Re: Packard shopping: Reyman

Posted by HH56 On 2022/9/17 13:17:23
The dash is in two halves with the vinyl cover sandwiched between the two. To separate the halves and remove the cover the dash almost does need to come out to get to the clips holding the halves together. I believe some have managed to remove the cover with it in place but honestly I do not know how unless they just tore it off. Putting something new on with the halves together would then be the trick. If the vinyl is still fairly supple, with care and maybe judicious use of a small amount of low temp heat to make it more flexible in places it can be gently folded back enough the foam can be replaced with dash still in position. If cover has become hard and brittle then I suspect any folding back would be the end of it.

There is nothing in the regular Service Manual about dash work but Packard did provide some fairly detailed dash instructions in the install info they provided dealers when selling the mid 55 release of factory air conditioning kits.https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/55-56ACInstall.pdf

You might read thru the manual to get an idea of what is involved with the AC install. For your needs obviously things such as the heater and radiator splasher along with a few other small things that need to change for AC would not need to be touched if just removing and working on the dash. Seat removal might also be optional but it can be a pain to work around it. About everything else suggested for removal or disconnection is needed or at least a good idea to get clearance and working room.

Protect the steering column and while removal can be done alone by some juggling and things to rest one end of the dash on while you work somewhere else, a helper would be a very good idea. The dash is heavy, bulky, and hard to maneuver.

This Post was from: https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?post_id=248335