2011-2016 Ford Superduty Dash and HVAC box removal tips!
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2020
- This isn't necessarily a how to video. It's mainly some good tips for anyone looking to partially of fully remove the dash and HVAC box from their 2011-2016 Ford Superduty. One of the first tips I forgot to mention. Make sure to disconnect the battery or batteries (depending on your specific model superduty) before starting the removal process. To prevent any damage to the electronic systems of the vehicle. I didn't mention it in the video. Anyone with the level of mechanical ability required to do this sort of task should know by now that it's the first thing you should do. Thank you for watching. I hope these tips and information is helpful to someone.
- Auta a dopravní prostředky
Helped me make book time by 2 hours with the tips in your video, it helps to have people all over who can help you out when you're in a pinch.
This video made all the difference for me. Your tips and suggestions were not wasted on me. My blower fan resistor went bad and I decided to get the evaporator core changed as well because of the amount of work involved. I was told by my mechanic that he couldn’t do it for a couple of weeks so I did it and that was going to be at least $1600.00 plus parts. Using your video and a video by Build It Garage I was able to do it in about 7 hours. I have a F-350 CrewCab XLT with a center console, so I had to remove more than you did. It wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. By the way, there are a lot of great comments here that were helpful. Thank you.
We’re glad that this video and the comments were helpful to you! It’s good to hear that two years later, this video is still helping people.
Just before I left the shop last night started at 4pm had the dash out by 4:20 thanks to your video. This morning I’m going in to remove that heater box! Cheers guys
Glad we could help!
Thanks for the video! If it wasn't for you, I would've never found that last bolt by the drain... Great content! 👍
You’re welcome! And yeah, that’s a tricky bolt to find.
Thanks so much for the tips! I haven't yet done it yet but I now feel more confident in making this repair. I'll update as soon as I'm done. I appreciate this so much now that summer is just around the corner. 😊
its been 3 months, you good bruh?
Doing mine tomorrow. Now itll be easy. Thanks.
God bless you. You saved my ass with this vidya and now I can pull more of these dashes out.
Good job... Glad you were able to get your a/c fixed for the rest of summer.. I hope I do not have to tackle that anytime soon.. I do need to do the cab mount bushings.. mine are shot..
Cab bushings on the Deuce are shot too. They’re on the list. The thing I’m really not looking forward to. Is changing one of the front axle u joints. Plus it’s got a mystery rattle.
Thank you! He covered all the bases my two cents are if you're only replacing the evaporator no need to remove the hvac housing just pull it forward then remove the cage for the blower motor and it pulls right out also while you have the evaporator out replace the evaporator temperature sensor they are prone to failure, and lastly to relieve some weight undo two 45 Torx bolts and two 13 mil bolts holding the steering wheel up I work alone so it made it a lot easier to handle the dash by myself..
You’re welcome! And thanks for your input! The column definitely adds a lot of weight. We left it in place in the attempt to remove as little as possible. Sometimes a little extra work is easier on your back.
Great video, thanks you for your time and basic instructions. Long arms did help reach those fastener on the firewall.
Thank you! We felt the need to share some extra tips that some other videos didn’t mention.
Thanks for this video, just paid $300 for 2 valve core from the shop. 2 dats later took it back fir no AC, got estimates fir $1700 to replace condenser , evaporator, expansion valve and o rings kit. Check online fir parts which total $200. Your video will be saving me over $1000. Thank you!
Glad we could help!
Well done 👍 thanks for the tips!
Thanks! And you’re welcome!
I’ve done a few of those jobs, the dash is never that easy! Engineers are getting better. Great job on the vid!
Yeah, removing that stuff is always a gamble. And everything is always razor sharp. And thanks!
MAKE DAMN SURE to tie a steering wheel spoke to gear lever or turn signal stalk. Once the steering shaft is slid off the shaft the wheel can turn easily and you can break the airbag contact reel/steering wheel buttons/horn (AKA "clockspring") and that will cost you and delay you.
