550 Dashboard Removal - Part III

The previous two posts covered removal of the following:

1. Center Section of Center Console
2. Binnacle
3. Hood Release Trim Panel
4. Glovebox
5. Passenger Airbag
6. Center Console
7. Dashboard Assembly

This final section deals with disassembling the dashboard assembly, and also has important notes regarding reassembly and re-installation of all components.


VIII. Dashboard Disassembly


1. Place dashboard right-side up on suitable, non-marring work surface.

2. Remove felt strips from forward tabs.

3. Drill out aluminum rivets. Clean away all metal shavings.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1371058&stc=1&d=1313018207

4. Flip dashboard upside down.

5. Remove the nuts holding the defroster channel ends near the speakers, the two #3 screws behind the center stack, and the capscrews from the main body and side air vent ducts. I left the air vent ducts riveted to the dash and just rotated them out of the way when necessary.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1371059&stc=1&d=1313018207
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6. Remove the defroster channel.

7. Remove the screws securing the defroster vent to the dashboard. Remove the defroster vent.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1371062&stc=1&d=1313018207

Thanks to another F-chatter, I used Easy-off ‘Fume Free’ Oven Cleaner (blue can, not the heavy-duty yellow can) to strip the sticky polymer coating from the defroster vent, and it worked great. Scrubbed with scuff pads and then rinsed the mess off with water. Be certain to remove ALL of the old gummy polymer; any traces left on the part will cause the new paint to lift and wrinkle and cause spontaneous emission of curses and epithets. Anyone who’s ever painted a brand new bumper and not been able to remove all of the mold-release compound knows exactly to what I’m referring.

I repainted the vent with SEM 39293 Honda Black, using SEM 38363 Adhesion Promoter to slow the flash time so it wouldn’t blush. Otherwise, in this Georgia heat and humidity, the acrylic dries too fast and gets chalky and flat.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1371063&stc=1&d=1313018207

Regarding the leather, I’m reluctant to advocate any particular method of repair or stretching. It’s beyond the boundary of my knowledge and experience, and you’re better off researching this on your own. There are numerous F-chatters and other resources who have great information on this, so I’ll gladly defer to them on this subject.

Having qualified my ignorance, here’s what I did on this project.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1371064&stc=1&d=1313018207
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1371065&stc=1&d=1313018207

I consulted with Diane at KC Leatherworks in Knoxville, Tennessee regarding proper leather care. Diane is an experienced leathercrafter who makes beautiful, high-end leather equestrian products and haute couture consumer leather goods for several prolific clients in NYC. She’s made several strong leather belts for me that look great with suits but that I also wear during IDPA matches. Her advice was to avoid products containing glycerin and stick with thicker creams made with natural ingredients, sans petrochemicals or polymer compounds. She uses Skidmore’s leather cream on her leather, and I tried it on my dashboard leather prior to performing the rehabilitative work. My car had 8200 miles on it when I bought it in July, and although it was garaged and very well cared for, the leather on the dash was very dry. I applied the cream and let it sit for several days prior to stretching it back, and it seemed to work well. I also applied it to the entire dash while it was out, and so far, there have been no ill effects. If anything negative transpires, I’ll post it.

Notes on Reassembly

Reassembly is the reverse of disassembly. Remember to plug the connectors back in.

I used 3/16” aluminum rivets and added washers on the bottom when reassembling the defroster channel. For replacement felt material, I purchased a small sheet (~8” x 10”) of black felt with an adhesive back from Michael’s craft store. I cut thin strips from the sheet and wrapped it over the riveted tab using contact cement, then clamped it with a binder clip until it cured.

CAUTION: the rubber cover behind the dashboard air vents fits over the air flaps in the center stack.

When re-installing the dashboard, be sure that this rubber cover goes over the internal air flaps, and that it is fitted without interfering with the center air flap’s operation.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1371068&stc=1&d=1313018207
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The steering column adjustment nut should be tightened appropriately. You’ll need to gauge this by moving the steering column lock lever until the appropriate force is obtained.

Be sure that the passenger side airbag is appropriately re-installed and that the connector and wiring have been routed in a safe and correct manner, free of chafing hazards and other potential pinch points and problem areas.

When reinstalling the glovebox, you now have the opportunity to line up the stitching and fit the box so that the front door closes with minimal gaps. If you have the patience, you can line it up better than the factory, because it does take some time and trial-and-error to accomplish. You’ll also likely need to subtly bend the metal glovebox mounting brackets and adjust the latch to get the fit perfect, but it is possible, and it looks excellent when it’s done.

Finally, when re-installing the center section in the center console, I noticed that my power mirror switch did not fit securely in the plastic tabs on the bezel that surrounds it. Personally, this drives me nuts; GM cars were particularly bad at having the switches break through the mount. The same thing happened on my S-class. Luckily, I happened to have a Ferrari 550 Maranello power mirror switch reinforcement bracket on my parts shelf, and that effectively fixed the problem.

