dashboard removal
 

has any body got any good info for removing the dashboard,,,,a picture site showing step by step would be good,,,,,cheers

Search in interior/exterior section. may yield better results.

Remove the dash very carefully. Its secured well with clips that break very easily. Do one at a time vs. a section.

i cant find anything on that search,,,,,just 2nd gen removal,,,,
some one give me an idea how hard a job,,,,,

Its not hard, just time consuming trying not to break those damn tabs. You'll be disconnecting things as you go too.

Search yielded nothing?hmmmm maybe check the 3rd gen archives. I remember someone had a write up on this.

Maybe www.scuderiaciriani.com

ill help!!! ok there are a few things to do... i have pulled 2 so far (i just took one out last weekend)

ok first tell me why your pulling out the dash, because the more stuff that is removed from the interior the easier it will be. if i know whats gone, or already been removed ill be able to help you better

-heath

bolts are here->

http://images.cardomain.com/member_i...85_20_full.jpg

you will need a 10 and 12 mm ratchet, and some extentions. i suggest removing the stereo first because it makes the dash much lighter and more manuverable

ok first thing remove the steering wheel (if you want a step by step for that i can tell you, or maybe someone else would care to explain... be careful because there is an airbag... if you havent pulled the wheel before read up on it in the factory manual)..... BTW the dash may be able to be taken out w/ the steering wheel in place but i wouldnt risk scratching up the wheel personally.

anyway, pull the wheel, then (im not sure how others do it, but i removed the AC pannel and gauge hood, and gauge cluster)... maybe it can be done without that.. i dont know. also, it may help to have the seats out, but again im not sure if thats an nessesity

ok now to unbolting it... there are little pannels on the sides of the dash (where it meets up with the door)... those need to be removed to reveal a bolt or 2 underneith each one (be very carefull when removing them... if they dont come out exactly straight you will break the plastic clips on that little piece.... ask me how i know :wink: )

remove those bolts. now go to the top of the dash... there is a little square pannel in the center by the windshield. take a very thin flat screwdriver and pop it out (i put a piece of tape over the tip so i didnt ruin the plastic). there is a 10mm bolt underneith... remove it.

now go to either side of the AC pannel area by the tranny tunnel... there are removable pannels on passengers and drivers side... take them off and if i remember correctly there are 2 bolts behind each one.. take both out.

now the last bolts.... they attach to the steering column... they bolt the steering column to the reinforcement beam that runs behind the dash (which will come out w/ the dash all as one unit)... there are 2 bolts there... remove them... the steering column will drop a little. now the dash is almost free.

you should be able to lift it up and move it around, lift it up, and pull it out as far as you can... there are a few large electrical connectors on the drivers side and pass. side behind the dash... un-do them and the dash is free to be removed. put the handbrake down so you can get the dash by it and your good to go! your dash is now removed! it took me about an hour to do and i work rather slowly. good luck, and hope it helps. -heath :biggrin:

nice work man.

its very easy to do, except the wheel can get in the way sometimes.

awsome rotor motor,,,,thats brilliant,,cheers mate

How'd you get the gauge cluster out? Step by step if possible please...

-Chris

id like to help, but i may need some backup in this department... its been awhile. someone correct me if im wrong, or add any tips if you have them........

ok if i remember correctly, there are a few screws under the gauge hood holding it on... remove those. the gauge hood just kind of snaps in place, so to undo it, just try and slide the whole gauge hood towards you... be careful with it (someone please, if im remembering this incorrectly...please post)

ok with the gauge hood out, the cluster should be screwed in with 4 or 5 screws to the dash. unscrew them, and then disconnect the electrical connectors at the back. if i didnt miss any steps that should be it.



PS something i really like about the miata forum, which we do not have here is that they have a "garage" section aranged into categories (interior, exterior, engine, tranny, bla bla bla) and people do simple step by step writeups with pictures for everything from an engnie rebuild to how to change your oil for the first time. they also have a FAQ section in there since the same stuff tends to come up so often. now i know most of us are quite advanced when it comes to the FD but, everyone has to learn this stuff at some point, and trial and error is not nessisarily the best method when it comes to the FD.... like when i first removed the dash... i broke a few plastic pieces because i didnt know "which way to pull the piece that supposedly just 'pops out' " or what angle to remove some of the snap in pieces so the pins (which i was not aware of) dont break. i was just thinking it would be nice to have a section like that for all the newbs (id contribute) and we could keep the 3rd gen section focused on more technical stuff.... yeah yeah maybe this thread should be in the interior section cause its interior related... but no one would find it there, and it is FD specific. just some thoughts to improve the forum