Taking out the damn heater box

[topi]

To SPADGE or anyone else that has done this before.....


I've undone the 4 nuts from the engine bay and taken off the rubber coolant hoses. I've taken off all the AC piping upto the bulk head. The lower half of the dash is out, and I've undone the front bracket, the hoses at the side and front, and freed any wiring of cable ties on the box itself.

It has a little bit of sideways wobble now, but still doesnt really want to come loose. How on earth are you supposed to get the 4 studs through the bulk head anyway? There seems no room for enough movement. And the unit eventually slides out of the passenger side I take it?

Sorry if I'm being a dumb-ass, but I've cut my hands on enough little pieces of plastic now, and banged my head on the dash too many times.

[gazza]

does it not come out througfh the panel on the bulkhead of the engine bay ......may be wrong i just remember the motors etc are got at through it

[BMW_YARD]

You need to loosen the dash as it needs to raise up off the top of the heater box to allow it move, basically the dash is sat on top of the heater box stopping you removing it.

Theres two bolts either side of the dash that bolt it to the A pillar, remove these and you 'might' get enough movement on the dash to remove the 'box

[topi]

Aaah cool, I'll try that.

Man, I hope I can remember how the dash goes back together!

[topi]

Ok, it's not coming out. I've managed to move it about an inch and get it off the bulkhead studs, but no further

I've loosened the dash at the ends to give a bit of movement, but the heater box is still wedged right up against the dash, and still theres the fan bit slightly through the bulkhead.

Remember it's the air-con equipped heater box, so I dunno if it's bigger or something.

[SPADGE]

Ok, it's not coming out. I've managed to move it about an inch and get it off the bulkhead studs, but no further

I've loosened the dash at the ends to give a bit of movement, but the heater box is still wedged right up against the dash, and still theres the fan bit slightly through the bulkhead.

Remember it's the air-con equipped heater box, so I dunno if it's bigger or something.

Take the dash out mate it'll fall out then!
Probably no need to remove it properly as in disconect all the wiring etc...but i would certainly unbolt both ends and lift it as high as you can!
When i took mine out i removed the dash anyway as the car was a breaker and it was very easy.

[DanThe]

This is a dash out job. Its not much work to remove the dash but it makes the job soooooo much easier

[topi]

Aaah ok you've pulled my leg.


How do I go about taking the dash out then? I've undone the 2 bolts at each end, but I guess there's something securing it to the bulkhead? (I've got bad lighting and it's hard to feel around with the the wires everywhere)

[DanThe]

Just the two bolts at each end, obviously take out glovebox/trim, clocks, drop ECU, heater control panel, A pillar trim etc first.

[topi]

I can see me loosing track of a few screws. Ah well, needs to be done I guess.

[topi]

First of all, apologies but....


The dash is loose.... however I cannot get it free enough! All the lower trim is off, the colomn shroud is off, the main bolts at the sides are off, EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE OFF! Though it still feels like it's slightly attatched to something near the back of the dash, more towards the drivers side. The A-pillar trim is still on, but that doesn't seem to restrict movement really. The whole dash has moved up and forward about an inch or two, but wont go any further.

I'm SO close to getting rid of this damn AC crap, but Grrr!

[SPADGE]

First of all, apologies but....


The dash is loose.... however I cannot get it free enough! All the lower trim is off, the colomn shroud is off, the main bolts at the sides are off, EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE OFF! Though it still feels like it's slightly attatched to something near the back of the dash, more towards the drivers side. The A-pillar trim is still on, but that doesn't seem to restrict movement really. The whole dash has moved up and forward about an inch or two, but wont go any further.

I'm SO close to getting rid of this damn AC crap, but Grrr!

Is the whole unit moving and loose or does it still feel rigid?
If the latter then its probably the sealant between the back of the unit and the bulkhead. Give it a good tug and it will come free.
You have another heater box there have a good look at that to make sure you have removed all the fixings from this one.

[SPADGE]

Just had a quick look at the air con unit i have in the garage and the only thing on the drivers side that isn't on the passenger side is the 2 pipes going into it and then running along the bulkhead and then through a hole to the engine bay. Are these attached to the bulkhead pperhaps as i can't remember?

[topi]

Well the box itself is prefectly free, and about 70% out. But there's not quite enough room to get the mechanisms at the back out.

The whole dash now feels fairly free, and has moved forward an inch or 2, but seem to be stuck there - which is what's bugging me. Surely everything would have to be undone for it to move that much, yet it feels like I'm gonna break the dash if I pull any more.

[SPADGE]

Maybe you will just have to remove the dash entirely then

[Brianmoooore]

Bring it to me. I'll remove the whole aircon system, dispose of it, and fit the necessary standard parts in its place, all free of charge!

[topi]

No deal haha. I wish to 'dispose of it' myself . Plus the cars a mess now and I just want to get it done.

Spadge man, I thought that's what I was doing?

[Brianmoooore]

No deal haha. I wish to 'dispose of it' myself .

Ah well, might get a bite one day!

[topi]

Haha, 8 points for effort.

Well I just went out for a little investigating, and wiggled the dash complete free . Now I just need to get someone to hold it up and feed the big AC pipes through whilst I pull the box out. Result