Topic

Just got hold of a prisitne binnacle or cowl (whatever they're called) to replace my very broken one. Can anyone tell me how to fix the three screws into the tabs at the screen edgae of the binnacle please? Do I have to remove the dash to do this? At the moment I've put it bck together with the three tabs located on the exisitng screws. It seems solid enough but it obviously ain't right and proper.

I've read the excellent How To on repairing the binnacle by Tourbillon but unfortunately it doesn't give any hints as to how you'd fix those three screws.

All help would be greatly appreciated,

Robin

Cue Neil (Tourbillon).. It might be worth sending him a pm, unless another binnacle expert shows up here in the meantime.

IMHO its a dash out job

That's what it looks like to me as well. I may leave it as it is for a bit and see if holds up ok as I don't really fancy taking the dash out.

I have done the repair by bonding threaded inserts into the dash and using machine screws from above rather than removing the dash.

Insert bonded in place. I used an epoxy product called "JB Weld"


Here is the hardware. The insert is on the right with a fender washer and rubber washer
to help spread the load on the fragile binnacle tab.

Now that's particularly cunning

Psymon wrote: wrote:

Now that's particularly cunning

He's a clever bloke is our Rich. Great engineering ingenuity.

How did you get the old screws out. I am doing a repair on mine and the old lugs have broken off. I'm hoping to use sticky clips and tie wraps.
lol reading this sounds rough but my thoughts are is not a structure thing just cosmetic so I just want to stop the rattle. I can always cut the ties if I get a new one.. yours looks much more solid.

I stuck mine on with silicone sealant as it was loose and rattled then to hide the silicone join I put black sticky draft excluder around it
Its what I would call a bodge but looks fine and its well solid no rattles

I fixed mine using the existing screws, it is impossible to remove them even if you take the dash out, the heater ducts were bonded over the top of the screws. If they fall into the dash they can rattle inside the ducts.

I fitted some flat clips, I think they call them spire clips, hold the point of the screw with pliers and then tighten the clip up to the dash to form a " spike" with the screws.
Next fit the new cowl over the fixed screws and use another clip tightened over the lug to hold it in place.

I do wish that I had taken some photos but at the time I just pressed on and it made a fix as good as new.
I don't like to see the black sealer/silicon fix its an obvious repair, doing what I did is basically the same fix as from the factory.

Great ideas on here.

I've got this to do as well - the binnacle is split both sides now. It's not the best design in the world is it!

As MGFnTFbitz sell a full dashboard for £50, I think I may still just go the whole hog - particularly as I want to swap over the a-pillar trims as well.

Thanks everyone for all your helpful suggestions as always. I knew there be some ingenious solutions out there. I may try Rich's very neat idea if I can figure out how t get the old screws out!

Thanks again

Robin