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[E32-3] How to unglue head unit?

Geoff W.

Makes Up For It With Enthusiasm
Blogs Author
Hi all-

I figured a simple first project for me to tackle would be to replace the current stereo head unit in my boat with one capable of Bluetooth/etc.

I got in there today hoping it would be a simple switch but it looks like the current one is glued into place on a wooden mounting panel. Pic below.

IMG_20180910_183700.jpg

It's glued in all four corners which makes me think the wooden panel can come out somehow. Does anyone have advice on what you'd use to pry or dissolve something glued on like this?
 
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Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
If it's only the corners like in your pic, I would take a sharp chisel and gently separate the glue from the wood. I wouldn't use a hammer, just hand pressure so as to maintain control, especially if the glue is brittle and snaps off.
If it's also glued all along the inside edge, I would start with the corners, but then gently pry the radio from the wood.
There is a risk the wood might crack or split, so be ready to replace it if necessary.
Frank
 

bigd14

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
There are special tools (thin strips of metal) that slide into slots on either side of the stereo and allow the unit to be pulled out of the thin metal bracket which you can just barely see is glued in place. You could probably manufacture your own tools with a piece of bendable metal from a file folder or something similar. Or stop by Car Toys or some such to get one. Once the stereo is out of its mounting bracket you should be able to get in there easier. And the new unit might actually fit in the old bracket, so try that before you remove the existing bracket. Good luck with it.

proxy.duckduckgo.com.jpeg


EDIT: Come to think of it, the new stereo probably comes with a set of the removal tools.
 
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bgary

Advanced Beginner
Blogs Author
^^^ that's a good tip. Many stereo heads are fitted into a standard-sized "DIN sleeve"

41uj9RyQdrL__AC_US218_.jpg
...which then slips into a "DIN mount"

41pslKI2t8L__AC_US218_.jpg
* IF * your stereo is installed into a sleeve, and it is the sleeve (not the head-unit itself) that is glued to the wood, then the easiest way to replace the head-unit is NOT to pull the glued-on part from the wood. You should be able to (with the slim tools, as shown above) trip the little tabs that are holding the current head-unit into the sleeve.

Then all you've gotta do is buy a new head-unit that fits the sleeve, hook it up and snap it in place.

$.02
Bruce
 

Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
Wouldn't it be great if the tools shown above allowed you to replace the stereo in the existing sleeve! It might be the first time a boat project turned out to be easier than it looked!!:)

Please let us know how it goes.

Frank
 

tenders

Innocent Bystander
Hey, I’m working on a project like this too! Ten years ago, I replaced the previous owners 1985 JVC unit that literally rusted out in place with a radio/cassette from my boat partner’s father’s Dodge Aspen. He seemed to think it was from 1981. Now, in 2018, I’m replacing it with the Wirecutter.com’s recommendation, a Pioneer MVH-X390BT. Radio, Bluetooth, phone connections to Spotify and Pandora, but no CD, cassette, or 8-track.

The original mounting hole is tiny, and seems to have been cut with a hammer, and they don’t seem to make radios for that size any more, so right now, the radio is wired up and working but just resting in a cupboard until I cut out a proper “single DIN”-sized hole for it.

But even so, let me tell you, have there been some incredible advancements in audio technology since the early 1980s. There are TWO sets of FM presets on this thing! It can somehow find clear stations on its own! And it even tells you who is singing!

I think you’ll find you’ve got a nicely-mounted sleeve in there that will allow the unit to dance right out once you apply the tool. However, if you decide to exhume the bracket anyway I would bet that you could just kiss the glue lines with an oscillating saw and free it up.
 

frick

Member III
No Stereo on My boat

Greetings,
I have a cheap am fm radio... and I take a traveling guitar with me and make my own music. HA

Rick
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Aftermarket stereo holders use the sleeve. But the sleeve is really for cars--crowded dashboard, has to look integrated, go in and out, and so on.

If you wind up making a custom box, the radio body can just be built in to sit on blocks.
 

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Geoff W.

Makes Up For It With Enthusiasm
Blogs Author
Well, went back out to venture a finagle with some metal shims. Decided to try to pop off the plastic front trim piece first...hmm seemed pretty stuck, pulled hard on the side of it...plunk, there pops the head unit out of the metal sleeve. Huh.

Well no problem, let's pull it out. Couldn't get the piece of plastic trim off, but maybe it'll just slide right..... ah hell.

IMG_20180911_185347.jpg

Whatever...unscrewed the little latch piece, set it aside. The rest of it slid out no problem.

