G-Unicorn the Y61

[BrazilianY60]

On the steering wheel side, start by removing the handle, weather strip and A-pillar cover, pretty much the same way done for the glove box side. Then, move to the bottom of the steering wheel. Remove the fuse box cover. The bottom part is held by 2 screws of the fuel door latch, two screws of the bonnet latch and one external screw. Then pull the bottom part gently and it will come out.

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Now, onto the vents. This part is interesting because you really want to remove the vents, but there is a sequence of other parts that need to be removed or pulled out of the way in sequence for that to happen. The instrument cluster trim blocks the vents. The steering wheel blocks the instrument cluster trim and the steering wheel tilt down mechanism doesn't provide enough tilt to remove the instrument cluster trim, so you have to undo the steering column bolts... The steering wheel bottom cover blocks the steering column bolts, so it needs to be removed. So here it goes in the reverse order, to end up removing the vents...

Lets start... the steering wheel needs to be pushed down and it requires unbolting two nuts around the red arrow area. On the video, the guy undo then nuts with the bottom cover on. I found out that it made my socket/extension contact the nut sideways and due to the bolt being extremely tightened, the socket would slip out of it. So I opted to remove the bottom cover. The bottom cover only has two screws, on the red squares area and then some gentle movements.

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Now, undo the two cluster trim bolts, slightly tilt the steering wheel down and remove the trim. I found it easier to also remove the steering wheel column top cover to avoid scratching it. And surprise, surprise, the bolts were already missing. As a matter of fact, I found 7 bolts missing throughout the process. Remember, I am re-upholstering this, so someone far less careful and obsessive then me has already taken this apart and as it seems has stuck 7 bolts up his arse. This is why I'd rather do all disassembly-reassembly of trims myself, even when I am hiring someone to do the main part of the thing, like installing a stereo for example.

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Anyway, cluster trim off, lets move to the vents themselves. Remove the bottom dash bolt and then for the lower vent it is just a matter of wiggling and maybe depressing the metal tabs with your hand under the dash and around the vent, just like with the glove box side. You see, the steering wheel side lower vent has not bolts like the other side, and what holds it in place other then the tabs is this indentation that stays under the cluster trim, so this is the reason for removing the trim. You may have to disconnect the plugs for switches you may have there. Top vent came out too easy. The picture shows a tab on the top vent that can be accessed with a pick from the front of it to help remove in case wiggling doesn't do the trick.

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[BrazilianY60]

The instrument cluster itself has only four screws, readily visible. In between the two bottom screws, there is another one on the dashboard that needs to be removed as well. Mine was already removed, with the screw making noise on stone paved roads.

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Then, I have used a soft towel to protect the instrument cluster acrylic while tilting it forward to have access to the back connectors. Unplug the three of them and the cluster is free.

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[BrazilianY60]

By this time the dashboard has only four attachment points left. The first two are bolts under the top/windshield vents. You don't need to remove them completely, just pry them up a little with the plastic pry tool and you can use a socket with an extension. Do that for both sides (both vents I mean, its just one bolt per vent).

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Last pair of bolts are on the cover bellow the HVAC, one at each side. Remove them both. After this, there is no more attachment points left. The cover bellow the HVAC though, wraps around the HVAC frame of the dashboard making it pull the cover along with the dash if you try it. I have stuck a plastic pry tool in between just to make some room and then removed the dash. That cover also has one center pin at each side and one of them was the only thing I managed to break throughout the whole process, which for me is a win.

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Remove the air box and the air bag and you are left with the replaceable or reupholsterable part of the dashboard.

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[BrazilianY60]

Final result. Althouth simple, I have to admit it's a hellova work if done properly and taking no shortcuts. All the screws that were missing were added, everything is properly fastened now.

Foam had to be added (this is why it looks chubby) to transition from the gooey bubbled surface to a more homogeneous one. If the dash was made of something dry it could be sanded flat, but the gooey material is no help.


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[mudnut]

Final result. Althouth simple, I have to admit it's a hellova work if done properly and taking no shortcuts. All the screws that were missing were added, everything is properly fastened now.

Foam had to be added (this is why it looks chubby) to transition from the gooey bubbled surface to a more homogeneous one. If the dash was made of something dry it could be sanded flat, but the gooey material is no help.


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Get or make a dash mat to keep the UV and heat from destroying all your good work.

[Plasnart]

Final result. Althouth simple, I have to admit it's a hellova work if done properly and taking no shortcuts. All the screws that were missing were added, everything is properly fastened now.

Foam had to be added (this is why it looks chubby) to transition from the gooey bubbled surface to a more homogeneous one. If the dash was made of something dry it could be sanded flat, but the gooey material is no help.


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Bloody amazing job there Braz. Please tell me you also did the upholstery too?

Years ago I drove buses and coaches for a company that did everything in-house. Mechanics, painters, electricians and upholsters. I bloody loved visiting the upholstery shop seeing those guys do their thing. It's probably one of those jobs that if I could turn back time, what would l do?

That, or being Elle McPherson's stud.

[BrazilianY60]

Please tell me you also did the upholstery too?

Hahaha, no Plassy, that would be too much!
I have done the disassembling/reassembling. The actual upholstering was done by a professional.

Have you noticed the guy made a destructive stitch for the air-bag?

[BrazilianY60]

A couple of weeks ago my son tried the A/C system to which we heard a crackling noise. I told him to turn it off, it felt like a bunch of leaves or sticks were being crushed inside the fan. When we got home, there were crushed leaves on the floor indeed.

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Dropped the fan/blower and this is what I found.
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This is looking towards the evaporator.
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This is looking upwards towards the cowl (the external intake to the A/C system)
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Could not remove the bottom of the evaporator box for a proper wash, so I have only vacuumed it while blowing the other side with compressed air. Not 100% clean but no obstructions and better yet, no noises. An A/C cleaner spray was used for disinfection and for that "job well done nice smell".

Looking upward.
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Looking towards the evaporator.
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[BrazilianY60]

Forgot to mention that after I have put the dash together, the air-bag light appeared. Searched around for a reset procedure, since I don't own any OBD2 scanner, and found this on the Nissan Patrol Africa forum:

1. Get inside the car and with driver door closed switch on the ignition. The airbag light will be illuminated.
2. As soon as the light goes out to start the error blinking you turn off the ignition.
3. Switch the ignition on again and repeat step 2 another 3 times. You need to do this a total of 4 times.
4. Once done, remove the key, insert it again and start the vehicle.
5. Airbag light should be reset now.

This procedure worked for me (2006 GU4 TB45).

[BrazilianY60]

Its year end close at work this week so I decided to try to replace the TB45 myself. I have never gone through these ventures before, and being it a big and heavy engine on a large rig, it concerns me some. But, life means adventure, doesn't it?

Started by labeling every connector and vacuum hose.
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On a close inspection I realized one small difference between my current engine versus the donor one: alternator belt on mine (2005) uses one poly-V belt while the donor one (2001) uses two V-belts. Thankfully, my donor engine came with the alternator, so I'll use it instead of my current one, otherwise I'd have to change the crankshaft pulley. Donor alternator is 100A while the current one is 110A. I hope 100A is enough.
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All conectors are unplugged, water hoses are loose, radiator is out, alternator is out, power steering and AC compressor are unbolted and tied to the frame. I liked something I saw on @jff45 engine swap which is puting a board to protect the AC condenser.
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Still need to undo fuel lines before jumping into actual engine bolts. Oh, that and removing the bonnet, as that requires a pair of helping hands.