Wiring behind dash panel question

[coachgeo]

For those that have dealt with wires behind dash panel.... am replacing turn signal/headlight Stalk. Pulled front panel to access plugs to unplug it. Plugs are too large to pull out of access hole in dash floor without some magic. There appears to be a plate bolted onto floor of the cavity behind the dash panel. This plate appears to slightly cover the hole the wiring goes up into that area thru. My question is will unbolting that plate open more access to the hole the wires go thru? Not sure what that plate is in there for.

Thank you in advance.

Update: On second look today with better lighting..... the piece bolted into the floor of the cavity does not cover the access hole at all. It is very close to its edge... but does not cover it.

 

[scottmandu]

I've never had to remove a panel to get the connectors out. If you finagle them properly they will go through the hole.

 

[coachgeo]

I've never had to remove a panel to get the connectors out. If you finagle them properly they will go through the hole.

Finagles with them for about 2.5 hours.... apparently I don't have the right JuJu magic in me.

 

[coachgeo]

Welll after another 2 hours.... gave up on removing the wiring harness plug ends thru the existing hole (right side of steering column; toward front). Two set of eyes and hands agreed after fussing with the harness plug ends; there was absolutely no way it was going to go thru there. So cut the plug ends off with enough room to wire back together if ever necessary. Disassembled stalk from steering column and boxed it all up as a semi working spare... Using a sheet metal hole cutter; created new hole to push harness plugs thru for ease of installing the replacement unit. Plugged it all in... Reinstalled everything..... Done.

Could there have been an additional wires harness coming up thru the original hole that most other trucks do not have? Thinking that may have been case since it is possible another harness was added up thru same access hole for turning on any snow plow lights, or controls for plow etc. Plausible since this was a plow truck at one point? There were two big bundles of wire in corrugated cover, and a second smaller one also corrugated cover. In addition the Turn Signal/headlight Stalk harness we were messing with along with a small vacuum tube to the air cleaner gauge.