Bro’s intro is cool asf
Good video, would have liked to see some of the tear down. But you were very detailed in explaining what is what. Thanks, I learned a lot! If I were doing this right now at the age of my truck I would replace the sensor and probably the heater core, needed or not. (yea, not working on this now, I found you through the internet rabbit hole)
Thank you! The idea to make a video was a bit of an afterthought. I decided to make a video after seeing that no one else seemed to cover some of the hard to find bolts and tips for getting the dash out in one piece. I will say if I were to have to do it again. I’d unbolt the steering column from the dash. It would make removal and installation much easier.
I’m now halfway through this job and wanted to add a few tiny things to this excellent video…
Dash:
1. When removing the single “sideways” bolt from the driver’s side door jamb area, I found that removing the black plastic trim from the door gave me another 1/4” of room which helped wriggle the socket in and out.
2. The long bolts with the heads cut off he shows at the very end are standard 10mm x 1.25, probably 80mm long. I got two from the hardware store, cut the heads off, but also cut a notch in them near the end to “catch” the dash assembly as I removed it. This was a huge help - I installed one on each side as I removed the first bolts and the driver side helper bolt is keeping the dash assembly from pulling on the wire harness.
3. Be sure to disconnect the parking brake cable before trying to pull the dash. It’s easy to move the spring loaded arm near the firewall and remove the little barrel end, undo the plastic clip holding the jacket and it should come right off.
4. The bolt that attaches the dash assembly to the transmission tunnel is 8mm.
5. The dash assembly, even with the steering wheel, isn’t as heavy as the video led me to expect. It IS awkward and wants to flop over on you, but I’m not a big guy and was able to handle it fairly easily alone. I’m guessing it maybe weighs 150 lbs total, but you’re only lifting one end at a time, so not too bad if you’re average strength.
HVAC box:
1. At least on my truck, the AC expansion valve is held on by a 13mm nut
2. Getting the three “large washer” 11mm nuts on the firewall wasn’t terrible for me - I literally just laid my body across the top of the engine and was able to reach the two “hard ones”. In fact once started I was mostly able to spin them off with my fingertips.
3. The 11mm bolt down by the drain was a nightmare. In retrospect I probably should have removed the passenger wheel well splash guard but I was being lazy. As it was, I tried from the top, the bottom, and eventually ended up sitting with my back against the tire and my face smashed against the wheel well and wormed my right arm up between the frame and exhaust and slowly worked blind. Miserable and achey arm. I’m honestly dreading putting back in.
4. There is a slip-fit duct that leaves the HVAC box and goes along the transmission tunnel to the back seat (if you have one). I had to pull back the floor covering and pull them apart to finally lift the assembly out.
All told it took me maybe 2-3 hours to get everything out, and I’d probably be done now if it weren’t for the fact that it wasn’t the heater core that was leaking for me, it was the heater hose connection(s). Since I already bought a new heater core I’m going to put that in, but the o-rings inside the elbow connectors are, surprise, surprise, non-standard. Best I can tell measuring them with calipers is 3/4” ID and 7/64” thick. Of course you’ll find 3/4” x 3/32” (6/64”) and 3/4” x 1/8” (8/64”) in every o-ring assortment kit sold, but they’re just enough wrong to make me not want to use them. So, first thing in the morning I’m headed to AutoZone for some KT92 (a.k.a #800-418) Motorcraft elbows which hopefully contain the o-rings I need (2 o-rings in each elbow, total of 4). I suppose I could cut and hose-clamp the new elbows in but I don’t want to shorten the hoses, and I’m too cheap to just buy new entire hoses.
Also, while I’m there I plan to pick up new o-rings for the AC expansion valve. I’m pretty sure standard o-rings would work fine since you smash them to oblivion when installing the lines, so I’m not as worried about those.
Whew! So, if you made it this far, I’d suggest thinking about the o-rings you’ll need before jumping in. At minimum, get a couple of those elbows to cannibalize for o-rings and have a $9.00 assortment kit from harbor freight for the expansion valve.
Fingers crossed I’ll get it all sorted tomorrow. If I learn any more lessons worth sharing, I’ll add them below. The only other thing I’m stressing about is dropping the bolts on the top of the dash while trying to get them started. I’m planning to rig up either something magnetic or maybe a bit of rubber tube.
Good luck everyone! :)
Edit (next day): Success!
