Broken blend door thingy.

[motc777]

Hello. I'm new to this place, but I found a topic on here that I needed some more questions answered.

I'm having the classic problem of the AC coming out of the defog and front vents. After searching on the net, was directed here, and I found this photo on your site.

That's my problem. That plastic peice on mine is also snapped. i'm not a good worker with sheet metal, but i'm wondering, is that plastic piece something that just pops off, or is it a solid part of an assembly? Can I just pry it off and snap a new one on and then connect the metal arm to the plastic piece and drive on? I don't even know what that little plastic piece is officially called.

Any help is much obliged.

 

[motc777]

no takers? Surely someone knows?

 

[Deadaxx]

Try this site...different situations, but this guy helped me with my entire blend door.

http://heatertreater.net/

 

[motc777]

Try this site...different situations, but this guy helped me with my entire blend door.

http://heatertreater.net/

Thanks, and yes his videos are good. However, they don't show the removal of that part in question, or what it's nomenclature is.

 

[Deadaxx]

Possibly, I know this part snaps into place into that shaft. If it's broken, you won't be able to get it out...

If you have the time, you can remove the dash and build your own L shaped arm. You just need to drill a hole perpendicular to shaft and place the arm through it (supported by bolt and nut)....

U'd probably be better off just replacing the door with one of his metal kits though. Mine works fine

 

[motc777]

Possibly, I know this part snaps into place into that shaft. If it's broken, you won't be able to get it out...

why is that? If it snaps into place, can't you pry it off?

U'd probably be better off just replacing the door with one of his metal kits though. Mine works fine

Doesn't that involve disassembling the whole dash?

 

[Deadaxx]

I just noticed your picture, it snapped off at the lever, not in the shaft....when I was taking mine out, I had to destroy it to pull it out, there was not enough room for me work in that space. I'ts extremely tight if your dash is still on.

When I bought the kit, I used his short-cut...I cut the dash parts in half with my dremmel and worked at it in maybe 1/3 to 1/4 the time. His videos are on youtube.

 

[motc777]

I just noticed your picture, it snapped off at the lever, not in the shaft....when I was taking mine out, I had to destroy it to pull it out, there was not enough room for me work in that space. I'ts extremely tight if your dash is still on.

When I bought the kit, I used his short-cut...I cut the dash parts in half with my dremmel and worked at it in maybe 1/3 to 1/4 the time. His videos are on youtube.

o.k. just so I can understand you correctly in my mind, you are saying that I can pull the lever off and just replace it, or is it more complicated than that?

 

[skeeter123]

That's a great picture of exactly the same problem I have on my 2002 Explorer. Twice I built a little plastic extension with a screw thru it (to mate with the vacuum actuator) and tried to super-glue it to the lever-arm. Both times I ended up dropping it into the void below. That was at least 6 months ago. Seeing your picture makes me want to give it one more try. I believe that the plastic arm is one piece with the whole vent door; ie you can't snap out a small part of it and replace it. Since I live in Florida it's not really a problem; but if I go up to Carolina for Christmas I'll really need the defrost. Right now it's set at about 50/50 defrost/front vents.

And I just checked out the heatertreater website, it addresses problems with the Blend Door, which controls the mixing of hot & cold air, and is driven by an electric motor; not the vent-control door which directs the air to the defrost or front vents, and is driven by that vacuum-actuator with the red vacuum line (as in the photo).

 

[motc777]

That's a great picture of exactly the same problem I have on my 2002 Explorer. Twice I built a little plastic extension with a screw thru it (to mate with the vacuum actuator) and tried to super-glue it to the lever-arm. Both times I ended up dropping it into the void below. That was at least 6 months ago. Seeing your picture makes me want to give it one more try. I believe that the plastic arm is one piece with the whole vent door; ie you can't snap out a small part of it and replace it. Since I live in Florida it's not really a problem; but if I go up to Carolina for Christmas I'll really need the defrost. Right now it's set at about 50/50 defrost/front vents.

If this is true, sweet **** taking all that off it going to suck

 

[Deadaxx]

That's a great picture of exactly the same problem I have on my 2002 Explorer. Twice I built a little plastic extension with a screw thru it (to mate with the vacuum actuator) and tried to super-glue it to the lever-arm. Both times I ended up dropping it into the void below. That was at least 6 months ago. Seeing your picture makes me want to give it one more try. I believe that the plastic arm is one piece with the whole vent door; ie you can't snap out a small part of it and replace it. Since I live in Florida it's not really a problem; but if I go up to Carolina for Christmas I'll really need the defrost. Right now it's set at about 50/50 defrost/front vents.

And I just checked out the heatertreater website, it addresses problems with the Blend Door, which controls the mixing of hot & cold air, and is driven by an electric motor; not the vent-control door which directs the air to the defrost or front vents, and is driven by that vacuum-actuator with the red vacuum line (as in the photo).

The heater treater kit comes with a metal lever that screws into the new blend door assembly.

And about the plastic lever; if you just think about it, the plastic lever/door has to be built in two pieces – they could never get it in place if it wasn’t. When I took mine out, you can see that it was inserted into the end of the shaft that protrudes out of the mixing box. The space is ridiculously tight and you will need small nimble hands or a total removal of the dash to get access to it. Like I said, you’re better off replacing the whole thing….

I sound like a salesman for the guy…lol….but he helped me out big time

 

[motc777]

The heater treater kit comes with a metal lever that screws into the new blend door assembly.

And about the plastic lever; if you just think about it, the plastic lever/door has to be built in two pieces – they could never get it in place if it wasn’t. When I took mine out, you can see that it was inserted into the end of the shaft that protrudes out of the mixing box. The space is ridiculously tight and you will need small nimble hands or a total removal of the dash to get access to it. Like I said, you’re better off replacing the whole thing….

I sound like a salesman for the guy…lol….but he helped me out big time

So you can replace the entire vent door without removing the dash?

 

[Deadaxx]

Yea, you can....it does involve cutting some parts on your dash. Fortunately, they aren't visible. Youtube Explorer Blend door or something along those lines.

 

[kstrayhorn]

I don't think you need to remove the door. If the end of it in the picture that looks like a hollow tube is not damaged, there is no need to remove it, just build a 90 degree piece of metal to connect the end of it to the vacuum. It is hard for me to judge by the picture exactly what is damaged and what needs to be done, but trust me you do not want to replace that door!