Replacing 4 inch front speakers on MY 85
10-06-2015, 08:55 PM
#16
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Sean--
The grills on your factory speakers unscrew to remove. Big strap-wrench if they are stuck. Know that the rims will be fragile due to ultrviolet epoxidation (hardened from excessive heat/sun exposure in Fresno...), so there's a better than 50-50 chance they won't survive removal. With that in mind, pull the door panel with the speaker and grill still assembled to the panel. Door panel is off in minutes. Order a dozen each white and black fasteners from your favorite supplier; store the spares safely away when you get everything back together. There are some interesting plastic and also metal interior panel tools that will make it convenient to pop those plastic fasteners loose. I usually get by with a gasket scraper between panel and door, and a gentle twist to pop the fastener.
The grills on your factory speakers unscrew to remove. Big strap-wrench if they are stuck. Know that the rims will be fragile due to ultrviolet epoxidation (hardened from excessive heat/sun exposure in Fresno...), so there's a better than 50-50 chance they won't survive removal. With that in mind, pull the door panel with the speaker and grill still assembled to the panel. Door panel is off in minutes. Order a dozen each white and black fasteners from your favorite supplier; store the spares safely away when you get everything back together. There are some interesting plastic and also metal interior panel tools that will make it convenient to pop those plastic fasteners loose. I usually get by with a gasket scraper between panel and door, and a gentle twist to pop the fastener.
10-12-2015, 01:56 AM
#17
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Oh ye of little faith *Bob* 
My grills are in beautiful condition, since this car is nearly always in a garage or the shade.
But, when I took apart the passenger speaker, I found a mess of miswired crud. Plus it seems like the wires I need to hook up don't reach. Not sure what is going on, to be honest. So, I'm going to a local stereo shop that was recommended for strange old vehicles, and see if they can manage it without destroying the door panel.
My grills are in beautiful condition, since this car is nearly always in a garage or the shade.
But, when I took apart the passenger speaker, I found a mess of miswired crud. Plus it seems like the wires I need to hook up don't reach. Not sure what is going on, to be honest. So, I'm going to a local stereo shop that was recommended for strange old vehicles, and see if they can manage it without destroying the door panel.
10-12-2015, 03:48 PM
#18
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Blind 'faith' has been trumped by experience; I'm optimistic about my cynical pessimism I guess.
There's a crossover wired between the wires that come into the door and the two drivers mounted there. No good way to test wiring and continuity through all that unless you remove the door panel. Maybe you'll be oh-so-lucky, and find that the wires into the door are just unplugged from the crossover. It could happen... But I don't plan on it.
More than a few grills and rings have started off looking excellent. That's several inches in diamater of ring with a relatively small cross-section, and all those years of becoming one with the trim and support basket. They look excellent right up until you decide to just add a tiny bit more force to just get them started turning for removal. Then a tiny crack forms, the ring loosens enough to unscrew it, and the grill is off. With a tiny crack. Sorry!
There's a crossover wired between the wires that come into the door and the two drivers mounted there. No good way to test wiring and continuity through all that unless you remove the door panel. Maybe you'll be oh-so-lucky, and find that the wires into the door are just unplugged from the crossover. It could happen... But I don't plan on it.
More than a few grills and rings have started off looking excellent. That's several inches in diamater of ring with a relatively small cross-section, and all those years of becoming one with the trim and support basket. They look excellent right up until you decide to just add a tiny bit more force to just get them started turning for removal. Then a tiny crack forms, the ring loosens enough to unscrew it, and the grill is off. With a tiny crack. Sorry!
10-12-2015, 11:09 PM
#19
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From what I can see by removing the speaker, and comparing to the driver's side which is working, the wiring that is supposed to be connected to the 4-inch driver does not reach, so there are loose ends hanging around and the speaker is not connected, but there is no obvious way to connect it. Meanwhile, the tweeter is connected properly. So I need some professional intervention, maybe some wires need to be extended.
10-13-2015, 12:35 PM
#20
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Is the door panel still mounted in the car? With that panel removed, you'll have full access to the wiring between the crossover and the drivers. With the panel in the car, there is no access for wiring fixes.
Door panel removal is a relatively simple task, documented in several places. The only fragile or delicate or sometimes sacrificial pieces are the plastic clips, and those are common parts, cheap and readily available from our regular vendors. I have a few sets of panel removal tools, but generally I use a wide gasket scraper (like a screwdriver but has a paddle end on it) to find and release the plastic clips. Harbor Freight sells sets of the panel tools in both metal and plastic if you want to get fancy. Panel removal takes two minutes after you've done it once. First time might take four minutes, with reading the instructions.
WYAIT:
928 International still shows the metal reinforcing panels used to repair panel damage from hard armrest-pulls closing the door. The felts that guide the window are not difficult to replace if the window rattles. Stan recommends a bit of clear shower curtain as an upgrade to the tired plastic membrane that protects the door panel from rain inside the door. Make sure the drain holes at the bottom of the door are clear. The 'stay' that holds the door open is easy to replace with the panel off, but IIRC can be done with just partial disassembly if needed. The grease in the window motor gearbox has turned to a wax block. Replace it with a good synthetic grease to restore proper speed and reduce wear on the window motor.
Door panel removal is a relatively simple task, documented in several places. The only fragile or delicate or sometimes sacrificial pieces are the plastic clips, and those are common parts, cheap and readily available from our regular vendors. I have a few sets of panel removal tools, but generally I use a wide gasket scraper (like a screwdriver but has a paddle end on it) to find and release the plastic clips. Harbor Freight sells sets of the panel tools in both metal and plastic if you want to get fancy. Panel removal takes two minutes after you've done it once. First time might take four minutes, with reading the instructions.
WYAIT:
928 International still shows the metal reinforcing panels used to repair panel damage from hard armrest-pulls closing the door. The felts that guide the window are not difficult to replace if the window rattles. Stan recommends a bit of clear shower curtain as an upgrade to the tired plastic membrane that protects the door panel from rain inside the door. Make sure the drain holes at the bottom of the door are clear. The 'stay' that holds the door open is easy to replace with the panel off, but IIRC can be done with just partial disassembly if needed. The grease in the window motor gearbox has turned to a wax block. Replace it with a good synthetic grease to restore proper speed and reduce wear on the window motor.