Biohazard
I didn't mention this earlier but when I was installing the dash assembly back into the car, I accidentally pushed too hard on one of my gauges and felt a little 'pop'. I knew right away that where I had glued the gauge bezels into the backside of the instrument panel didn't hold up. Since I had the instrument panel half way out of the dash for radio removal, now was the time to fix the bezel problem.
In this pic, you can see the original plastic post is cut down flush under the metal tab with the hole in it. When new, that post sticks up thru the hole and, during installation at the factory, the post is melted down over the tab securing it in place. When you remove the bezels, the top of that post is usually lost requiring some creativity since glues and epoxies seldom get it done. First thing I did to implement my own creativity was grind off the failed epoxy with my Dremel.
My plan was to add some additional plastic to the existing posts using heat to fuse them together rather than glue. I busted out an old model car kit and plucked off some of the parts runner material.
Using my wife's pencil tip butane lighter to do the plastic melting.
Some aluminum foil as a heat shield so I don't set the whole lot on fire.
The trick is to heat your post up first as this plastic has a higher melt point than the model kit runner. When the top of the post starts to melt, get your fresh plastic in there to soften it as well and press them together keeping pressure on your runner plastic so that it mushrooms creating sort of a plastic rivet.
Voila!
I didn't mention this earlier but when I was installing the dash assembly back into the car, I accidentally pushed too hard on one of my gauges and felt a little 'pop'. I knew right away that where I had glued the gauge bezels into the backside of the instrument panel didn't hold up. Since I had the instrument panel half way out of the dash for radio removal, now was the time to fix the bezel problem.
In this pic, you can see the original plastic post is cut down flush under the metal tab with the hole in it. When new, that post sticks up thru the hole and, during installation at the factory, the post is melted down over the tab securing it in place. When you remove the bezels, the top of that post is usually lost requiring some creativity since glues and epoxies seldom get it done. First thing I did to implement my own creativity was grind off the failed epoxy with my Dremel.
My plan was to add some additional plastic to the existing posts using heat to fuse them together rather than glue. I busted out an old model car kit and plucked off some of the parts runner material.
Using my wife's pencil tip butane lighter to do the plastic melting.
Some aluminum foil as a heat shield so I don't set the whole lot on fire.
The trick is to heat your post up first as this plastic has a higher melt point than the model kit runner. When the top of the post starts to melt, get your fresh plastic in there to soften it as well and press them together keeping pressure on your runner plastic so that it mushrooms creating sort of a plastic rivet.
Voila!
