Date:         Sun, 7 Jan 1996 19:08:27 -0500 (EST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Mark M. Schirmer" <mmschirm@mailbox.syr.edu>
Subject:      dashboard removal

I had a request from Mike Catlin to describe how I took off the dash, so 
here goes....( I hope I remember everything):

1. Take out the radio and the glove box (undo the plastic straps on each 
top corner, let the box drop down and slide the whole thing to the left out 
of the hinges). Remove the face plate for the heating/vent controls, this 
requires pulling off the four knobs on the levers (or maybe the plastic 
extension for the levers comes off too-I took of the knobs because I 
couldn't pull off the said plastic lever parts, but I think that 
something broke in the knobs-they work after reinstallation, but are a 
little loose-use your own judgement...)

2. Remove the instrument panel:
   -The shell is easily removed with a tug towards the steering wheel
   -take off the dust cover (note the master cylinder and brake fluid 
reservoir-be careful when finally taking the dash off-you may need to 
disconnect the wire the the top of the reservoir, but remember to plug it 
back in-I don't know what it's for (anyone?) but if it has to do with the 
brakes, must be important...)
   -remove the for screws holding the panel in place
   -disconnect the switches and pull the wires down so they dangle 
freely below the dash (plug the switches back in or mark the wires so you 
can remember what goes where)
   -disconnect the speedometer cable and the other electronic connection 
behind the tach. The cluster should now be free...
   -Remove the steering wheel (pull out the center to reveal a 24mm nut- 
it's one or two sizes larger than the lugs, so the lug wrench won't work, I
used a breaker bar with a 24mm? socket. The wheel should come off with a 
good tug)
   -Take off the steering column housing (remove the two philips screws on 
the underside and pull the pieces apart.)
   -I also removed, because I always break things, the signal and wiper 
switches. (pull the plugs, take out the three regular-head screws, and 
pull the controls straight off. It shouldn't be necessary to do anything 
with the ignition.)
   -Take out the three philips screws holding the heat/vent controls to 
the dash. One is on the near right side of where the instruments were 
and the other two are on the left and right inside the hole when you 
remove the control face. (when you put everything back together, reassemble 
this first)

3. You'll notice two c-channel braces running from some basically 
inaccessible niche up high under the dash, past the brake cylinder, down 
to where the steering column connects to the dash. Free these from the 
dashboard and steering column. Good Luck.....
   -on my '85 GL there is a bolt at each end of these channels.  The 
inaccessible one has an 8 or 10 mm hex head, the accessible one is a 
smooth cone, not designed to be removed....get yourself a good pair of 
vise-grips.
   With said vise-grips I was able to extricate the bolts.  The bolts are 
of a rather soft metal, so it may be possible to file a few flat sides 
into the heads to get a normal wrench around them. Consider replacing 
these with normal bolts if you plan or foresee a future dashboard removal.
   -the steering column should now be free, and fall into your lap- guys, 
be careful.

4.Remove the five or six black colored Philips screws where the dash 
meets the window (they are the smaller screws, greater in number- I think 
the larger screws hold together the wiper assembly)
  -open the front doors
  -remove the two philips screws in each door jamb
  -with the doors open carefully lift the dashboard out of place-It's 
heavy and bulky.  the vent hoses should pop off and you will need to 
remove some residual wiring (cig. lighter, glovebox light, rear heater 
control.)

5.Now we are so happy, we do the Dance of Joy. (before we get frustrated 
at trying to fix the real problem-actually I think that as a reward for 
having successfully removed the dashboard, the problem we were trying to 
fix underneath is easily remedied and costs nothing to do so...)

Good Luck!

Mark
'85 Retrowestie