Chimaera Dash Removal - where's me bolt?

Chimaera Dash Removal - where's me bolt?

Author
Discussion

davidindevon

Original Poster:

223 posts

233 months

Thursday 26th February 2009
quotequote all
I'm sure I've seen something about this on here before but searching didn't pull it up.
I need to remove (not just prop up) the dash top on a late '96 Chim.
Using the bible I've located and removed the two passenger side bolts holding the dash top onto the dash.
I've removed the drivers side air vent and the plastic hose behind it but I can't see/feel/find the bolt at the extreme right hand side of the dash.
Two of us have used torches, wandering leads, mirrors from above and layed upside down in the footwell but just can't locate it.
Can anyone give a sure fire way of tracing it please? Or better still, a photo better than that in the bible.
Many thanks

M@H

11,296 posts

271 months

Thursday 26th February 2009
quotequote all
Its a bit further back / round than that. you don't need to remove the airvent at all. I can post you a picture of it tomorrow morning as I have my dash top off at the moment but if you get your hand roughly 4" round from the "front" and behind the join line you should find it smile

Edited by M@H on Thursday 26th February 14:43

Cider Andy

1,889 posts

224 months

Thursday 26th February 2009
quotequote all
It's mounted horizontally behind the right hand air vent: probably best to remove the flexi hose from the air vent.

Good photos here.

Chris Smith

287 posts

225 months

Thursday 26th February 2009
quotequote all
What he said!
To make it more obvious, get a small torch. put your head into the footwell and the look up as if you were trying to look at the back of the vent. Once you shine the torch in there, you will quickly spot the bolt.

M@H

11,296 posts

271 months

Thursday 26th February 2009
quotequote all
Cider Andy said:
It's mounted horizontally behind the right hand air vent: probably best to remove the flexi hose from the air vent.

Good photos here.
Good article smile I would disagree with the last bit about having to flex the panel though, mine does go in and out quite easily once the bolts are undone !?

davidindevon

Original Poster:

223 posts

233 months

Thursday 26th February 2009
quotequote all
Hmmm thank you for quick replies.
Two of us have have been upside down looking in the area at the back of the vent but can only see one nut on a horizontal bolt holding the side of the dash (as opposed to the dash top) The other end of this bolt can be seen when the drivers door is opened. I'm sure this won't be one of the nuts holding the dash top.

I'll have another look further forward/round this weekend but yes please if you could post a photo of the location of your nuts in the morning that would be great.

Thanks again.

M@H

11,296 posts

271 months

Thursday 26th February 2009
quotequote all
davidindevon said:
Hmmm thank you for quick replies.
Two of us have have been upside down looking in the area at the back of the vent but can only see one nut on a horizontal bolt holding the side of the dash (as opposed to the dash top) The other end of this bolt can be seen when the drivers door is opened. I'm sure this won't be one of the nuts holding the dash top.
Correct - its not that one. I shall post some photos in the morning.

jr6yam

1,303 posts

182 months

Thursday 26th February 2009
quotequote all
I found the best way to find the elusive bolt
was to lay in the footwell! looking up from
the floor the bolt is in the top left corner of
the dash. I'm gonna get some wing nuts coz it's
a pain to get a spanner on the nuts.
And why do the bolts have to be so BLEEDIN long?

russ turner

239 posts

207 months

Thursday 26th February 2009
quotequote all
what he said

head in the footwell, left hand firking around the flexi tube to the air vent sort of level with the A pillar at roughly wing mirror height.

Wing Nuts are an absolute must when you've found it, and this bolt is definitely too long, as you'll find out when you try to lift the dash top off.

Best of luck.

M@H

11,296 posts

271 months

Friday 27th February 2009
quotequote all
Ok, just taken these.

Firstly the bolt and hole viewed from the front (barely visible is the top of a bit of the heater pipe in the dark void below the bolt home):



Now where you need to put your hand underneath.. basically go up the back of the trimmed block (behind the mount for the bonnet release and up past the heater pipe) then come back over the top of it for about 6". You have to curve your hand over the top of the "block" and back towards yourself - you can reach it without getting into the footwell by the way.



