I have surface rust covering the support structure of the dash, want to treat it so I don't have to pull this dash again before I die! hehe
Anything else back there that I will only have good access to with the dash removed? Preventative maintenance, common failure? Working on a 1984 F150 2WD 5.8l HO Auto, no air, no cruise, no 12v accessory/lighter, stock AM radio stays! There seems to be a connector that might be for 12v accessory/lighter, I am thinking to put in a USB or regular 12v accessory socket. Its been recommended to install under dash gauges; easier to do when dash is out?

Also the stock gauges clear cover is cracking and scratched, can that be replaced? thanks

 

The clear cover can be replaced [used or new]. Replace the light bulbs for the instrument cluster and paint the instrument needles.

 

Might be wise to check the vacuum lines which control the HVAC hot air-diverters. Check for good connection, cracks, deterioration, etc. If you don't currently hear any hissing coming from your dash when moving the selector lever, you are probably fine - but doesn't hurt to take a look! Also, the lever itself on mine was weak/cracked - so I reinforced it while I had my dash apart (assuming that 84 still used vacuum for the HVAC? mine is from 81).

I had my dash apart due to the friendly forest creatures which made their home in my heat ducts... but I assume you don't have that problem

I'm trying to think of anything else... maybe checking behind the firewall insulation material to see if you have any surface rust on that metal? Or pull the flooring back a bit and check the floor under your feet and near the pedals? If you have surface rust there, it would probably be easiest to treat while the dash is out.

Another member here individually painted each and every screw holding his dash and bezels in place... so you could always do that!

 

Seek out the mythical ground G701 and make sure it is clean and tight. You'd be amazed how many circuits use that one ground:


Grounds - ???Gary's Garagemahal


The location is seen here, page 67, figure 3:


Headlamps - ???Gary's Garagemahal

 

Karl, Would you know is that G701 screwed to the dash metal frame or to the fire wall?
"Behind I/P near R/H side of radio" is kind of ???
I need to check this to make sure it is good on mine being I had every thing apart.
Thanks ,
Dave ----

 

 

Hmm...replace burnt indicator bulbs, Clean out defogger ducts, Clean out kick vents, Check for leaks? Heater core good?

 

thanks folks for the ideas, I will act on all of them! really needed more reasons to pull the whole dash, I could have easily just sprayed some rust converter blindly back there and called it good. This truck sat for 10 years and was used very little the previous ten. The frame and bed have less evidence of rust than inside the cab. Must be not super tightly sealed and had condensation cycles through the years...

 

The metal dash frames are not painted other than where it will be seen. Add humidity and you now have a rusty dash frame.
I did not do anything to the metal on mine when I had it out for repair. Someone cut the dash to get the radio & HVAC controls out. After the repair I painted of the outside.

Dave ----

 

Dave, that trim looks great. was it weather bare at all? my door panels are completely weather bare (outer layer gone, rough pitted interior visible) and easy to scratch surface off everywhere else. new ones are around $200 but I was thinking just refinish these and put the $200 into the tire budget for now... I imagine I need some sort of surface restorer to get this panel to take paint.

 

I know you don't have a manual transmission, but this is for any who do that read this: add a firewall reinforcement. Terrapin is a good source, I've seen Bronco Graveyard having one as well

 

Using a wire brush & compressed air got all the rust/dust and regular dust out from behind the dash and the dash metal that came out with the dash, sprayed with Permatex rust treatment, reinforced some cracks in the trim panel with JB weld for plastic and random plastic backer, lubed the heater control wires, pulled the vent trim (degreaser then silicone spray got them moving again) and cleaned out 30 years of debris from the cowl drains, painted the speedo needle and replaced all the bulbs in the instrument panel! long day... then put most of the dash back in today and test drove it before closing it up completely; speedo worked no problem but all dash lights except the BRAKE light did not come back. after checking the fuse (replaced it just in case) and the one ground that had been disconnected, no difference. after driving 30 mins the right blinker came back, driving back another 20 mins the high beams light came back (didn't realize I had left them on as it was daylight). How many more trips before all the instrument illumination lamps come back? what could be causing this?

 

Sorry I did not answer this earlier.
That dash is from my parts truck and other than them cutting it to get the radio & HVAC controls out was not to bad. I fixed the cut out part using part from my trucks dash.



The parts truck pad had the normal speaker cracks but I have a dash cover I got from another member I will use.
The pad from my truck had a big hole for the speaker and black paint. I am using it as a test pad for repairing them.
Failed fix and it all came out to start over again. Don't use spray foam and paint with bed liner over the top, it melts the foam!


Parts truck did not have doors so no door panels that I could use as the ones that came with my truck have been painted with black spray paint.
I have to figure a way to get that paint off with out hurting them as they look in pretty good shape other wise, think because of the black spray paint?
I do need to get the slider locks for the panels as I don't have any.
The door panels & the kick panels I will paint with SEM paint like I did the dash to match.
I don't remember if I have a good set of "A pillar" trim or not but when the time comes they will be fixed as needed and painted with SEM paint like the rest of the panels.

I don't know what I would do if I had panels that were "chalk"? For doors I think someone sells them so I would most likely buy a new set.
Dave ----

 

Nice patching in of that section, I just JB welded an A pillar top corner this morning and did a quick door panel this afternoon. The door panel idea is interesting; thinking I could glue on some sort of arm rest in wood then cover the whole thing in vinyl, maybe the vinyl * armrest can help hide the door handle spring assembly. None of that gives me an interior glass wiper/anti-rattle strip at the bottom of the window though, need to think of something for there if I was to use this system long term
, maybe some kind of cap that has the glass glide built onto it... thanks for posting more!

btw, the space behind the handle IS a bit shallow to grab it, good for kids!

 

I wonder if any one has tried to encase chalk panels like your door panels?
What I am talking about is maybe take a wire brush to the panels to knock the chalk off and hope you still have a panel left.
At this point it would be nice to do a vacuum forum over the top of it but not easy to do at home so the next can be done at home.

Mix up some fiber glass rosin and coat the panel. I don't know how you could add the texture back?
A silicon mold put over the rosin when wet then when dry peel the mold off. But we are right back to not easy to make the mold at home.

Maybe after the panel is coated with rosin and you are happy with it, does not need to be too smooth, you could cover it with vinyl and use contact cement to hold it on.
Got same thing better I think? After the rosin use a roll on bed liner. It will leave a texture that may look ok then paint it to match the rest of the in side of the truck.
I used roll on liner on the pad I was repairing and what melted the spray foam.

Just some things off the top of my head.
Dave ----