Hope these instructions helped someone. Take care, God bless, and good luck.
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Fou, your post made me feel like a prince. I've been smiling since I read it. Many, many thanks for the kind words.

Fatbillybob, the leather may very well shrink back at some point, but I wanted to keep the original leather on it, and I've had some success with cold-stretching leather on other items. So far, it's been great, and it's been in the hot August Georgia sun for about fifteen cumulative hours now. I did not use any moisture, steam, or heat in massaging it back over the edge; my experience indicates that those methods make it easier to stretch the leather initially, but as the leather dries and cools, it shrinks like me jumping into a cold pool.

I'll post the links to the first two parts after this. And allow me to say that I respect the heck out of your own on your 550- you have my highest respect for your posts about wrenching on your car. If I was in the area, I'd insist on buying you lunch. Same thing goes for Taz, too.

Jagmanv12, I believe you can handle this job without any problem. It really isn't that difficult. Feel free to PM me when you get around to it and we can verbally converse if necessary.

Remember to label the fasteners, too. It helps enormously when reassembling everything.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1371734&stc=1&d=1313165803

And for the Ferrari Power Mirror Switch Reinforcement Bracket:
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Part I:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=333397

Part II:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=333402


These weren't initially included because I didn't realize that photograph limitations would dictate three separate posts. Hope this works to link up the first two parts. Good luck!

 

Fatbillybob, it's probably about 80% stretching and 20% conditioner. And it's not something I did quickly. I used canvas pliers to pull all across the width of the shrunken region, then I'd let it relax and pull back, and then I'd stretch it again. I worked on it for several hours, alternating with the conditioner, and then glued it the next day. It didn't stretch all the way back to the original overlap, but it did get about 90% there. I'm very happy with the results, because it's still the original leather, and the money I saved can be used toward a 2-post lift.

Excellent question on the conditioner penetration depth. I only used the conditioner on the face of the leather, and not around the edges, although it didn't appear to extend through the leather. I used DAP Weldwood contact adhesive which can be used with leather, as opposed to cynoacrylate or 'gorilla' glue, as those adhesives don't work well with leather and fiberglass surfaces. This application really needs resistance to sheer and less resistance to peel. If anyone knows of a better adhesive, I'm happy to switch. The DAP does require a minimum 15-minute cure time after coating both surfaces before pressing them together, and the constant force of the binder clip seemed to work well. I did leave the clips on for about 24 hours.

Also, I didn't bond the leather all the way up into the flat horizontal area of the dash, only the edges and the underside. Don't know if that would make a difference, but I was worried about disturbing the foam underlayment that's under the flat horizontal areas.

Wbklink, I'm also posting some photos showing the completed dashboard. The last photo is of the receding leather prior to beginning the work. Thanks for the compliments!
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Thanks, Bill. I'll post a few more soon. Also, please allow me to correct some items:

1. I mentioned removing the two rear center console screws twice.

2. In the post to Fatbillybob above, the intended words were 'shear' strength (not 'sheer'), and cyanoacrylate (not cyno). It was way past my bedtime when I posted the reply.

 

Here are three more photos of the completed dashboard edge:
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Hi, GF David. It is about time for an update, and thanks for asking about the dash. I don't have any close-up photographs readily available to post, but there isn't any difference in the dash from the photographs above after a year of driving it. It still presents well, and all the edges are still covered with the leather, and it's still the original leather and stitching. I do keep it moisturized by applying a good leather conditioning cream (I use Skidmore's) and that appears to have prevented any further shrinkage.

The indentation in the stitching that you noticed is actually due to the shrinkage of the leather. I was able to stretch it about 90% of the way back into line, but that final amount wouldn't budge. It's not as perfect as it was when it left the factory back in December of 2001. It's probably more akin to rewinding the clock to a few years into its life after the downhill slide of shrinking has already started.

I am happy that the edges are still covered by the leather, and that it's still OEM. But if you desire a perfect appearance, then it's probably necessary to have someone like Braden cut and stitch a new cover. I'm amazed at the quality and appearance of the stitches on the leather dash of the 575 he recently did.

Regarding the foam underlayment, mine was actually still in great shape, and I didn't alter it at all.

One thing I would like to add is an endorsement of good quality window film. I finally committed to having the film installed on the interior glass of my 550, and it resulted in a dramatic decrease in cabin heat. I went with an 80% film that is nearly transparent, and the stuff works great and didn't alter the appearance of the car. The decrease in heat is subjective to describe, but when the sun was glaring on my body through the untinted windows, I felt like I was in a solar oven. After the tint, even at a near-transparent opacity, the sun's direct heat is essentially undetectable from the ambient conditions of the cabin. I wish I'd had the film installed much earlier. I hope that it will also lengthen the life of the leather and help preserve it from shrinking further, although that's speculation on my part without hard data to back it up.

Hope this helps.