Clock Removal

Wes

Wes

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Hi Crew.
I know there has been a bit written on this on here but wondering if the process differs for a RHD car.
Tried to pull mine today with no luck. It feels as if there are two round nuts holding the thing in place and they don't seem to want to move - any ideas on how to jiggle them?
Then I'm assuming you twist it to allow the lugs to slide free, unplug and remove.
What am I missing here?
 
Wes said:
there are two round nuts holding the thing in place and they don't seem to want to move - any ideas on how to jiggle them?Then I'm assuming you twist it to allow the lugs to slide free, unplug and remove.
Click to expand...

I don't think you are missing anything - it sounds as if the thumbscrews holding your clock in place are just frozen.

While I have never worked on a RHD e9, I doubt the clock mounts differently from a LHD model. Getting pliers on the screws may be awkward, but if you can't loosen them by hand, may be the only option.
 
On a LHD the clock is the easiest instrument to remove as it is the closest to the center. The RHD instruments are not mirror image of the LHD so it may be harder, the clock is away from the center. My wisdom on removing the instruments is to sit comfortably on the seat instead of contorting on the floor looking up. Forget you have eyes, use just hands. In general loosening the thumbscrews a bit is all you need and the you can rotate the clock and pull it out. Not sure what to do if they are frozen, maybe rotate the clock harder anyway?
 
Ok, so having read the 'how to' manual I can confirm it's totally different on a RHD car :)
You would never get at it in a million years by going in through the centre section of the dash.
Instead I've removed the consul panel below the steering column to gain access - it's the one that holds the hazard light stitch.
I don't see much point in removing any more of the dash around the gauges at present as it doesn't get me any closer the clock.
Ignoring Arde's sage advice I then inverted myself and put my head on the clutch pedal (face up) - the driver's seat is still in the car - call this yoga position 'saluting the cluster.'
From this leisurely position you can actually look up and see the back of the clock and the spedo.
However, it's practically impossible to work on it from this angle.
if you sit in the driver's seat and place your chest on the wheel you can get your right arm in there to attack the locking screws. These still wont move and I don't want to twist so hard I break something. It's compounded by the fact I'm left handed..

It's got me stumped. I'll either have to pull the dash when the windscreen comes out, twist harder and hope noting breaks or 'customise' some small pliers.

Anyone got any other ideas?

W
 
you're doing it all right, the knurled knobs are only supposed to be finger tight, but I guess someone has got a bit over enthusiastic with tightening them up. No special tricks I'm afraid, the knobs need to come out. Taking the steering wheel out might allow better access???

or the drivers' seat comes out too....? (seems excessive, but less drastic than taking the screen out)
 
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Drew20 said:
you're doing it all right, the knurled knobs are only supposed to be finger tight, but I guess someone has got a bit over enthusiastic with tightening them up. No special tricks I'm afraid, the knobs need to come out. Taking the steering wheel out might allow better access???

or the drivers' seat comes out too....? (seems excessive, but less drastic than taking the screen out)
Click to expand...

The screen and seat have to come out anyway for the respray. That doesn't get me much closer to the back of the clock unless I pull the dash.
Do the knurled knobs need to come out or be backed off to allow the clock to rotate?
It's a bit unclear from looking at my replacement clock.
 
think the knobs have to unscrew entirely, though surely the difference is academic, as once they are freed off, they will unscrew easily enough?
 
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Yes it's academic but it would be nice not to have to line them up blind to screw back on if I didn't have to :)
Will have another look at it tomorrow when I do some more tear down.
 
The knobs do not need to come out. Just loosen to allow the clock to rotate a few degrees so it clears the metal tabs that hold it in place.

I say appply more force, there is nothing you can break. More force to the knobs first, are you sure you are trying to loosen and not tightening (you are at 180 degrees so clockwise is counterclockwise). Then more force, brut force, to rotating the entire clock. I do not see what can break, and if it breaks it is not my car :).
 
Would removing the other instruments give you better access? If you can't get a thumb and finger on the knob try just your finger by starting at the tip and attempting to turn it by pushing along the length of the finger. They only need to be loosened, are you turning in the right direction? It gets confusing working from the opposite direction, upside down, etc.
 
