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Posted

I am changing my dash and currently have the dash and scuttle removed. The is no windscreen wipe bar for the loom to attach too ( to keep it up).

 

Any ideas how to attach the loom so it does not fall down?

 

thanks

 

 

David

Posted
Why not make up a false inner firewall that sits in the same groove that the existing one does. Shape it with a fold in the top and bottom to form a small void between the two then fasten everything to if neatly. You can then fit/remove the whole scuttle assembly at will and leave the wiring in situ to work on. I did this on my rebuild and it works well.
Posted

This might sound like a stupid idea, but when considering taking my scuttle off, I was thinking of only removing the outer body panel and leave the vertical panel in place.

 

Everything connected to the vertical panel would stay in place, more or less that is, without all the problems of disconnecting the wiring loom from the fuse boxes and pulling the wires that go through the vertical panel to the engine bay.

 

In order to do this, I would have to drill out all the rivets but I was also thinking of replacing them afterwards with small bolts and locknuts. So it would be a quick job later to remove the scuttle for working on the instruments or on the wiring loom.

 

Is this idea any good or am I completely on a wrong track ? !

 

Posted

Gary - blat mail me your email and i'll send you a piccy.

Jack - replacing all the rivets on the scuttle with rivnuts is one option but do you want to undo all those pins to remove the scuttle 🤔 My system - remove 4 scuttle securing bolts, 2 bolts through steering column bracket and if fitted wiper nuts and lift off complete scuttle and screen/areo's. you may have to disconnect heated screen wires if fitted.

  • Leadership Team
Posted

Mike - each to their own *thumbup* I replaced my rivets with rivnuts (24 if I remember rightly) - takes a minute to undo them all as long as you have an electric screwdriver with the right attachment!

 

Regards - Michael.

Posted

I' m glad that other people have the same ideas as me and that they have tried them out with good result. So I' m certainly going the same route.

 

I have the specific problem that there are a lot of extra items hanging on the vertical panel of the scuttle (contact breaker cutout boxes, oil separator and oil catch tank, cooling header tank, ...) and I don' t want to dream of dismounting them each time when I have to do something on the wiring loom or instruments.

 

Michael, which type of rivnuts did you use ? I was thinking about nuts and bolts but obviously rivnuts seem to be better. Did you have to make some sort of reinforcements or is the aluminium thick enough to screw in the rivnuts ?

  • Leadership Team
Posted

No problem at all with riv-nuts in the ali.

 

I then used some really tarty red anodised bolts to fit in them *thumbup*

 

Michael.

Posted

The only thing is that if you want to take the scuttle off often if you leave the complete vertical piece in place you end up with a very wobbly scuttle panel with not much rigidity - quite prone to damage in handling. Also, obviously, you have to undo lots of bolts to get it off.

 

Not saying it isn't better than fixed scuttle but it's just a point. You could make a half vertical panel that allows you to keep many items mounted to it and which stays in position - the other half would lift.

 

Personally I have made a couple of ally panels that house the wiring and take care of the steering column. My scuttle comes off with 4 knurled thumbscrews in about 30 seconds....

 

here

Posted

One thing all the ideas will have in common is that we will all tell you it transforms how nice it is to work on the wiring on these things *thumbup* *thumbup*

 

It's a massive improvement!

 

Guess mine will all be redone during my masssssive winter rebuild of the old shed 😬

Posted

To be honest Gary that isn't really that neat. It's just kind of the best I could do from what Nick and Graham had left on there without stripping it all out and starting again... which is what I'm doing this winter.

 

Really, the connectors are very basic and the fusing strategy leaves a lot to be desired. Finally the layout in terms of the mix of data and high current cables is quite poor though I've had no problems but that's more luck than judgement.

 

At the end of the day there is no substitute for simple but careful planning from scratch - works every time.

 

Also, no matter how good or experienced at wiring looms you think you are it's one of those jobs that never takes any less time!!

 

*thumbup*

Posted

Red anodised screws might look good, for exampe on a green fluorescent car. *rolleyes* I' m just going to stick with standard aluminium of dull black anodised screws.

 

The problem with the possibility of "weakening" the scuttle was my major concern, but after reading the several remarks and ideas, I' m thinking of making a full length reinforcement vertical plate for the inside.

 

I' m also considering taking a thick copper plate for this reinforcement and wire it directly to the chassis earth. Afterwards I can earth each "dashboard item" separately on this copper plate, thus avoiding the known earthing problems. For example at the moment the instrument illumination isn' t working because I' ve got only 4 V on the bulbs. ☹️

Posted

My scuttle had a lip witch goes under the horizontal plate where the heater should be, it's very difficult to take the scuttle off without distorsion. ( 1999 LA chassis )

 

I am used to dive under the dacsh, keeps me fit 😬

Posted

Elie,

 

Strange scuttle, you' ll certainly have to show or explain it to me when I pay you a visit. I only hope that my scuttle hasn' t got this lip because my back really demands a solution. 🙅🏻‍♂️

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