Dash re-install

After getting a fourth, and presumably final, coat of high-gloss white paint on the upper third of the bus, I spent Sunday afternoon wrestling the dashboard back together. It was really just time consuming because it took 3 attempts. I failed to take any pictures, though. Apologies.

Dash Install, First Start
Following the standard practice of lightly threading all the participant bits together first, I started with the 3 screws on each end of the dashboard which are hidden when the doors are closed. In looking at the black cover plates, I considered that I failed to paint them, but kept going. Next, I attached the front vinyl pad complete with threading the nuts in only to realize that the dash top needs to be into place first. Off comes the vinyl pad. I paused at that point to consider none of the plastic pipes were in yet.

Venting
Before the dash can really get put back together, all of the plastic pipes need to be in place first. This isn't that hard, its just a case of matching. If the inner vent cover plates (near your knee, held on with 6 screws each) are in place, it is best to have them removed for freedom of movement. The end pipes slide right onto their circular dash vent counterparts. Picking the right from left is relatively simple: they only fit on their respective end. The center "Y" is actually harder. It looks like it could fit either way, but the upper end of the "Y" has a bend in it that wraps around the wiper arms. While having it in backwards could look right, once you try to put on the dash-top, you'll see that it doesn't actually fit that way. I also found that it was easy to set the base of the "Y" too deep. Once the dash top is in place, you'll have to fiddle with it anyway, so don't get too hung up on it.

Dash Install, Second Start

I got pretty well to the end of the first paragraph in the next section before realizing that the screw-clips that need to be along the windscreen lip were not in place. So, I did all of that install, and then had to undo it so I could get the clips in. The clips have an up side and a down side. The flat side faces up. The windscreen lip has 8 spots where there is a small indentation on the rear edge and a small hole just in front of it. Each clip needs to sit in the indentation with the clip hole aligned with the hole in the lip. If I'd taken a picture, this would be much more obvious. Anyway, once the clips are in place, you can move on to "Final Start" :-)

Hang the Fusebox
While fiddling with the dash top, I found myself moving the fusebox around, pushing it out of my way. In a flash, I popped the Bentley open and saw where the fusebox was supposed to go. With the dash top out, it was much easier to wrestle it into the right spot. Honestly, I'm not sure I could have gotten it into place with the dash top on. 2 screws later, I won't have the fusebox dangling by the vent cover anymore. It's been hanging there since I bought the bus over 10 years ago. Very satisfying. Simply looking at the driver seat will be all the nicer... and, of course, removing the stress on the wires could only be good. All told, it took me 10 minutes. Sweetness.

Dash Install, Final Start

Anyway... after all the vents are in place, we can re-start the dash install. The front screws are in loosely. Next, wrestle the dash top in. This sounds so easy, but you're managing a thin sheet of steel between the windscreen lip, the rear edge of the dashboard front and the 2 freshly-painted A-pillars. I found that setting the front lip in first worked best. Once in place, the rear edge wants to hang up on the rear edge. By setting a slotted screwdriver or putty knife between them, you can torque on the seam and the dash top falls into place. Wiggle the dash top until the holes in the dashboard front align with the holes in the dash top lip. Now, you can thread the vinyl pad in through the holes. Aren't you glad you did this without the glove box in place? Thread the 10mm nuts onto the vinyl pad bolts and leave them loose, but threaded onto the bolts pretty far. Check your alignment all around, including the front lip. Now, screw the front lip down. Once all of the fasteners are in, you can start torquing things down. I started with the screws on the ends on the dashboard, then the 10MM bolts and finished with the screws along the front lip. Last, pop the little plastic hats onto the screws along the front.

Oh Crap
After all the wrestling with the dash, I was pretty spent. I hit the garage door button and walked into the house. I heard distinct bang-bang-bang noises, but the boys had been running around with lacrosse sticks, so I didn't given it much thought... until the following night. Much earlier, I had set the dash top onto the rear deck of the bus to protect it while I painted the white areas. On Sunday, I popped the rear hatch to get to it for installation. It had been such a nice day, I had left the garage door and hatch open while I worked. So, when I closed the garage door, it bang-bang-banged the rear hatch as it closed, leaving multiple scratches on it. Good thing I used the $50 paint method :) A little sanding, a little painting and the scratches start to melt away. I need another coat of paint, but it will look like it never happened.

That's it for today. Sorry I didn't take pictures of the install along the way. I'd take it apart to take pictures after the fact, but it took me 3 attempts to install. Maybe if I had a little more time before Memorial Day... As always, thanks for following along.