the body and the base of the windshield is a little perished, and my palette knife was coming out with black sticky goo when I inserted it.

I'll be having another go over the holiday weekend.

2wrench: it's nice weather down here in Pasadena. Not sure where Tracy is, but I assume in Northern CA?
 
If you keep the palette knife coated with WD40 or equalivent when you work it under the rubber seal it will coat the goo with WD40 and the goo should not re-adhere to itself easing removal of the windshield. When the windshield is off you can than remove the WD40.
 
startech47 said:
If you keep the palette knife coated with WD40 or equalivent when you work it under the rubber seal it will coat the goo with WD40 and the goo should not re-adhere to itself easing removal of the windshield. When the windshield is off you can than remove the WD40.
Click to expand...

Good Tip /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thankyousign.gif
 
DNK said:
startech47 said:
If you keep the palette knife coated with WD40 or equalivent when you work it under the rubber seal it will coat the goo with WD40 and the goo should not re-adhere to itself easing removal of the windshield. When the windshield is off you can than remove the WD40.
Click to expand...

Good Tip /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thankyousign.gif
Click to expand...

Great tip!

On the parts diagram I see three bolts that hold each bracket in place. Yet only the one in the door jamb needs to be loosened?
 
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