Just doing a little reading up to see what needs to come out to get at my blend motors and heater core temperature sensor. Obviously the dashboard is in the way so I'm looking at the RAVE instructions for taking that out.

RAVE says that the steering column needs to come - is that strictly necessary or is one of those things that just gives a little extra room?

I've done blend motors and heater core O rings and have never taken a dash out. Side panels to the centre console, glovebox and instrument panel need to come out and you may need to cut the duct that feeds the rear air vents, but that is all. Blend motors here https://www.rangerovers.net/repairdetails/blendmotor.html and O rings here https://www.rangerovers.net/repairdetails/heateroring.html although if I remember right, you can get at the temperature sensor with the duct in place.

I was hoping to avoid cutting the vents. I know it's not visible but I'd know it had been done!

Unless I get in there and find someone has cut them before me but I reckon if have noticed when I fitted my radio and when I went looking for a rain water leak.

Does that mean the steering column MUST come out to take the dash out? I'd rather cut the vents than mess with the steering column.

Steering column nor AC evaporator (if you want to remove the heater box) has to come out.

I did remove the steering wheel to save it from getting scuffed by the binnacle surround as the dash lifted over and away from the column.

Marty took my dash out when we (he) did the heater core and swapped the heater box/flaps/motors for a re-con set. The ducts had already fallen apart anyway. They're only press fit and they seem to warp with the heat at the joints. It would have been a real faff to get them back together and taped up with the dash in place.

Thanks :)

Whilst we're on this topic. Does anyone know the steps needed to remove the heater box once the top of the dash is off? Are there any shortcuts to the RAVE procedure?

Once you have the top of the dash off, you need to wangle all of the ducts out of the way. Then there is a metal 'bridging' plate bolted in front of it behind where the switch pack and radio etc would be. That needs unbolting, then the two bits of framework that bolted to it need gently bending out of the way. They will bend back just fine.

Once that bracket (and one below it, should be obvious) are out of the way, there is a single screw accessible through one of the vent holes in the top of the box that holds the box to the AC evaporator box behind it. Remove screw, and the heater box should sort of roll forwards and lift up/out of its home. It's a bit fiddly.. but it will come out. Make sure you've remembered to disconnected the heater pipes from the heater matrix first or it won't be going anywhere :)

As Nick says...

I could probably do one in my sleep now, it takes about 2 ½ hours for me to get the dash off and heater box out.

Rave says steering column and all that as it's process from memory is to remove all the framework aswell, whereas if you just remove the top of the dash, loosen a couple of the framework bolts, and a slight bend to get the cross bar out/in then it saves a lot of time.

I would get some new closed cell foam, as the stuff on top of the heater box will almost certainly disintegrate.

A few tricks I use... With the instrument cluster out, I remove the 2 metal brackets that it screws to. They have 8mm nuts. I also remove the plastic side panel (2 screws) on the drivers side (basically the edge of the dash) as with all that removed, it makes it quicker and easier on your own to get the dash top out around the steering wheel, without damaging it.

Ducts.. I remove them and then use duct tape to reassemble then all together. Cutting them makes it quicker to remove - less bending etc... But can definitely be done with no cutting.

Hope that helps..
Marty