Dash Pad Cleaning, Pat, et al; Options

[kconway]

I picked up a nice dash pad recently that has zero cracks but is pretty dirty. I'd hate to clean it up just to see it crack before my eyes. Any suggestions on cleaning/preserving techniques before I do damage?

Thanks,
Kev

[jonferns]

looks a little faded....

[Pat Garvey]

looks a little faded....

Sure, it's a little faded. But it isn't cracked. What appears to be fading is no more than lack of plasticisers (sp) in the surface. It'll look great when finished.

And, Al is right - acclimate all mating pieces to the same temp. Warm is good, but not direct solar heat.

Here's what I would do next. You've cleaned it up pretty well, but do it again. This time use a very soft bristled brush with the cleaning agent (I'd suggest using a shaving brush, or something similar - soft), and doing it in smallish segments. Don't think you have wax on it, just ground in grime & solar effects.

I wouldn't treat it with anything until it's installed because your hands are likely to make a mess of it during the install (this isn't easy, particularly if you have an old back). We can discuss various treating goos that most everyone has after it's installed, though I'd be hard pressed to recommend the "peanut butter approach".

When it comes time to install it, do so as you would a cylinder head or wheel. Finger tighten the nylon nuts (can't remember if there are 7, 8 or 9 of them), then torque them down (don't think there is a recommended torque setting for these) in any kind of modified star pattern you can make. This will be important to keep the dash from cracking during the install, or later.

Just remember, these parts are OLD, and getting brittle. They can crack when you least expect it. My original cracked while sitting in a windowless garage, in the middle of July. It was 5 years old. My replacement is (knock on wood) doing OK 30 years after, but I'm waiting for the surprise!
Pat