Dropping a headliner

[sconut1]

Anyone ever had to drop a headliner?

Here's an old post of mine:

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forum...hlight=sconut1

I finally got around to ordering the wiring for my rear view mirror. I was quite surprised when the parts girl I deal with at Freedom Ford came out with a wireing harness that's several feet long with many different connectors.

I didn't belive at first that it was even correct, but it is. Long and short, for me to install the missing harness, I need to drop the headliner.

I looked in my service manual and here's the deal:

1. Remove seats!
2. Remove floor console!!!!
3. Remove overhead console
4. Remove front door weatherstrips
5. Remove windshield side garnish mouldings
6. Remove sunvisors and recepticles and electrical connections
7. Remove B-pillar trim
8. Remove passenger assist handles
9. Remove rear quater trim panels
10. Disconnect headliner harness electrical connection at rear C pillar
11. Remove the pin type retainers
12. Pull down sides of headliner to reveal adhesive beads
13. Using a putty knife or hot blade knife, cut adhesive beads lenthgwise across the headliner
14. If you bend or fold the headliner, it must be replaced with a new one
15. Clean any remaining adhesive from the roof sheet metal

It says reverse steps to install with another warning about bending the headliner.

WOW!!!!

Anyone done this before? Anyone have any tips or tricks? Anyone had to replace this harness before? Anyone know any shortcuts?

I'm not sure I like the whole cut adhesive beads thing either.... I don't even want to know what a new headliner is worth... the darn haress was $120.00 discounted!

I consider myself farily mechanically inclined, but this type of trim work I'm sure has lots of squeek and rattle implications too.

If anyone has any thoughts or ideas, please let me know!

[RR|Suki]

Seems like a pain in the ass, I'd just deal with the dead mirror functions

[sconut1]

Yea, I know, but I just bought the harness and it's not returnable because it's special order. And driving at night is just killing me with the glare. Maybe I should have just got a mirror out of a base Crown Vic.

[Blackmobile]

I pulled mine and put it into my CVPI. The instructions seem to be right on, with what I had to do. I noticed no short cut that could be taken. To cut thru the adhesive I used a Strong angle scrapper. To get the headliner in/out you can bend it but make sure you don't fold it. The upper console comes straight down, after removing the screw in the front and the 2 in the glasses compartment.

Ed

[burt ragio]

Sounds like a PITA and time consuming. Keep us updated with results.

[in2deep]

Replace the headliner with crushed velvet, done

[FordNut]

Replace the headliner with crushed velvet, done

How about just hanging a rebel flag over it.

[fastblackmerc]

I thought the rearview mirror wiring went down the left A pillar post.

Check with auto upholstery shops in your area. Might not cost you as much as you think to get it done.

[Got_1]

i remove headliners all the time at work and yes it DOES suck. they are all easy to do but time consuming and tedious. since your just replacing the harness you shouldn't need to remove the headliner entirely. just lower it to gain acccess to the harness itself which will save you from removing seats, center consol and other crap like that.

[sconut1]

Guess I won't be doing the headliner this year. Someone ran into me at the
Airport, so the car will be in the bodyshop for awhile. I've got another post on this going in the community fourm.