Dashboard wood removal, left side

[gugel]

I know this topic has been discussed before, but the best I can find is this statement in the Technical Manual:

"Now you will have access to the blue plastic nuts holding the left trim piece. Remove them. Cover the top of the dash to prevent scratches then carefully remove the wood."

Is it really this easy?!?  It seems to me that there's not enough space between the windshield and the instrument cowl to remove the wood without undoing the top of the windshield and tiling it out, as suggested by Gernold, and as I did when I installed the wood.   What am I missing?

Chris

[WRe]

Hi,
if you remove the rev counter you have access to the 3 plastic nuts and can remove the wood w/o removing the windshield.
...WRe

[rutger kohler]

Hi, removing the tachometer as suggested is good, my car is a RHD and I did this, I had to remove the chrome air vent plate first to get in behind the tachomete, this is held in place by two studs without nuts on them. What you have to watch is the long threaded studs, attached to the wood, as you remove the wood.  I found the wood lifted up verticall to clear the studs from the top of the dashboard ok but the real trouble starts as you manouvre the wood away from the windscreen.

It is very easy for the end of these studs to dig into the leather/mbtex over the instrument binnacle and drag leaving a bad scratch (I know to my cost).  When I put the  wood back I ran several rounds of masking tape over the ends of the threads and then removed them just before dropping verttically into the dashboard again.

[Bonnyboy]

When I reinstalled my wood I used a piece of light aluminium to cover the instrument binnacle - cut up a beer can after disposing of the contents, taped the edges so that they did not scratch and then placed that over the binnacle.  I also put a piece of tape over the screw ends and the whole thing slid into place somehow by pushing on the screws with a long screwdriver a bit at a time.  Initially it did not look like it would work but it did. 

[mmizesko]

Chris,

Yes, you have to take the instruments out of the dash to get to the "blue" nuts.

All of the techniques should be used.  The thin aluminum will work great, and prevent gouging the dash.

You will have to bend the wood a bit, so if the veneer is flaking off, be careful, as it could crack or separate.

Not super easy unless you have the windshield out.

Mike Mizesko

[Benz Dr.]

I think you need to remove the wood before the windshield goes in so having the windshield out to replace the wood may not work out for you.

[UJJ]

I shortened the studs before I re-installed the wood. I do not know why they are so long. This helped quite a bit to install.
Ok, this may not help you now, but the second time around it will. You'll never know...
Urban

[114015]

Chris,

Have the rev counter out and the speaker grille, then you'll get access to all three blue nuts for the left wooden piece.

It worked nicely in my case,
the dashboard wood just went in without any help of beer cans or so. No scrathes, etc.

Depends on the car, every 113 is slightly different there (hand-built).
However, in my case I reused the original dash wood pieces. No aftermarket.




Achim

[gugel]

Thanks for all the answers.  I'm still not convinced, though, that I can get the wood out and in without undoing the top of the windshield and tilting it out (the bottom needs to be in before the wood goes in).  That's the way I did it oriiginally and as I remember, even then the clearance was tight.  We'll see.

Chris

[alchemist]

I was able to remove the LHS wood without removing the windshield. As you already read, the tachometer and the speedometer have to come out. The third blue nut is actually hidden behind the speedometer. There is no need of removing the speaker if you are not intended to remove the RHS wood. To remove the wood from the dash, you have to remove the A-post on the left side by removing the 2 screws. Once the A-post is removed, the wood can be easily removed. However, you have to protect the leather by using a thin Al piece. I hope this helps.

[Flyair]

When I reinstalled my wood I used a piece of light aluminium to cover the instrument binnacle - cut up a beer can after disposing of the content (...)

Ian,
just curious in what manner did you dispose of the content?

If internally, did it enhance your craftsmanship skills?

[batman]

PHOTOS: It seems that quite a few have performed this exercise of wood removal. from the dash. Did anyone take any photos showing the various steps in the removal/reinstall process that could be included in the Technical Manual in the relevant section for Dash??

If not - then maybe the next person to attempt could take a series of photos.

