Under dash "while you're in there" jobs....

[Tom]

After vacuuming up all the powdered foam on the top side of the heater core console, I was still seeing foam crumbs everywhere. Turns out there was foam on the bottom side of the defrost flap originally. I confirmed that on my spare hvac unit -- see picture. The metal defrost flap seems to lie flat in there, so not sure how critical the foam is, but I'll see if I can find something very thin. I guess the less that leaks out the top, the more comes out the vents....

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[dr bob]

Tom --

In my "collection of things" I have some ~~3mm thick closed-cell foam tape, adhesive-backed, maybe an inch wide, that comes in handy for stuff like this. PM a destination and I'll get some to you. Seals HVAC boxes and flaps, makes great squeak-stopper pads for interior bits, and more. I got it originally to tune my ski orthotics, and years later it still finds a large variety of uses.

[Tom]

Tom --

In my "collection of things" I have some ~~3mm thick closed-cell foam tape, adhesive-backed, maybe an inch wide, that comes in handy for stuff like this. PM a destination and I'll get some to you. Seals HVAC boxes and flaps, makes great squeak-stopper pads for interior bits, and more. I got it originally to tune my ski orthotics, and years later it still finds a large variety of uses.

Deal. Thanks! I was thinking felt today after an unsuccessful Amazon surf session. But 3mm thick sounds promising!

[AudiSport]

It’s both sides. Getting the brake and clutch master cyl units out laying on your back reaching up under the dash sucks. If you have access to the area now. Pull the engine side stuff too and put a plate in or other reinforcing method.

Hmmm...hadn't thought of that, but I have mulled adding a plate in the past, in light of my KEP pp. Maybe I'll get an ETA on my leather parts and consider it. Who is making weld-in plates these days? Or is their a CAD outline floating around?

Only one I've seen recently is the one offered by only944. It's the engine bay side, and it's just a bolt-in plate that stiffens the area. I haven't seen anyone offer a part for the cabin side of the firewall.

https://www.only944.com/partscatalog/on ... wallbrace/

It can be bolted or welded IIRC. But half the removal of stuff to get it put in is under the dash. With much easier under/behind dash access, I'd be compelled to reinforce the firewall while I was there.

[Tom]

Sometimes it's the little things.... I finally cleaned all the old crudy foam off the HVAC unit and put my own 1/2" square foam on. Because it seemed like the factory did it, I also capped it off with 1/2" cloth tape. That may help prevent the foam from breaking down as quickly, not sure. Also, a big public thanks to @dr bob for pulling out the perfect foam tape for the underside of the defrost flap. It's thin enough for the flap to work as designed, but just foamy enough to give it a good seal. That flap used to snap closed with a metal on plastic clack, but now it's a weirdly satisfying thump when it closes. Tomorrow I'll add the fuse box under-cover thing courtesy of @Darwin and try to finish my de-rattling efforts under the dash so that I can finally put this thing back together!

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foam-repair-2.gif (347.55 KiB) Viewed 1693 times

[Tom]

So I found this monstrosity under the dash today, zip tied to the cruise control brain. It's a mess of spaghetti wiring, unused wire bundles, electrical tape connection and no less than 3 inline blade fuses. My first thought was that it came with alarm and stereo that original owner had Circuit City install. But after discovering it is a remote control door lock unit, I realize I must have installed it myself back in the 90's. I'm not sure what's worse, completely forgetting I did that, or how terrible the wiring/installation was... I do have aftermarket door openers remotes that work, so I guess it's worked ok for the past 25 years, but I just can't bring myself to stuff it back in there like this. The fuses and Weatherpack connectors have got to be rattle-traps up there, so it goes on the operating table tomorrow.....

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[audi4t]

[Darwin]

Tom, that's looking great! You're really motivating me to pull my own dash...I need to do this exact same foam repair, as mine has essentially completely disintegrated. Is it just around the defrost/forward vents that they put it?

[Tom]

Ha, I thought you meant the wiring. As for the foam, the only foam I saw that was accessible is the part I replaced in the picture above. Not sure I'd pull the dash solely to redo the foam, but my vents were spitting out foam crumbs, so it will be super nice to be done with that. I tried to look inside to see if there was anymore hiding in there, and didn't see any, but couldn't say with 100% confidence. If you want some of dr bob's thin foam tape for the upper flap, just let me know.

[Darwin]

Ha, I thought you meant the wiring. As for the foam, the only foam I saw that was accessible is the part I replaced in the picture above. Not sure I'd pull the dash solely to redo the foam, but my vents were spitting out foam crumbs, so it will be super nice to be done with that. I tried to look inside to see if there was anymore hiding in there, and didn't see any, but couldn't say with 100% confidence. If you want some of dr bob's thin foam tape for the upper flap, just let me know.

Do you have enough to do another box?