Removing HVAC to get to recirc door

[mtd]

OK, so no joy, eff it...
I'm looking for inspiration - 'cause you bunch are an inspiring lot.

Have wiggled so much I feel like a member of the team. It does seem tight up near the AC pipes but looks it'd clear that area. The insulation around pipes drove me bonkers trying to see anything so I ripped it out (i'll replace on refit).
Got some pics:

Clip near TXV (bracket) on

TXV (bracket) off! Managed to wrangle it around & get it off without breaking it.

This is where the casing right meets the evap. You can see it's loose. This seems OK.

This is the bottom of the casing right. The top does not appear to have this white sticky foam (or seal?) - bottom does. This plastic can be lifted a little, but definite pressure there keeping it on the evap casing. The blue tape ('2') you can see is just me reminding myself there are 4 screws on this casing. From the point you can see the white seal(?) start, this goes all around the bottom. Common? I only ask as the upper has none of this.

All/any ideas (preferably constructive...) welcome and appreciated.

 

[mtd]

Gently wiggle the assembly watching to see that all the screws that you removed including one under the assembly are coming free.

Could do me a favour and exactly define what you mean by the bold? I want to ENSURE i'm not missing a screw removal!
What screw "under the assembly"?
Thanks.

 

[Fu Manchu]

There is one screw at the back that I have never understood how anyone gets to it. I’ve long struggled with getting my head around this method.
It’s good seeing it get done.

 

[adios57]

There are five coarse threaded screws holding the assembly in place after you have removed the three 10mm bolts.
The bolts are as follows:
Inside the car on the left of the glovebox behind the loom. Move the steel bracket to the left after removal. (Mine was missing).
The one in the air intake under the cover.
The one under the air conditioning pipes under the 13mm bolt that holds the TX valve.
The five screws are as follows from my notes
1 The vertical one
3 screws on the right of the housing visible near where the hvac control box is. They form part of a circle.
1 underneath the last of the three screws towards the firewall. This might be the one causing problems. Reach around the back of the lowest part of the housing and push your fingers or one finger until you feel the head of the phillips screw. Use a medium or long phillips or a small electric hand screwdriver to get it.
Go back to where the vertical top screw was and remove the plastic /rubber housing which is a seal for the air conditioning pipes at the cabin side of the firewall. There may be another clip in that vicinity.
In the video before he goes to the two bolts in the firewall in the engine bay he removes the hvac and removes the screws and points them out.
At the end he goes through and points out the screws.
He is dealing with a single zone HVAC an Omega or an International from the stereo and the air vent controls.
Hope this helps.

 

[mtd]

Thx guys, DO APPRECIATE the hints, but not a positive outcome just yet.

Just had a look to see whether I'd missed a screw and understand the one your talking about, but that's out. I've removed 5 in total. 4 from the housing side/bottom and the vertical bugger. Also, I can't see how to remove that plastic/rubber seal on the TXV while the unit is in place. You'd literally have to split it in two. In the video he just pulls it onto the pipes (so to remove it, i'd have to pull the evap - whole new ballgame). From what i can see in the vid there's no clip behind that anyway (but i could be wrong!).

I have a feeling mine is 'stuck' with that white seal at the bottom. I'm not totally convinced, but it's on the cards. It's made worse when the unit is pulled down from the left as it places more pressure on the lower right housing. I've tried to even this up by going back to an even position and pulling horizontally to the left but its a tough one...

I'll keep hacking away. If you have any more ideas (even bloody obvious is fine - helps me double-check) let me know.

Cheers and thx.

There is one screw at the back that I have never understood how anyone gets to it. I’ve long struggled with getting my head around this method.
It’s good seeing it get done.

Oh, don't worry, when its out i'll post all the mistakes I made...

 

[adios57]

Ok, the plastic seal is the problem.
Try and push up the seal on the left side where it connects to the housing at the top. It sort of hooks into it.
The left side sounds like it is moving back towards the back of the car a little and down a little.
If the TX valve holding 13mm bolt has NOT been removed then the valve and the pipes will remain in place.
Use a thin paint scraper or a cheap paint pallet to ensure you have separation of the housing around where the screws you have removed.
There is a white plastic seal where the pipes are but the black or dark grey rubber seal on top is the one that you have to pull aside. The pipes may be covered with a black cover which extends to the evaporator.
On my car the evaporator had been changed by a previous owner through a repairer.

 

[mtd]

Thanks adios57. Thanks heaps for your help - your persistence in reminding me about the hidden screw worked... read on...

I thought I'd take one last look for some 'phantom' screw. What can it hurt (although I was CONFIDENT i'd removed them all)?

On a Calais V (and/or Calais, Berlina etc, maybe all models?) there are actually FIVE screws to remove from the R/H housing edge and 1 near the clip up the back. So, 6. Yes, i'm an official DICK, sorry mods.

In other words, confident that I'd done all to help myself - I had not. So, apologies to you and Fu. I'll add this to the list of mistakes Fu.
Again, sincere thanks guys. Also, I can confirm the recirc door is broken (THANKFULLY), and my expense of a new recirc door and recirc door actuator has not been wasted.

I'll post some pics soon.

 

[VT2Commie]

Why are we attempting to get to the HVAC recirc door? Ok, nvm just read last post.

All this removal from the inside, and dismantling the HVAC case is not nessesary to remove a broken recirc door and fit a new door. It can all be done from the outside through the plenum.

 

[mtd]

Why are we attempting to get to the HVAC recirc door? Ok, nvm just read last post.

All this removal from the inside, and dismantling the HVAC case is not nessesary to remove a broken recirc door and fit a new door. It can all be done from the outside through the plenum.

Through the plenum… ok, then what?
Have you done this yourself and could you explain the steps? That’d be gr8.

 

[losh1971]

Why are we attempting to get to the HVAC recirc door? Ok, nvm just read last post.

All this removal from the inside, and dismantling the HVAC case is not nessesary to remove a broken recirc door and fit a new door. It can all be done from the outside through the plenum.

Which plenum is that?