Doghouse removal Precept 36a

apgarrett · 04-11-2022, 06:07 PM

Anyone have experience removing the engine doghouse from a 2020 or similar Precept 36a?

I am ready to put some Dynamat hood liner under it to help with the sound and heat. I thought I would ask for tips from anyone who has attempted this. My dash looks different from the Precept in the Marks Upgrades post.

See picture.

CAG · 04-11-2022, 07:06 PM

Did you try Googling this? Amazing what you can find including YouTube videos on various improvements.

apgarrett · 04-11-2022, 08:28 PM

Not yet. I was simply looking for someone to have a dialog with. If there is a trick to make something easier I usually find it from people on the forum that don’t like to make videos.

But thanks. I will google it if no one has any input.

MRichaud · 04-12-2022, 04:11 AM

Recently did my '20 31UL, which is similar to the pic you posted, though the center panel on mine only has two screws on each side holding it in place. Not terribly difficult, but an extra pair of hands will definitely help. I only had to remove the center panel, though I think others have lifted the dash as well.

Besides the screws you see along the bottom of the doghouse, there are a few on the inside, and you'll need to remove the center panel with the a/c controls and the infotainment unit. There is a screw that attaches each of the a/c ducts; remove those so you can pull the panel a bit farther away. Also, I removed the light switch, as the wires prevented pulling the panel enough to lift the doghouse. (Be sure to note which wire goes to which post!)

Once all the screws are removed the doghouse can be removed, but it's a bit fiddly; you'll have to twist it back and forth to get it free. That's when those other two hands to hold the center panel up and away will come in handy. (Same with replacing the doghouse.)

If you run into any difficulty, PM me and I'll try to assist.

apgarrett · 04-12-2022, 05:52 AM

Thanks! That was exactly what I was looking for. I was worried I would have to remove the black dash panel which looks like it would require a lot of work with the dash.

I’ve had the center section off to replace the stereo with the Boss head unit and to rewire my backup camera. That when I changed out the screws to button heads and added the third screw for more support.

I really appreciate the input. This is a job I’m excited about but I keep putting off because I really didn’t want to lift the dash.

MRichaud · 04-12-2022, 05:58 AM

Glad to help any way I can, as I've received plenty of help here and hope to pay it forward whenever possible. Good luck with it!

By the way, I covered mine with Second Skin Damplifier, then added foil-backed bubble wrap. So far so good. Lowered the heat on the doghouse and it did help with noise when accelerating and downshifting revs. Cruising made a bigger difference. May do under the floors and wheel wells next...

ladder16 · 04-12-2022, 06:59 AM

Hi apgarrett,
It would be a great help if could you take photos of the doghouse removal process. Thanks

apgarrett · 04-12-2022, 07:01 AM

I'm going to do a similar floorboard setup that is outlined in Mark's mods post with Dynamat and the black Dynamat vinyl. I was also thinking about putting some Dynamat under the chassis on the driver's and passenger side to add even more sound proofing.

The transmission and exhaust are extremely loud. I'm really hoping this reduces some of the noise. I'm sure it will help.

Glad to hear the doghouse work made a difference. Its funny how some jobs get in your head. I've been putting this one off too long. I'll PM you if I run into anything!

apgarrett · 04-12-2022, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladder16

Hi apgarrett,
It would be a great help if could you take photos of the doghouse removal process. Thanks

I sure will. It will be at least a couple of weeks before I get to it.

Parrott · 04-12-2022, 08:55 AM

I had to remove the center panel on my 31 UL to get to the screws holding the doghouse on. I found wires hanging down making it impossible to slide back in without pinching wires. I cut a piece of 1/4 plywood and put a floor in the center panel. I didn’t put the screws back in under the center panel after putting the doghouse back in.
Oh, the wiring is a mess back there!

apgarrett · 04-12-2022, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parrott

Oh, the wiring is a mess back there!

Amen to that. Every time I get back there, I'm shocked. I own a company that wires industrial electronics cabinets, and we are meticulous about wire routing and labeling. I have an anxiety attack when I see that rats nest.

Good tip on the plywood to hold it up. That would help a lot.

MRichaud · 04-12-2022, 11:18 AM

Yeah, I tried tidying up the spaghetti back there, but it looked like I would've had to pull the dash to make any true progress. I did manage to zip tie a few of them, but to do much more I'd have had to disconnect too many wires as well as cut excess length on some. Lots of unconnected wires as well - who knows what they're for!

apgarrett · 05-05-2022, 02:10 PM

I finally got around to pulling this doghouse and insulating it. I tried to get some pictures, but they didn't turn out great. I did learn some things that might make it easier for folks if they tackle it.

Quickly on the results:

I drove it to a state park this last weekend. It was about 200 miles round trip. Some good hills that required high rpms and high speed (65mph) interstate time. It was a lot quieter. My wife commented about home much easier it was to talk to me and kids. We also didn't have that constant drone that makes your head ache after about an hour. You definitely hear more wind noise, but I'll take that over the engine noise any day. You could also put your bare feet on the doghouse without getting them burnt which was a major complaint from my wife.

