(Home) Removing the Floor-pan

If you have already done this, don’t read any further but to the uninitiated, this is a daunting task but necessary even to undertake simple jobs like checking and replacing drive belts. When you have done it once you will wonder what all the fuss was about. But don’t leave it too long, I did and was horrified to find all three belts were dangerously close to splitting. First time around, the procedure takes about 45 minutes to an hour. The following relates to the CR30 model.

  1. Chock back wheels. Select Neutral. Release handbrake.
  2. Disconnect battery earth - standard precaution against shorting something with tools, or the starter motor turning the engine.
  3. Raise engine cover (passenger seat).
  4. Remove 4 x 14mm bolts through ends of driver's seat runners into floor. Lift and tilt in towards the middle of the car to unhook the guide from side runner, and remove - first look back along the left side of the seat (with your head under the steering wheel and your nose near the fore/aft seat adjustment levr) to see how guide engages with side runner. (You MUST have the passenger seat up to get the driver's seat out.) (Picture with seat out.)
  5. Remove 4 x star screws in gear stick cowling (2 side and 2 rear) that hold it in place. If 4WD, unscrew Hi-Lo shift knob. Slide cowling up and over gearstick. Unclip cable connector for power curtains from underneath.
  6. Fold back carpet.
  7. Handbrake cable. (Picture.) Count number of protruding threads and make a note. Remove 10 mm AF nut and locknut on end of cable. Slide out square sprung C-plate holding cable sheath in place - large screwdriver?. Pull handbrake lever up and hook the cable out.
  8. Fuel cap cover release lever. Either unbolt the assembly from the floor or release the cable by disconnecting the spring, push the plastic bush out of assembly, then remove cable from assembly.
  9. Cable connectors. Two at the rear, three by the remote fuel cap cover release lever. (Note that all connectors are of a different type so they cannot be reconnected wrongly). Unhook the two cables where they go past the gear stick(s) and pull forward.
  10. Pull black plastic box for wires off metal plate at front of gear housing and tie it and the other cables so they are out of the way when the floor is re-fitted.
  11. Remove gear shift connection pin (at front) and slide out square sprung C-plate that holds the cable sheath where it passes through the floor - even larger screwdriver?
  12. Floor pan bolts. 12mm AF. Remove from the perimeter - 8 on driver’s side and 1 on passenger side plus two longer ones in the front of the gear stick assembly.
  13. Lift the floor pan and reach under to remove the handbrake cable completely from its hole.
  14. Remove floorpan by easing back and off the gear shift rod. (Picture of floorpan removed.)
  15. (4WD, Hi/Lo shift cable still attached.) Swing whole assembly round to sit on the passenger side wheel arch. If you need to remove it completely this is the easiest place to remove the Hi/Lo cable pin and slide out square sprung C-plate that holds cable sheath in place. Pull cable back through floor pan (not easy) and secure out of way (behind the oil filler neck or by the air filter housing).
  16. Remove two 10mm bolts holding fan shroud/cowling down. (Picture of engine still with cowl.)
  17. Pull handbrake cable out of recess and secure out of way.
  18. Pull hose off stay on other side of cowling.
  19. Lift cowl up and tilt back towards engine. Unclip the plastic piece, if there is one, off of the bottom of the cowl (Note: this is a pain to replace and subsequently, I have left it off from mine). (Picture of engine completely uncovered.)

Refitting is a reverse of the above - key points in bold. Points to note include: