Why is my dash creaking? 2000 V70 NA

[scot850]

Now we all know why the dash boards on these god-forsaken beasts from hell normally creak. The plastic mounts for the 4 firewall bolt break, sometimes one, sometimes all of them.

So today I pulled the dash and low and behold, none of the mounts are broken? All the bolts were tight so I am baffled. I will take the opportunity to beef them up while it is out and also look over the heating system and the servo/flap operation before re-assembly.

So is there something else that could be the issue here? Are there other things to check?

Another question is is there a mounting pin near/part of the outer 2 bolt mounts? There is a hole near each of these mounts and what looks like it could have been a pin that could have sat in there for location. But when I look at them the plastic does not look broken and looking at the spare dash I have (naturally wrong color/year) it does not have anything there either.

Any suggestions for a fix is appreciated.

Only other thing I can think of is maybe I could have got vinyl cleaner on the edges of the upper dash pad and maybe it allows the 2 sections to flex/squeak against each other?

Thanks,

Neil.

[scot850]

Well as usual I am wrong. I took some photos of the mounts and the flash has shown there are cracks in at least the RH 2 mounts. They are not huge but they are there. Also having a closer look at all of the lower dash, I also found the Lower LH mount on the 'A' pillar is totally goosed. Not sure again hoe the PO has managed another incomprehensible breakage I have never found on another P80, but they have done it.

So now at least I know I have some issues to address.

I watched Roberts video on the subject, but I am a little confused as he runs the copper hanger bracket in front of the mount. This will sit between the mounting nut/bracket and the firewall. Will this not force the dash away from the windshield and firewall with the additional thickness?

RH mount and crack

RH center mount crack

LH center mount - possible crack?

Is there something missing here?

Should there be a locating pin in this hole?

Destroyed LH lower dash mount

Destroyed LH lower dash mount (2)

Now all I have to do is fix these issues! Plastic welder where did I put you?

Neil.

[abscate]

I'll find my JB weld right after this edition of ' Canada's worst Handyman'

[scot850]

Thanks for the confidence boost!

Off to the nearest DIY store tomorrow to load up with lots of bits of metal, screws and buckets of 2 part epoxy or plastic glue. Then if I can find what I did with the plastic welder and have any ABS plastic weld rods left I will go crazy on this!

Neil.

[scot850]

Well after removing the felt pads for the 2 x RH mounts the outer one has a crack as seen in the picture but not actually broken out. The inner RH mount had cracked right across the front of it.

I have bought some thin metal pipe hangers and formed 4 support brackets and once completed the repairs I will post pictures of the repairs here.

I have cleaned the 2 cracked mounts and now glued them with a plastics only superglue. Tomorrow once dry I hope to glue and screw the bracket in place and them will likely have to wait for the weekend for help to refit the dash. I will see if the plastic welder can be used for any of the repairs or a means to strengthen the brackets, especially the lower LH one at the door.

I remembered to remove the floating mounting nuts before doing any gluing to ensure they did not get stuck in place! Now have to remember to refit them prior to gluing and screwing the brackets in place. One thing I will do is to open up the hole for the mounting bolts to pass through and the outer 2 will need the holes drilled on both sides of the mount as they will otherwise prevent the bolt being able to seat and probably break the mounts off completely!

Neil.

[rspi]

Yes those thick hangers I WAS using moves the dash a little and made it very hard to remount the dash. My next go at it will be with thinner metal hanging straps that are steel but should make mounting easier.

[scot850]

Yes I have learned from what you did Robert. The metal I have used is very thin and can easily be bent for the most part with simple hand tools and even my hands. I think it will only add about 1-1.5mm to the height of the mounting points.

I'll take pictures once done, and will make sure the floating mounting nuts can and do float to allow refitting.

Just finished using my plastic welder (a lighter gas powered soldering iron) with ABS plastic welding strips to reinforce the mounts with more plastic, even on the 2 mounts that were not cracked. Next need to drill the holes for the metal repair brackets I made to ensure the 4 bolts can fit all the way home. Finally I will dry fit them and then glue them on with epoxy and I am using flat topped 'LATH' screws I got from Lowe's with self cutting threads. These I will add some glue to as well to hopefully prevent them breaking out.

Pictures to come!

Neil.

[amblerman]

If you still have your dash out, you might want to look at what I did.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=81991&p=444318#p444318

Even if you already fixed your mounts, you could still use ABS cement and fiberglass cloth to add extra support around the mounts and the thin walled HVAC tube they attach to. The ABS Cement and cloth method was a bit messy but it allowed me to add support in interesting ways in a quick amount of time. However, you do need some good ventilation due to the acetone in the ABS cement.

-A

[scot850]

Thanks for the link and info. Excellent work. I did read your thread prior to tackling the repairs to the mounts.

Once it is all re-assembled, I will add pictures and info on how I did it. I used thin metal straps, a plastic welder and ABS weld sticks and a plastic to anything epoxy glue to glue the bolts and straps to the plastic to strengthen and spread the load. Fortunately only 2 of the mounts were cracked and only one badly.

More to come......

Neil.

[wizechatmgr]

To smooth the ABS (in case you're a perfectionist) you can use acetone. It is used in the 3D printing world on ABS to smooth prints - usually by using a vapor of it. I've used acetone to weld panels on a motorcycle in liquid form with many applications of dissolved ABS in acetone and lots of patience.