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I just repaired the mounting points for three fallen-out tubes that guide the long bolts that hold the instrument panel into the dash.
I used six twistems, bread bag ties, then hot melt glue to tighten and bind everything up nice and firm.
All six mounting points, tops and bottoms, of the three tubes that can crack out, had cracked out. (Some prior owner or mechanic not knowing how dash panel comes out, or some would-be stereo thief.)
But all six had some part of the curve of the hole where the tubes sat, still intact. That gave me a firm place to set the tubes, then I just needed to anchor them there firmly.
So I drilled two little holes (1/16" bit) into either side of each bracket, back up where there was plenty of meat still.
I burned the plastic or paper off six bread ties, with a Bic lighter. I was going to use florist's wire I had saved off a Christmas wreath but I couldn't find it. Everyone has bread ties around, and they're flexible and wicked strong.
I poked one end into one hole, wrapped it around itself, then looped it around the black straw, in some cases a couple wraps, then back down into the other hole and pulled tight, then ran it around things to hold it snug.
Did the same at both ends of each tube. (The flared end should go at the bottom to make sure you can easily find the mouth with the bolts.)
The fourth tube runs right through one of the vents and thank god there's no way that was going to go anywhere.
Then I daubed hot-melt glue all over everything to hold it in place, and it was nice and firm.
It seems to me this is as good as or even better than the metal patch brackets some people have made up, and a heck of a lot easier.
It all went back slick as mud. I put a drop of oil on each of the threads of the long bolts first, and here's why: I pulled a partly broken instrument panel at a junkyard once to get at the speedo cluster, and had to hacksaw thru a couple of those bolts. They were stuck in so tight the Torx part stripped out.
Someone has suggested using drinking straws to replace any missing tubes. Guess it would work. My next junkyard trip I think I'll collect any of those tubes I find, as spares. One was barely long enough to sit on its bracket at each end.
I used the Bentley to get the order of the bolts. Shortest, next-to-longest, longest, next-to-shortest, in left to right order. But the rings on my bolts didn't match the Bentley diagram at all?!?
posted by 70.105.226...
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