Jonny Retrofit Posted January 7 Posted January 7 The dashboard kit maximises the efficiency of the cooling/heating and also allows improved air distribution, for both Right-hand drive and Left-hand drive vehicles. Key features: 1. Divides the large dash board space into smaller insulated compartments so that the cold AC air is not heated by the surrounding metalwork. 2. Provides directional centre and lower foot/leg vents. 3. Provides rotary fan and heat controls. 4. Provides A/C, windscreen demist and recirculation controls. 5. Windscreen demist, recirculation and temperature blending are servo controlled. The original mechanical cables and levers are no longer required. Right-hand drive assembly: Left-hand drive assembly:
Jonny Retrofit Posted January 7 Author Posted January 7 This guide shows the installation of a Right-hand drive dash kit, installation of the LHD kit is similar but with the components flipped to the opposite side of the vehicle. In order to install the dash kit, the exiting dash needs to be disassembled. This includes removal of the radio holder, the grey finishing panel and the black plastic dash tray. There are plenty of online forums and videos on how to do this so we won't cover it here. Eventually, you will get to the metal dash 'lid' that sits on top of the triangular cross car ventilation plenum. Around the edge of this lid there are about a dozen self tapping screws which need to be removed, then the metal dash lid can be removed. Save the screws for refitting the new lid(s).
Jonny Retrofit Posted January 7 Author Posted January 7 After the lid has been removed, you can see inside the triangular section. Remove the clips from the footwell flaps and remove the entire assembly At this point, have a good clean out and vacuum of the whole area.
Jonny Retrofit Posted January 7 Author Posted January 7 The dashboard kit includes foam pieces and 2 partitions to divide the dash section. 1. Start by fitting the side pieces of foam to the passenger side. 2. Lay in the large piece of foam, starting at the bulkhead, stick the foam around and trim off to the require length. 3. Fit the foam tape around the divider and push the part inside the triangular section, it locates by pushing against the inboard edge of the large piece of foam just fitted. 4. Trim the foam around the bulkhead aperture and the tabs for the foot flaps. Cut the hole for the foot vent ( not shown in picture ). Use any offcuts from the large piece of foam to patch any 'holes' in the foam. 5. Repeat on the driver side of the vehicle. using the smaller piece of rectangular foam. 6. Fit the directional foot/leg vents
Jonny Retrofit Posted January 7 Author Posted January 7 7. Fit the larger flexible ducting cross car between the lower port on the passenger side divider to the driver side divider's port, fix with cable ties. 8a. Fit the control panel: The control circuit board must be removed from the control panel before fitting. Firstly remove the knobs (they pull off). Then remove the PCB retaining clip - it slides up. 8b. Prepare the Dash for the Control Unit: The dash panel itself is made up of 1mm thick sheetmetal covered in thin foam and wrapped in a black plastic vinyl covering. Depending on the age of the vehicle and what kind of life it has had the thickness of this assembly can vary. In the centre of the dash there is an oval depression with three cutouts in it, one rectangle in the centre and a 52mm diameter circular hole each side of it. Depending on the specific model and options of your vehicle, the three cutouts may only be cut into the sheetmetal and not through the vinyl covering as well, if this is the case, you will need to cut the holes into the Vinyl to match the holes in the sheetmetal. Depending on the age and model of your vehicle the thickness of the dash in the area of the oval depression may vary; the Classic Retrofit Dash Control Unit is design to work with a maximum thickness of 3mm (when squished) in the area of the oval depression. If your dash is thicker than this because of foam between the metal and the vinyl, you will need to remove the foam to make it thinner, otherwise the control unit's PCB's components will touch on the inside of the dash sheetmetal when installed. This image shows an unmodified Dash from a 300tdi Defender, which is the vehicle model the Classic Retrofit system is designed to be installed into. The below image is from the inside of the dash, looking rearward in the vehicle with the control panel bezel temporarily installed. You can see that the standoffs which are integral to the bezel protrude through the rectangular hole, these are designed to locate on the edges of the hole. The red lens is partially obscured by the dash sheetmetal / edge of the rectangular hole, which will result in the LEDs on the PCB not being able to shine through. If you are happy to modify your dash sheetmetal, it is best to add a cutout through the metal and vinyl covering, following the Red line in the image below, using a mini belt sander or similar. Do not modify the rectangular cut out in any other way, as it can result in the PCB assembly not being secure enough. Do not remove all of the sheetmetal material between the rectangular cutout and the 52mm diameter circular hole on that side, as the PCB clip needs that dash material to press against to secure the PCB. 8c. Fit the control panel plastic bezel (without the circuit board attached to it) into it's oval shaped depression in the dash, add the black screws at either end of it and fix in place with nuts inside the dash. Push the control circuit board into position from the inside of the dashboard, the holes in the circuit board align onto the pins on the back of the plastic bezel. 8d. Push the 'goal post' clip downwards to secure the circuit board to the bezel. Ensure it is tight, and the PCB is flat against the dash metalwork. The dial shafts should be perpendicular to the flat face of the bezel. 8e. Install the vents and knobs. Do not push the Right hand knob (temperature) too tightly onto it's shaft. The knob should not clamp to the bezel because it is both a rotary dial and a push-switch for operating the AC Recirc function, so it needs a little room to be able to press in. Also if the clip holding the PCB is not correctly clamping the PCB and making it parallel to the sheetmetal and the bezel, then the Push-switch operation of this knob may not 'return' smoothly, if this is the case, adjust the position of the PCB clip. 9. Connect the ductwork from the two upper ports on the passenger side divider to the vents on the back of the centre control panel and fix with cable ties.
Jonny Retrofit Posted January 7 Author Posted January 7 Identify the 2 halves of the replacement plasic 'lid'. Attach the cut foam pieces to each lid (foam sticks to the underside of lid) and install in the car using the screws you previously removed from the original metal lid. Fit the 2 windscreen vent air-valves (with servos attached) on top of the replacement lids. Fit the 45mm duct connectors on top of the air-valves; the windscreen vent restrictor (shown below) gets sandwiched between the top of the passenger side air-valve and the 45mm duct connector, this balances the air flow between the drivers and passenger side. Attach the 2 windscreen vent valves to the air hoses that go to the windscreen vents. You can use the original windscreen screen demist hoses but you may need to shorten them slightly.
Jonny Retrofit Posted January 14 Author Posted January 14 Refit the orginal black dash tray. This will need some modification by cutting holes to let the two vent pipes through. Do not reassemble the rest of the dashboard until the system has been tested.
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