Taken through the windscreen to show how far back the bolt is. (yes that is a skip lorry over the road)


Cheers,
Matt.



Edited by M@H on Friday 27th February 10:22

lewis_sharman

5,818 posts

190 months

Friday 27th February 2009
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What size are the bolts, so i can pick up some wing nuts from work??

schmokin1

1,212 posts

211 months

Friday 27th February 2009
quotequote all
i think they are 6 mm as a 10mm spanner fits the the original nuts.

davidindevon

Original Poster:

223 posts

233 months

Friday 27th February 2009
quotequote all
Afternoon all....
on the infrequent times I've posted, this forum has come up trumps every time - thanks very much for the good advice and the tip on wing nuts.
I think I'll shorten the bolts as well.

Matt - your photos are great, well done - Oh I seeeeee now where it should be.
Different to where I imagined but I can have another look to-morrow and I'm sure that dash top will be out. (glad I waited for advice off here before I got too forceful and did some damage!) Thanks again all.

spend

12,581 posts

250 months

Friday 27th February 2009
quotequote all
Must admit I cheated & moved the bonnet release closer to the steering column (permanently!) when I first had to access that little devil!

I hate those wing nuts, hex nuts in a small short socket are loads easier IMHO.

Cider Andy

1,889 posts

224 months

Friday 27th February 2009
quotequote all
spend said:
I hate those wing nuts, hex nuts in a small short socket are loads easier IMHO.
Me too, they're so difficult to get started on the thread. I can't understand why people are so keen on them.

How's tricks Mr. S? You haven't insulted me for ages...biggrin

raceboy

13,082 posts

279 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
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Took mine off today....Only the 2nd time and just as much of a bugger as it was 8 years ago. banghead
My problem is the aftermarket alarm brain and about a mile of cable is located above the 'glove pouch' lid making the 2 'easy' bolts a mare to get at, and then once all the bolts were out it was still a bh to remove due to the helpfull piece of TVR wood glued to the inside that made lifting it over the dash panel a nightmare. rolleyes
Anyway it's off and the speedo is out 'again' to replace the batteries that remember the mileage, cheap repair but I'm told it could be a 3 week turnaround, not good when the MOT is due very soon. rotate

Athlon

4,999 posts

205 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
Did mine today as well, found the drivers side dead easy! the pass side vertical one was a bugger to get back but the others were really easy compared to the horror stories I had read!

Waiting for a reply from Speedy Cables for a repair quotes for the speedo and have a shiney new one fitted in its place, a big thanks to John at Ventura Engineering for supplying a new unit at a great price.

Edited by Athlon on Saturday 7th March 22:36

spend

12,581 posts

250 months

Sunday 8th March 2009
quotequote all
Athlon said:
....the pass side vertical one was a bugger to get back ..
I put masking tape on the washer and 'stick' that on first, put the nut in a small short socket and just screw it on. The socket is easier to hold and spin with my fumbly fingers than trying to manipulate a minute nut in two fingers with gynecologist precision yikes

kramv8

26 posts

115 months

Monday 15th September 2014
quotequote all
Hi all!

I've just picked up on this thread as I'm attempting to remove the dashtop on my '93 Chimaera 400.

I believe I've successfully removed the two bolts retaining the passenger side however, I can't for the life of me locate the driver's side bolt. I've spent the past hour cramped in the footwell trying to do so and now have a very sore back and neck and I'm also now claustrophobic!

One post said you could get to the bolt without getting in the footwell and for the life of me I can't see how that's possible.

Please can someone help!?

Thanks.

caduceus

6,069 posts

265 months

Monday 15th September 2014
quotequote all
I did mine yesterday. It's a head in the footwell job. Looking up in to the top left hand crevice (as you look at it with your head in the footwell looking up) where is starts to narrow.