MVIMG_20180911_185520.jpg

Upon full removal, I ran into what I KNEW would be my next issue...the big adapter with all the important cords is obviously not transferrable between the old one and the new one. Thank goodness someone marked "LEFT SPEAKER FRONT, RIGHT SPEAKER COCKPIT", etc. The wires should be fairly easy to work with, but I need electrical tape. Or wire nuts? So that's on a brief hold. I did check and found that the new head unit will slide into the metal sleeve no problem. I may have to use screws or something to secure it, but that won't be an issue.

Two things that scare me a little - when I stuck my head in, I saw what looks like mold that started growing above/behind the never-moved head unit (confirmed with PO I'm the first to mess with this since the Previous PO [PPO?]).

IMG_20180911_190225.jpg

Is this a spray-and-scrub job or an indication that further investigation needs to be done? I tried unzipping the headliner and ran into issue #2...the zippers on both sides seem absolutely frozen. I didn't yank too hard for fear of busting a difficult-to-fix zipper.

IMG_20180911_190400.jpg

So, to summarize, at the end of tonight's visit I have the following issues/questions:

1. How best to splice the boat stereo wires to the new stereo adapter? Wire stripper and electrical tape? Wire nut? Something else entirely?
2. How to deal with mold/mildew in the wood and headliner where the old head unit used to be
3. How to unfreeze the headliner zippers

I guess this is how blog posts start. Thanks for the help, all. I'm not gonna hold it against Frank Langer that he cursed me with "this might be easier than it looks!" ;)
 

Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
Ok Geoff, this is now sounding more like a normal boat project. ☺️
On connecting electrical wires, I avoid connectors and tape in favour of a crimped connection, preferably with some dielectric grease to avoid corrosion.
The mould is not a surprise as condensation can allow moisture to sit in these places and create mould. I think it's good to get rid of it wherever you find it (and I would look for it in similar places under headliner, in drawers, etc. I wipe it with a product that sounds like Concrobium (going from memory, so it might be a bit different) available in hardware stores.
Regarding your zippers, they often freeze. I've had good luck spraying them with silicone spray, and then working them very gently till they begin to budge. There are previous threads on zippers that provide more detail, including replacing the zipper pull if it breaks.
None of this project is beyond what we've all faced, so don't get discouraged. It just takes patience and ongoing problem solving.
There is lots of expertise on this site to help you. ☺️
Frank
 
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Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author

Geoff W.

Makes Up For It With Enthusiasm
Blogs Author
Just ordered a heat gun, crimper, wire stripper, and crimping connectors (the kind that are open on each side) from Amazon...should be here tomorrow, just in time for me to run into my next problem!
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
With fine wires like stereo harnesses & Radar, I have had little luck with crimp-on butt- connectors. Though I have made it work a time or two. A western union splice with a drop of solder and heat shrink seems much more foolproof to me. To go a step further... since stereo head units are rather ephemeral, consider leading all the wires to a screw-terminal strip. Thereafter, any component can be removed from ( or added to) the system without cutting or splicing.

Finally, I’ll just reiterate my endorsement of Fusion true marine stereos with watertight enclosures over any car stereo. Even the so-called “marine”versions which are just obsolete car stereos with conformal-coated circuit boards. They’ll still die if moisture gets into the cabinet.
 

Geoff W.

Makes Up For It With Enthusiasm
Blogs Author
With fine wires like stereo harnesses & Radar, I have had little luck with crimp-on butt- connectors. Though I have made it work a time or two. A western union splice with a drop of solder and heat shrink seems much more foolproof to me. To go a step further... since stereo head units are rather ephemeral, consider leading all the wires to a screw-terminal strip. Thereafter, any component can be removed from ( or added to) the system without cutting or splicing.

Could you link me to an example screw terminal strip? I'm googling about them but they look kind of foreign to me. Do both ends of a wire get screwed into the same terminal, or is there an input/output type setup?
 

Geoff W.

Makes Up For It With Enthusiasm
Blogs Author
Following up on this thread to say that with a new wire stripper, crimping tool, and box of heatshrink butt connectors I got the new Bluetooth head unit in and ALL the speakers still work! This is officially project #1 complete for now. The zippers are still stuck, but we'll call that a different project.

IMG_20180920_123402.jpg

MVIMG_20180920_123540.jpg
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
>>>Could you link me to an example screw terminal strip? I'm googling about them but they look kind of foreign to me. Do both ends of a wire get screwed into the same terminal, or is there an input/output type setup?

I wrote this two-part blog specifically for these kinds of novice questions, all of which are related to each other.

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoex...-1-A-Novice%92s-Guide-to-Panel-Reorganization
 
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