There was nothing insulating my doghouse at all (2020 Precept 36A). Looks like they spayed it with a thin coat of body liner. This seems totally ridiculous to me, but my 2019 Georgetown had the same issue with heat and noise.

Out of all of my modifications; solar, sumo springs, snap pads, safet plus, and others, this is my favorite. It made that big of a difference in the comfort of driving the thing.

Keys to removal:

1. The screws mounting the doghouse looked like Torx head screws. For the life of me, a T15 was too small and a T20 wouldn't fit. Being the ape that I am, I tried to force a T20 thinking it was the paint. That resulted in a destroyed T20 head. I finally tried a number 2 square head driver, and it fit perfect. That was step one.

2. There are screws inside the dash along the front just below the radio panel. You'll have to move wires, but they are really easy to find. I just propped the radio section up to the side and never removed any wires connected to it.

3. The screws that mount the dog house lip behind all of the wires, on what I call the firewall, take some searching. Mine had 4. But clearly they just put them where ever they want so you might have more or less. One was in a section all the way to the right of the cavity behind the radio where the dash starts to come into the firewall. As a result, there wasn't room to put a screwdriver on it. I have a small ratcheting bit driver, I'll add the picture later. This thing seems to always save my bacon. There wasn't enough room to the get the screw out before it started to touch the front dash panel. Using my ape skills, I just kept cranking with the hope that there would be enough give in the dash panel. There was. I did not put this screw back in this spot when I finished. I drove it with a driver in a section that was just to the left and more accessible.

4. With all of the screws now removed, I used a razer knife to cut the silicon that was put between the firewall and the dog house lip. If you don't do this, it will pull the trim along the sides where it connects. I know this because I started pulling before doing this step. See ape... maybe bigfoot.

5. Once this was done, I had a buddy pull up on the dash where the radio section was disconnected. I instructed him to not pull like an ape. Just a little to help us clear. I pulled and tilted a little on the dog house and it came out with only a little resistance. Ok, maybe a lot of resistance, but I never thought we were going to tear anything up. There is enough give in the panels to get this thing out without removal of the dash which was my biggest fear (besides snake clowns).

6. I put two sections of Dynamount extreme directly on the underside of the doghouse, then Dynamount hood liner over that until the whole thing was insulated underneath.

7. I slid a piece of cardboard to pull the wire rat nest up while I bigfoot shoved the now insulated dog house back in while my buddy pulled up on the dash (great suggestion from earlier). The cardboard mostly worked. A little harder piece of mdf board would have been better. I just stopped a little short of the fire wall, and grabbed and lifted all the wires and made sure none got trapped between the dog house and the firewall. Just make sure you can remove the cardboard as you go. It gets wedged in pretty good. I had to stop and pull it out a little as I pushed it in.

8. The holes don't line up at all now. Yeah! This means you nailed it. So, I started at the front screw holes of the doghouse where it connects to the floor. I put a pry bar between the floor and the dog house to create about 1/2" of space. I could see the screw come through the dog house before it got to the floor. That helped me line up the screw to the existing hole in the floor. I did this all around and the screws started to line up. Its physics so I'm told. I then did the front dash below the radio, all of these lined up for me. Then I did the dog house to fire wall. Two lined up, The third was the one I moved as noted above, and the forth I just drove in as it defied the laws of physics. Everything looked like it was aligned perfectly at this point.

9. Put the radio dash section back in. Then I played some music to make sure I didn't disconnect anything while I gleefully pushed all of the dash buttons and AC knobs like a bigfoot. Success.

10. Poured a bourbon over ice for me and my buddy as a thank you. Then spent 30 minutes talking about the job because it only took an hour and neither of us wanted to go inside our houses yet. Total project time 90 Minutes with bourbon.

Pictures will follow... I promise. Hopes this helps someone!

MRichaud · 05-05-2022, 05:14 PM

Glad you got that behind you! And your findings were exactly like mine; thanks for documenting it so well for others.

ladder16 · 05-05-2022, 06:26 PM

Thanks for the info. I am going to put insulating the doghouse on my list. You make it sound a lot easier than my dealers instructions.

apgarrett · 05-05-2022, 07:05 PM

No problem! Glad I could help.

Parrott · 05-05-2022, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by apgarrett

7. I slid a piece of cardboard to pull the wire rat nest up while I bigfoot shoved the now insulated dog house back in while my buddy pulled up on the dash (great suggestion from earlier). The cardboard mostly worked. A little harder piece of mdf board would have been better. I just stopped a little short of the fire wall, and grabbed and lifted all the wires and made sure none got trapped between the dog house and the firewall. Just make sure you can remove the cardboard as you go. It gets wedged in pretty good. I had to stop and pull it out a little as I pushed it in.
!

I cut a piece of 1/4” piece of plywood and mounted permanently in the bottom to keep the rats nest of wires up for future removal of the doghouse after insulating mine.

apgarrett · 05-05-2022, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parrott

I cut a piece of 1/4” piece of plywood and mounted permanently in the bottom to keep the rats nest of wires up for future removal of the doghouse after insulating mine.

Your idea was where I got the idea for the cardboard! I was just a little too lazy to go that far but it would definitely help when you have to do maintenance down the road. Plugs/wires, etc.

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