Removing bulkhead fittings on the cab side

WE are not showing all of the preliminary work here, so we can get straight to the jobs involved in replacing the bulkhead, though removal of the front wings and other preliminary jobs are straightforward nuts and bolts dismantling.

The job can be carried out without removing the roof and windscreen (although things are a little more restricted). An alternative to complete removable of the roof is to release the windscreen frame mounts and some of the cab fixings and simply raise up the screen and roof at an angle from the front, thus giving a little clearance from the bulkhead. Like many jobs on a Land Rover, there is often more than one correct way to do it.

Initial preparation

The front wing assemblies,

1 vent flaps and doors need to be removed to access the bulkhead. The job is also easier with the roof and windscreen removed.

Cabin prep

The transmission tunnel with

2 connecting panel and the floor panels also need to be removed. The section of dash panel covering the wiper motor has also been unscrewed.

Clocks away

The four screws securing the

3 instrument binnacle assembly to the dash are removed and each of the wiring harnesses is unplugged, along with the speedometer cable.

Remove the plastic

After removing the steering wheel,

4 the steeering column shroud (two sections held together and to the column by seven screws), are removed completely.

Cables undone

The heater controls remain with their 5 plastic mounting when they are detached by removing two screws at the top, and one through to the binnacle panel.

Soft lid off

The dash top is next to be taken off 6 by removing the four small screws that hold the vent trims and the three larger main fixing screws.

Dash away

The dash top should be gently lifted

7 off and carefully stowed away to avoid any damage to the surface material. Vents are fairly brittle. Keep screws in order.

Trim tool

This grey plastic moulding is held in 8 place by several plastic trim fixings which often break as they are levered out of the fixing holes, so take care.

Remember how it came out!

The grey plastic section is removed 9 by pulling from the top and twisting downwards slightly at the same time. Refitting is the exact reverse of this action.

Internal structure

Inner metal dash assembly is held at 10 top of bulkhead at three points, where the self-tapper screws are removed with a number 2 pozi-drive screwdriver.

Clears the way

The steering column support bracket, 11 held by M10 fixings, needs to be removed now, using a 17 mm spanner and socket wrench with long extension.

Breaking connection

Unplug the fan switch wiring harness 12 from the main wiring loom by easing apart the bullet connector plugs. Switch can remain mounted to the binnacle panel.

Important control gear

The main steering column switchgear 13 is held by one pinch-screw and can be removed when all four of the electrical plugs are detached from the main loom.

Tricky places to reach

The lower part of the metal inner

14 dash assembly is fixed to the bulkhead by five screws. Some require long reach screwdriver to undo them.

Unhook at both sides

The inner dash assembly is now free 15 but take care to guide the vent flap operating arms back out through the vent screens, so they don’t get damaged.

Separate slowly

Inner dash assembly, with binnacle 16 panel and both vents still attached, can now be eased away from the bulkhead, taking care to unhook any snagged cables.

Radio and rear wiper wires

This plastic dash liner tray comes out 17 more easily than the grey moulded one, as long as the middle cables are fed out through the aperture at the same time.

Lower screws

The lower dash section is held by a

18 series of seven self-tapper fixing screws along the bottom, which are removed with a number 2 pozi-drive screwdriver.

Find all the plugs

Before removal of lower dash’s two 19 top bolts, any remaining electrical connections to lower dash panel need to be undone to ensure the assembly is free.

Don’t drop it

There are two M5 bolts holding the 20 top of the lower dash section in position. Now by removing these with an 8 mm spanner, the dash will come away.

Easy does it

The lower dash section can now be 21 withdrawn from the bulkhead. Again, check for any snagged cables which will need to be dealt with as it is removed.

The whole mechanism

The wiper motor is unplugged and 22 unscrewed (before or after lower dash). With wiper arms and spindle nuts removed, it comes away as one assembly.

Additional adornments

You may find a number of replays

23 attached to the bulkhead. These don’t need to be unplugged but will be detached from their mounting brackets.

Note connection configuration

The ignition switch assembly is

24 unplugged from the wiring harness and the bolts removed. If there are security bolts they will need to be drilled out.

Is there anything left?

Look out for any remaining fittings or 25 attachments to the bulkhead, such as this door check strap mount and interior light switch on the door pillars.

Pretty bare

The dash is now completely removed, 26 but the bulkhead wiring loom cannot be withdrawn until everything is disconnected at the engine bay side of things.

Reduce the dripping mess

The brake pipes will have to be 27 disconnected from the master cylinder, so I prefer to suck out most of the brake fluid with a syringe first.

Why waste it?

The heater hoses are removed from 28 the heater assembly and the ends plugged to prevent the coolant from escaping and dripping all over the floor.

Disconnect heater cables

The heater assembly is held to the 29 bulkhead by two M8 bolts at the top and two M6 bolts at the bottom, into the footwell.

Heavy heater

After unplugging the wiring harness, 30 the heater assembly can be lifted off the bulkhead and set aside, remembering that the matrix is still full of coolant.

Fluid will drip

Metal clutch pipe is disconnected 31 with a 9/16 inch spanner, and the flexible hose is removed from its mounting bracket with a pair of 18 mm spanners.

Large assembly

A series of six M8 bolts inside the 32 driver’s footwell were removed from the captive nuts in the brake pedal housing, so that it can be lifted off.

Smaller assembly

Likewise a further six M8 bolts hold 33 the clutch pedal housing, and this can be removed after the clutch pipe has been detached from the master cylinder.

Tuck it away carefully

This fuel filter housing can be detached 34 from the bulkhead with the fuel lines left in place as they are flexible. It can be secured to the engine with a cable tie.

Remove them all

Unsurprisingly, the steering column is 35 very securely fixed to the bulkhead by a series of M8 bolts, as well as a pair of M6 set screws.

May be a larger square hole

The steering column has this support 36 bracket attached but the aperture in the bulkhead is designed to allow the bracket to be pulled through.

Last foot pedal

The throttle pedal has had the

37 accelerator cable removed. Now the six M6 bolts are unscrewed, so that the pedal assembly can be taken off bulkhead.

Plan ahead

The bulkhead loom is detached from the 38 main chassis loom. It is worth marking any connections that may be tricky to remember when it comes to re-connection.

Ease it out

The large grommet, where the loom 39 goes through the bulkhead, is levered out of the aperture and in to the cabin side, towards the main fuse box.

Thread them backwards

Now the various stands of the loom 40 from the engine bay side are carefully fed through to the cabin side to allow the loom to be completely removed.

Save those vent grills

The old bulkhead is now virtually

41 completely stripped and is at its lightest, allowing it to be lifted off the Land Rover, once the outrigger bolts are removed.