The clock is the easiest of the instruments to remove on a RHD car.
Two small screws on the panel under the dash, do not remove the one at the firewall, it will drop low enough for access.
When you reach up behind the clock there will be four knurled nuts, two large and two small,
The small one hold the gauges to the panel, one of the larger ones hold the binacle the other holds the dash( the wood bit), this is repeated on the other side.
To remove the clock just loosen the small nuts on there threads, remember your working in reverse ( looking at the clock you undo anti clockwise), gently twist the clock and it will come free.

Good luck. John
 
inovermyhead said:
The clock is the easiest of the instruments to remove on a RHD car.
Two small screws on the panel under the dash, do not remove the one at the firewall, it will drop low enough for access.
When you reach up behind the clock there will be four knurled nuts, two large and two small,
The small one hold the gauges to the panel, one of the larger ones hold the binacle the other holds the dash( the wood bit), this is repeated on the other side.
To remove the clock just loosen the small nuts on there threads, remember your working in reverse ( looking at the clock you undo anti clockwise), gently twist the clock and it will come free.

Good luck. John
Click to expand...

Thanks John.
I certainly need the luck.
Thought there were only 2 nuts, so this is very helpful.
Are you saying the small steel panel that sits just below the gauges actually comes out as well?
None of the nuts I can access at present want to turn at all and I cant get a pair of pliers up there at present.
So unless I try Arde's approach the clock and I are at stalemate.
Next plan of attack will be to remove driver seat so I can lay on the floor and see what I'm doing.
 
Try pushing the clock in while at the same time undoing the small nuts. Remember your undoing backwards.

The steel panel is just the back of the wooden instrument panel, you could remove it from the wood but not in place, from memory it’s screwed together.
Each dail/ instrument has two small knurled nuts, the wood dash part has two larger nuts and the binacle also has two larger nuts, the larger nuts will not fit on the smaller threads and vice versa.
 
HB Chris said:
This is where your smart phone camera comes in handy!
Click to expand...

Not really. I can see half of the back of the clock when I look up. I've the replacement in my hand so know what the rest looks like :(
I've retired for lunch but the tips of my fingers are bleeding from trying to move those knurled nuts.
Managed to loosen one for the speedo so I've proof of concept but I think on the present line of attack it's beating me.
is there an option to remove the top of the dash that surrounds all the gauges as then I could try coming from the top down?
Might require pulling the centre consul as well?

So much for a 15 minute job..
Only took me 10 to pull the window motors.
 
Ok, sometimes my wife cannot open a jar lid and asks me to help, and generally I try hard and I can.
May this be happening here?
 
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Arde said:
Ok, sometimes my wife cannot open a jar lid and asks me to help, and generally I try hard and I can.
May this be happening here?
Click to expand...

If you lived a little closer I'd demonstrate my grip strength via placing my hands around your throat :)

There is no way those nuts are going to be moved via coming up from below on my car - suspect this in an issue for RHD's generally.
I've now pulled the centre consul looking for the mounting screws so I can pull the cowl of the top of the gauge cluster to try and get in that way.
They also don't appear to be in the same positions as for a LHD. Starting to think half the bloody dash is going to have to come out :(
From memory the screen needs to come out fr this to occur?
 
Wes said:
Starting to think half the bloody dash is going to have to come out :(
From memory the screen needs to come out fr this to occur?
Click to expand...

There are some "how to remove an e9 dash" instructions referenced in this thread: https://e9coupe.com/forum/threads/i-need-help-removing-my-dashboard.22219/ You may want to read these through and decide if it is worth it.

As I recall, the dash comes apart from the bottom up; you can't just remove the cowl above the gauges. And disassembling an e9 dash isn't simple; you may find wood that needs replacing, you will encounter more inaccessible hardware, it's hard to get things properly aligned upon reassembly, etc.
 
Oh there is a line of people that want to do that...

Other options:
a) penetrating oil and let it soak for 48 hours?
b) wear a wristwatch and forget about the clock?

PS: The jar lid mention was just a setup for the story about a man who could not open the container at a semen bank, which I am not sure I want to tell here unless I am really asked.


Wes said:
If you lived a little closer I'd demonstrate my grip strength via placing my hands around your throat :)
Click to expand...
 
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