Community Forums

Gnutzer007 · 04-07-2019, 03:14 PM

Hello

I am in the process of replacing my dash panel in my 1999 Windsor. I have removed the old one but some of the posts used to mount the TV and the instrument panel to the dash panel are still glued to the old dash panel.

Does anybody know where I can order new Posts? They have a 7/8" length and a 5/8" diameter on the head which is glued to the dash panel.

For anyone else looking to do the same I ordered my replacement panels from Custom Instruments Panels and the Radio and Side panels turned out great.

Home Page

Thanks for any guidance you can provide.
Mike

MSHappyCampers · 04-07-2019, 04:58 PM

Hi Mike! Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!

Man, I wouldn't want that job! Have fun and keep her between the ditches!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

Coreyph · 04-07-2019, 05:03 PM

I actually just finished replacing my dash panels in my 2003 Monaco last week and if you take a heat gun and heat the plastic around the studs of the old panel you can use a small screwdriver and pop them off.

I got my panels from customer instruments panels as well and they did a great job. Also, replaced the lights in instruments with led and all rocker switches with switches with led lights. Turned out great. Pictures o come. Let m eknow if you have any further questions.

Gnutzer007 · 04-07-2019, 07:38 PM

Thanks for the tip Corey I will give the heat gun a shot.

Did you use JB Weld for Plastic to bond the bolts with the new panel or did you find another adhesive to do the job?

Thanks
Mike

Cdr151 · 04-08-2019, 04:27 AM

I replaced my dash last year I ordered the studs that you are talking about and was going to use them then I decided to get black screws and and drilled and recessed the screws in the dash so every gauge has two screws on the face of the dash. It makes it look more aircraft panel looking and I won’t have the chance of those studs coming unglued.

Coreyph · 04-08-2019, 06:34 AM

I used a plastic epoxy.

barmcd · 04-08-2019, 10:11 AM

Can you post a picture of the back of your panel? I'm going to fab a replacement dash panel for mine and could use a visual.

Gnutzer007 · 04-08-2019, 10:15 AM

Hopefully the image posts as I tried when I created the first post.

Click image for larger version

Name: IMG_9889.jpg
Views: 164
Size: 307.6 KB
ID: 241229

Cdr151 · 04-08-2019, 01:24 PM

When I made mine last year I made it out of wood laid the original dash on a 1/4 birch plywood and used a router with a template bit and cut it out.

barmcd · 04-09-2019, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gnutzer007

Hopefully the image posts as I tried when I created the first post.
Attachment 241229

That picture is great. So those studs are glued to the panel?

barmcd · 04-09-2019, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cdr151

When I made mine last year I made it out of wood laid the original dash on a 1/4 birch plywood and used a router with a template bit and cut it out.

That's my plan although I'm going to use 1/8 aluminum. A carbide pattern bit cuts it just like wood. I think I'm going to work on the side console panel first just to get the hang of it.

Cdr151 · 04-09-2019, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barmcd

That picture is great. So those studs are glued to the panel?

Yes they are epoxyed in. I didn’t use them when I did mine I have a whole box of them. I decided to use screws through the dash to hold the gauge mounts.

Vanwill · 04-09-2019, 08:13 PM

When I fabricated new instrument panels for my 2000 Dynasty from 3/16 aluminum, I did as Cdr151 suggested. I eliminated any of the glued-in studs. Just drill through the panel, countersink it, and use a 6-32 oval-head stainless steel Phillips head screw and it looks fine. The glued-in studs seems to me were a poor choice from Day One. On my instrument panels, approximately 1/3 of them had already come loose. Since I was using 3/16 thick aluminum, I actually tapped threads into each location, so the screws were captured, and there was a rigid stud sticking out the back of the panel to attach all the components to.

Another thing I did, and this is purely personal preference, was to split my original one-piece dash into three separate main pieces. I’ve had the instrument panel out enough times chasing electrical problems and adding components that I knew what a PITA it was to have to try to manage that huge, unwieldy, flexible piece while working on it. I was always aware that I might be pulling some wiring loose at the same time I was trying to repair something else. I was satisfied with the fit-up of the three pieces at their joining edges, but something akin to fender welting (or similar) might give it a more elegant appearance.

I plan to do the same thing with the side panel to the left of the driver. The Allison control module is bulky and heavy, and when one is re-wiring or adding something, having to remove that module just to get to switches on the flat panel makes the job a lot more cumbersome.

Gnutzer007 · 05-11-2019, 12:07 AM

Hello
Wanted to thank Corey again for the advice on using a heat gun to remove the existing bolts from the old dash panel.

I also wanted to post links to YouTube videos that helped me with the ignition switch and headlight switch removal.

Headlight Switch Removal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz6y-f3Vdd8

Ignition Switch Removal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtevGbeVjAU

Also the next snag that I ran into was my replacement dash panel that I ordered didn’t have a hole for the ignition switch and I luckily had a hole saw to cut the hole to get my coach back in service. So if you have a third party build a dash panel check for all of the holes before you start installing.

Here is a pic of the finished product