Instrument panel top removal?

[Wingman12]

Any tips on removal of the top instrument panel, the thin upholstered fiberglass panel? I've removed the screws at the combed-edging but it won't budge at all. I'm used to Piper Pacer aluminum top panels that come off easily. Are there other fasteners somewhere that I'm not seeing? Viewed from underneath the instrument panel doesn't show me anything different. The fiberglass top panel acts like it's glued-down to the interior portion of the aluminum boot-cowling underneath that it overlaps.

[asa]

Isn’t it under the windshield? I thought it wasn’t necessarily designed to be taken out easily. Both my M7 and M6 have had a removable center section, not sure if that’s standard.

[Andy Young]

That fiberglass panel does indeed have a down-turned lip that the windshield glues to. It forms the edge that the bottom of the windshield seals against. The fiberglass glare shield is also riveted (or in some cases screwed) to the boot cowl.

Bottom line: There is no way to remove it without first removing the windshield.

Some do have the removable center section, particularly if, at one point, they had a tall radio stack that stuck up above the glare shield. That’s why the center section would have been cut out originally.

[Wingman12]

Thanks for the info Andy and asa!
Your posts confirm what I heard back from Bruce at Maule. The windshield would have to be removed to remove the top of the instrument panel. Yikes! Though I am a big fan of Maule design features, this sucks. Like I said, I was used to working easily through the separate top panels of Stinsons, Pacers, etc. Bruce said the last two production years included modified left and right front panels made to be removable for access/updates. There have also been some top-panel cutouts apparently done with foresight when a windshield was replaced. I'm wiring to the back of an intercom, centered between the DG and AH on the pilot's side panel, will push them back enough to work through their holes for access - hopefully.
I appreciate the feedback!

[Andy Young]

Yeah, the stock design is definitely sub-optimal for doing work behind the panel. Modifying it so that there is a removable panel that covers nearly the entire top of the fiberglass piece is a wise move, if you ever have the windshield out.

One trick in dealing with stock configuration is make sure that everything you install in the panel has a nice, long “service loop” in it’s wiring harness, such that you can either pull it through the front of the panel or drop it out the bottom far enough to work on, without having to disconnect the wires. That allows you to work on the wiring itself in a comfortable position, instead of up under the panel.

[Wingman12]

Absolutely correct Andy,
I've only owned this Maule for a few months, knew what improvements I wanted to make but didn't realize the top-panel situation. Of course there are lots of zip-tied bundles behind the panel, containing the usual rats-nest of wires from mods over the decades. I'll have to carefully clip those and we know that the more handling, pulling and tugging on wires means more threat of creating further problems! Been there, done that!

[Andy Young]

Yeah, it sort of surprised me too, when I first bought my Maule many years ago, having previously mostly worked on Pipers and Citabrias/Scouts, which have removable glare shields ( panel covers). Then I started working on Cessnas, and found they have non-removable glare shields as well. Such a bummer, especially on those really tall, very packed panels that 206s have.

If I had it my way, all panels would be on slides and rollers, like tool box drawers, with plenty of extra wire and hose etc, so they can be slid all the way out to work on stuff.

[Wingman12]

Yeah, you should patent that roller-drawer idea Andy! It coulda/shoulda been adopted decades ago, but... Sounds like you've had enough experience with that, too. I think I can do what I need to by dismounting the AH just enough to pull intercom and the available wire bundle slack out through that hole to do the wiring to the back of the intercom connector to add the rear seat jacks that I've already installed and wired. We'll see. I'm surely not going to remove the windshield for this item!