The only update is that I was wrong about the expansion valve o-rings - they’re special metal washers with a o-ring molded into the inner diameter. Fortunately AutoZone had part number MT2741, which is just a bag of general purpose AC seals. The two we need are in there!
Otherwise, the only unexpected thing was three top bolts on the dash were slightly misaligned for some reason… just off center enough to make the bolt not want to start. I could see from the witness marks it had always been like that, so I just used a crowbar to lightly pry against the door frame until I could start them.
To prevent dropping the bolts I used a piece of electrical tape to just hold them on to the socket. The bolts have a retained washer/flange thing so I just barely grabbed it with the tape. Once the bolts were tight I was able to pull the whole works out and discard the tape.
A couple skinned knuckles but overall not a terrible job. If I had all the parts ready it could be done in probably 6 hours. If I had to do it again, probably 4 hours. Perhaps less if you’re smarter than me about multitasking the AC recovery and subsequent vacuum and recharge :)
Parking brake cable had me for a second. Lol
@@jysnwlsn2000 Hopefully you got it all done successfully!
@@truthsmiles oh yes, it’s ice cold now.
@truthsmiles Great additional info, made this job go fairly smoothly. 👍
@@erikgreve6025 Glad to hear it helped! :) If you have any corrections or addition tips please let me know!
Loved the intro👍
Thanks!
How do I change a/c from C* to F* on Ford F350 6.7 POS Powerstroke 2011? Thanks
gracia exellent job
Fantastic Video! I purchased an Espar engine heater to install on my 2016 F350 Powerstroke and this video is a great resource to know where to tap into the heater hose. Have you ever installed an Espar heater or know of someone that has installed one on a powerstroke?
Thank you!
I have not installed one of those heaters. To be completely honest I had to google it. I don’t know if anyone who’s installed one on a power stroke. Sorry, I wish I could be of more help.
@@2hacksinashack No worries. I live in Fairbanks and purchased one of the engine heaters so I don't have to start the truck to warm up the engine. I've been searching for youtubes of anyone that has installed one of these on a powerstroke because I want to insure that I am not missing anything. Since working on one of these engines may include removing the cab, I wanted to insure that the install had the least amount of impact. I am leaning towards purchasing or building a custom bulkhead valve connection for the heater hose return line on the engine side of the firewall.
Great video, any idea where the cabin air temp sensor is located? Having issues where I only have low and high Temps no in-between. Thanks
Thanks!
The factory service manual shows it as being behind the gauge cluster trim panel on the lower right side. It will be between the steering column and the trim for the stereo and heat/ac controls. It will have an electrical plug and a hose attached to it. You will most likely need to remove the lower dash support bracket. And the hose and sensor comes out as one piece. Again this is according to the factory service manual. I hope this helps!
@@2hacksinashack thanks! Also wondering if you've ever had a similar issue?
You’re welcome!
No, I haven’t had that issue before.
Great job! Just curious where the blower motor resistor was located?
The blower motor resistor or speed control as it’s referred to in the service manual. Is located on the backside of the heater box between it and the firewall. There is allegedly enough space to remove it without removing the hvac box completely. It just needs to be loose from the firewall. Be careful as the ac lines and heater hoses will still be connected.
Thank you
You’re welcome!
Thanks for the video. I am attempting this as we speak to replace the heater core. I've removed all the bolts you've listed in order to pull the dash off. It will rock up and down but I can't get it to come back towards the seat at all. Have I missed something or is there a certain way to lift/pull? Thanks!
The wiring harness and or the steering column could be hanging you up. The steering shaft is probably still attached at the base of the steering column. There's a pinch bolt you need to take out to be able pull the column off the steering shaft. Also, If you're going to completely remove the dash from the truck. You'll need to also disconnect the shift cable from either the shifter or the transmission. Otherwise, you can leave it connected. And you can swing it over onto the front seats with plenty of room to work behind the dash. I hope this helps.
@@2hacksinashack Thank you. I removed the bolt that connects the steering shaft and it is loose but something seems to be hanging somewhere. I can't get the dash to move outward even a little. Does it pull straight out or do you have to lift and pull or something?