[sandcrab59]

Its been 10 years since I removed my dashwood wood.
I believe most of the dash was removed. I do remember carefully playing with left piece and it did come out.
Now the trick to put the dash wood back in.

 You cut off 1/4 of an inch off the bottom the screws and if you can find a blank credit card (one that is imprinted with your info is no good)
You place it under the cut off screw and carefully slide it into place.
This was explained to me a few years ago by someone who does it all the time.
This should help.
T

[jpinet]

For sure, the A post material has to be removed first before you can get your wood out or back in. I was able to do this with my windshield in place and with the screws at their original length. But then again, your experience may be different. I'm not sure all cars are perfectly identical and that they came out the assembly line the way Henry Ford saw it ''just as one pin is identical to another''...

[alchemist]

PHOTOS: It seems that quite a few have performed this exercise of wood removal. from the dash. Did anyone take any photos showing the various steps in the removal/reinstall process that could be included in the Technical Manual in the relevant section for Dash??

If not - then maybe the next person to attempt could take a series of photos.

Sorry not to have pictures for the removal of the wood. However, if you remove the the A molding (post) at the left side of the windshield, the left wood will be easily lifted up. The A post is pushing down on the wood and by removing it, the pressure will be lifted. By using a common-sense, you should not have any resistance to remove it. Good Luck.

[William Dabney]

how hard is it to remove the rev counter? i have a 1968 250 sl LHD. i got the right side out am a little intimidated with removing that much other stuff.

[mmizesko]

BillyBob,

By right side, you mean the wood?

The tachometer is a little tricky, and there are two primary methods, best described by searching the forum under removing tach, or dash instrument removal.  Basically, you have to come up from underneath, and put your hand up behind it, unscrew the knurled nut that holds the bracket, unscrew the tach cable and then you can pull/push it out of the dash.  You'll probably have to take out the middle instrument cluster to get to the speedo, to get to the blue nuts that hold the left wood piece.  Putting them back is a BI*CH.  There is a sequential process.  While you are at it, make sure you replace bulbs, instrument gaskets, and cables.  And you may want to do an LED bulb upgrade if you are sick of dim lighting.  All this is listed in prior posts.   You just need to do a little searching with the search field.

Thanks for being a full member.

Mike Mizesko

[William Dabney]

do you need special tools to remove the rev counter?

[Jonny B]

You do not need any special tools. But small hands do help. The access behind the dash is very limited.

[sandcrab59]

You remove the radio , then you come in that opening and try and get your hand in , or possibly from the bottom from where the radio was. the only way you can reach behind the instrument cluster is from the passenger side of the car.
Sometimes removing the speaker helps.
It is extremely difficult any other way.
Tom

[66andBlue]

..... the only way you can reach behind the instrument cluster is from the passenger side of the car. ...

I would not call it the "only way" because if the speedometer is still there you cannot reach behind the "instrument cluster", that is the unit in the middle,  from the right (passenger) side.

see: http://www.sl113.org/wiki/uploads/Electrical/Main-Instruments.jpg

As Mike wrote, you can remove the tachometer (rev. counter), then the instrument cluster and finally the speedometer; no need to remove the the glove box and the radio.
Of course it all depends on what you want to accomplish.

[sandcrab59]

Since I stripped the whole dashboard it was easy the way I described.
Of course that was 10 years ago , at my age who remembers what you did 10 minutes ago.
Tom

[William Dabney]

i got my wood dash trim out but the shop had it for 10 weeks as i was not a priority. i got lucky that the left side only had 2 blue nuts attached as a previous owner must have dropped the most center one. i gently wedged out the tach after untwisting the cable assembly. to my surprise the tack was wedged into place after someone wrapped duct tape around it ( pretty sue not originally assembled this way) now i have everything back in except the horn assembly which came out so easily i can not fit it on the steering wheel now matter how many ways i flip it around. i will look for pics on goggle after i try this forum. i took pics of my before and after. would some one be kind enough to tell me an easy way to post them? many thanks

[batman]

Billybob,

You can add your pics by simply clicking on the "Additional Options" tab when you open a "reply" message and load photos saved on/from your hard drive. Note the size limit per reply.
cheers