TE 28 Entertainment System

[MeyrickP]

I have a new to me TE 28 Engine Box "Andiamo". There is an old broken entertainment system built in to the top of the hanging locker, essentially an old car radio.

Trouble is I can't take it out to replace or fix. In addition there is an old Sirius XM Radio holder (no receiver however) which seems to be screwed in from underneath(which means on top of the radio which I cant remove).

Any experience anywhere on how to wrestle this problem to the ground?

Meyrick

[Pitou]

I've been through this frustration when the original Sony unit stopped playing cd's. I had the same issue. When I purchased a replacement ... a Clarion unit that was sat. & ipod ready ... same size, it came with a tool that depressed the tabs on the aluminum case that hold the radio in place. I was relieved, remember the trim ring needs to be popped off first. If you buy a standard size replacement the tool will be included or if you want to get it out ahead of time, visit a local radio shack store .... I bet they could help to get you a tool or maybe try someone like Crutchfield they have great knowledgable customer service reps. Once the tool is in hand you'll be on your way!

[Russell]

In my TE28 the air conditioner vent on top of the hanging locker can be removed with two screws allowing access to the radio mechanical supports and all its connections. Exchange with a new unit was fairly easy. When I put in the new Sony Explode radio I inserted the screw that prevents removal of the face plate which often fell off in heavy waves on the old unit resulting it its demise.

[DougSea]

I've been through this frustration when the original Sony unit stopped playing cd's. I had the same issue. When I purchased a replacement ... a Clarion unit that was sat. & ipod ready ... same size, it came with a tool that depressed the tabs on the aluminum case that hold the radio in place. I was relieved, remember the trim ring needs to be popped off first. If you buy a standard size replacement the tool will be included or if you want to get it out ahead of time, visit a local radio shack store .... I bet they could help to get you a tool or maybe try someone like Crutchfield they have great knowledgable customer service reps. Once the tool is in hand you'll be on your way!

A couple of small screwdrivers can also substitue for the "retaining clip tool" in many cases. My stereo had a slide in bracket that you could unscrew once the radio slid out. And if you lookup the old stereo on the internet (or contact Crutchfield as Kevin suggests) you can probably figure out how to release it. Most stereos are built to be installed from the front so it's unlikely you need to take too much apart to get to it.

[joe.baar]

I installed a new radio with CD player two winters ago. At the same time I "rationalized" the rats' nest of connectors and wiring into plastic pipe and moved the antenna over to a whip on the radar arch. Finally I added a perforated plate under the radio. All this prevents coat hangers etc. from hanging up in the wiring or radio, improves access to its underside somewhat, and causes sound to issue reliably from all four speakers. The new radio was just slightly higher and wider than the old one, and that combined with the wiring changes required removal of the hanging locker front. This provided a great opportunity for some deep cleaning and I'm pleased to report that I did not break or smash anything. Because the locker front fits very tightly, removing it required all my carpentry skills for almost a day and replacing it also took half a day. I discovered new uses for a wide-blade mudding knife along the way. Unfortunately there is no photographic record of this project, which took from November through February to execute due to the limited amounts of time available for any one session.

I don't intend to discourage anyone from doing this work but if you find you need to do more than just pull the old unit and insert a new one please be aware the work is fussy. I even tried to remove the forward partition of the locker but was never able to determine how it's attached, well enough even to wiggle it.

Cheers,