@@mattc1177 The dash should pull back towards the seats fairly easily. The drivers' side is considerably heavy. You may need to lift it some to take the load off the short alignment pins that are helping to locate it on the door pillars on either side. Double check that you have all the wiring going to the dash disconnected. Maybe you missed a bolt? There is one that is on a small bracket that comes off the bottom of the dash to the trans tunnel on the driver's side. It's covered by a small piece of trim.
@@2hacksinashack Sorry to keep bothering you about this. I'm unable to find any other videos or PDFs on this. I tried again this morning and there's definitely something more than wiring holding the dash from coming out. I'm wondering if this is somehow different than the one you did in the video because on top of the dash on the driver's side I have only one bolt whereas you had two. Other than that everything was the same and I've removed every bolt from the dash frame that you've shown. This is a 2011 F250 Super Duty. I don't recall if it's XL or XLT but it's the most basic. I appreciate your help.
@@mattc1177 make sure you got the bolt behind the rubber plug on the driver's side A pillar behind the door hinge. I point it out at 2:04. Other than that, I'm running out of ideas. I wish I could be of more help.
I just done this job put it all back together clipped all the wires back together and now the alarm system don't let me start the truck do you know it fixed to that
I’m not sure what would cause that. Sounds like maybe the anti theft system doesn’t recognize the key. Or possibly a connection at the steering column came loose. Also double check that you didn’t miss a connection. I’ve done that before. Other than that, I’m sorry. I don’t know what else could cause it.
I have 2011 f350 and i was wondering if there are vacuum hoses for the dash? I sounds like I have a vacuum leak right behind gauge cluster.
As I recall, I don’t believe there are any vacuum hoses behind the dash. Does it go away if you turn the a/c off or is it constant?
What you are hearing might be the expansion valve controlling the refrigerant flow through the evaporator core.
No it doesn't matter if the A/C is on or off. It only whistles or wines on acceleration as it is going through the gears at about 1800 to 2000 rpm. It seams like only does it when under a load. The more I accelerate going through the gears it gets loader. At 75 mph @ 1800 or 2000 rpm it doesn't wine or whistle unless I accelerate.
I was wondering if the turbo gauge has a vacuum hose, but that seams pretty old tech for a 2011.@@2hacksinashack
@@seanmcgovern1049 could be a small boost leak in the line going to the wastegate actuator canister. It’s up under the cowl. So it could sound like it’s behind the dash. Not sure what else it could be.
Where is your shop? I have a 2015 550 and I’m barely getting any air movement out of the dash. Hard to find anyone around here that will fix it
Sorry for the late reply. Unfortunately, we are not open to the public. We work on vehicles and do CZcams as a hobby. We made the video to help diy’ers like ourselves. Sharing what we discovered and that some other videos didn’t cover. Hopefully you can find someone to fix it for you.
What is a fair non-dealer and dealer (comparison) price for removing the dash, replacing a blend motor (not the plenum removal) and re-install? I figure dealer is higher, but what is realistic for this labor? Should someone who has done this before be able to do it in much less time?
It’s difficult to say. “Most” dealers these days are gonna charge at least $100/hr labor. And that’s on the low end. I’ve seen non dealer shops charge anywhere from $75-$100/hr for labor. That’s also not counting what they’re gonna charge you for parts. It’s looking to be about 5 hours labor or so to remove and install the dash. Someone who has done this a lot may charge a little more but do the job quicker. You’re essentially paying them for their experience and expertise. It’s difficult for me to give you a solid price figure. Because there’s several variables involved. But I hope this helps you get an idea of what you might expect to pay.
You should look up my video........I'm a Ford tech.
I haven't seen one person post and completely remove the dash..........jus trying ta help people out
Once the dash is pulled back and resting on seat can you get to the evaporator "cover lid" to blow it out with air from inside the truck?
You might be able to. It’d be a tight squeeze for sure. The heater core “compartment” is closest to the passenger side of the truck. And the evaporator core is located farther towards the center of the truck. The blend door motor is covering one of the screws for the evaporator core lid. You could possibly blow it out or use a shop vac. I hope this helps some. I’m using my best recollection.
@@2hacksinashack I saw another video where a guy made a custom blower tip from a steel brake line.
czcams.com/video/8UeIvNCxa64/video.html
When I saw your video it looked different on the passenger side...hence why I asked.
I was incorrect in my first reply. The evaporator core is closer to the passenger side of the truck and the blower motor. In my video I already have the whole heat/ac box removed from the truck. It’s identical to the other video. Just possibly looks different due to the camera angles and without the visual references of it being in the cab. I hope all that makes sense.
@@2hacksinashack Yes...that makes sense why it looks different....cause it isnt there...lol.
Thankyou
You’re welcome!
Would you know if this will help my problem
My ac is stuck on cold both sides driver and passenger even when I move my temperature to 70°F it feels like I have it on low
If you mean the temperature doesn’t change, it’s possibly the blend door motor.
If you mean that there isn’t enough air flow coming out of the vents. Can you hear the blower motor speed up when you turn the fan higher? If so, it’s possible that the evaporator core is clogged with dirt and debris. These trucks don’t have cabin filters. And the air coming into the air box comes direct from outside or inside the cabin depending on what setting you have it on. The evaporator core can become clogged over time. Here’s a link to a video that shows you how you can clean it out without removing it from the truck. czcams.com/video/8UeIvNCxa64/video.html I hope this helps!
@@2hacksinashack yes there is enough air flow coming out the vents just when I try switching from low to 70 it just stays the same temperature and when I lower my Ac speed to low a hissing noise comes out of the passenger side only when I lower the speed
The hissing sound you’re hearing is probably the expansion valve. It controls the flow of Freon into the evaporator core based on the temperature of it. When you have it set to warmer temperatures, it will actuate more to reduce the flow of freon to the evaporator core to keep it from freezing over. It sounds like you have an issue with the blend door motor. Its located on top of the heater box. It blends air from the evaporator core and the heater core to adjust the temperature you set it to.
@@2hacksinashack Thank you Brother I'll change it and keep you updated I'm a New Subscriber this some good content!
You saying either side like you only have to take one side loose you mean on both sides ?
If you’re asking about the dash, then I probably mean both sides.
Im going to have to do this just because they can't give us a cab filter
What city are you in so you can help fix my truck
Unfortunately, our shop is not open to the public. We work on cars/trucks and create CZcams videos as a hobby. We created this video to help others who want to attempt to fix their own vehicles.
Disconnect your driver's side harness too, I've seen to many people damage harnesses and cause no starts with tryin ta remove it and not pulling harnesses all apart
That’s a good tip!
We didn’t disconnect the driver’s side harness because we weren’t removing the dash completely. Just wanted enough room to get the heater core/evap box out.
@@2hacksinashack still...... regardless.......you should really look at my video.
Down to the nitty gritty essentials on yanking those dashes
I haven't seen one dash actually removed in time with locations of connections.
BTW.......I'm selling cabin air filters for those trucks!!!!
@@gearheadsautomotiveinmidlandtx You don’t have any videos on your channel?
@@truthsmiles what the heck??!!
I did!
Guess I'll make more huh
@@truthsmiles honestly had like four videos up.
I'll make some more.
Ford technician by trade here.
Know all the nitty gritties
Do you have to disable airbags?
I don’t remember disconnecting any of the airbag stuff. They make the connections easily identifiable. They’re bright yellow.
Thanks Dr
Mine has a center console and still have truble taking the dash off
Unfortunately, I don’t know what’s involved with removing dashes from models that have the center console. I would imagine that there is hardware connecting the two that would have to be removed. If not, possibly the whole console.
Gotta remove console and take the dash apart piece by piece... it’s a pain.
Just had my blower motor replaced by a certified mechanic not the dealer. Replaced with a motorcraft blower out the door price $340.00. Some things are just left to professionals
I see that something restrictive may or may not be “deleted” lol
It was “out for cleaning” that day. 😂
OMG. I've got a 2011 F-350 Super Duty Lariat 6.7L diesel, but fortunately the HVAC is still performing with no noticeable difference from when it was new. I'll sell this POS before I pay the shop to change out the evap filter. And won't be buying any more Fords if this is representing their insanely incompetent engineering design department personnel. I see from 2017 and beyond they changed the entire system and added a cabin air filter you can change out in 20 minutes.
Why is the evap even leaking ? because ford using shit parts . way to go ford . Im so disgusted with these newer fords They make everything so difficult to work on ..good way to keep your customers .idiots .