I have a haynes (yes I know their a ****ty manual all I can find though) and basically it tells me I have to pull the dashboard out just to get to the plenum which has to be pulled out as well just to pull the heater core out.

Well my problem is it talks about disconnecting the air levers which I assume is the climate control levers, well I am not going to do that since the brackets are all plastic and being as old as it is, it will break. My current issue though is the instrument panel center support bracket. It tells me to take it loose but there isnt a single thing after I remove the radio (which the manual said you didnt have to do). I do see two bolts to the right but it requires the removal of the glove box door and liner to get to it which the shop manual also does not say has to be removed.

So I am at a loss on this. Does anyone have a diagram for this vehicle showing where everything is cause this shop manual is no better than toilet paper in my book since theres very few illustrations that shows what the hell is being talked about.



So far this is what I have done

Removed the column covering, remove the lower dash cover and metal plate, unbolted the steering column support brackets lowered column to the seat, remove the radio face plate (also said to remove the speakers but dont see why I have to take the speakers out of the doors when im only messing with the dash). What I still need to do as far as the manual says is take the hoses off the heater core at the fire wall, disconnect the speedometer cable at the transaxle, disconnect the air control levers, pull the dashboard back, disconnect the instrument panel center support bracket, remove the plenum.

Considering how crappy the book is I am a few mins away from just dragging the car across the scales and just take a loss on it cause this has got to be the most ****ed up ford design I have ever seen. 84 and 85 the heater core could be removed without taking the dash out, just remove the glovebox door and remove the access panel disconnect the hoses and pull the core out through the glovebox door.

 

YouTube - Heater Core Removal Is this any help?

 

Not the same year but watching the video it appears that a 88 and 95 Escort are pretty much the same underneath minus the differences in the appearance and electrical connections.

Going back out now to try some of the things, for instance instead of disconnecting the cables at the levers I will see if I can get them loose at the box dont want to break the plastic clips that holds the cable sheath to the temperature panel.



Did alil more got the gauge housing face plates off and got the gauges disconnected wouldntslide forward enough to disconnect the speedometer cable. So I went to take it off at the transaxle like in the video and the shop manual to get more slack. Well apparently the manual is wrong because this car has an electric speedometer no cable so theres no way for me to get the gauges out far enough to disconnect anything and I am not about to force a plastic housing with wiring from 88. Looks like I am back to disconnecting the climate control cables at the plenum and see if I cant figure out where the bolts that holds the dash in are at.