IndianaKenny
Member
- Joined
- July 31, 2014
- Messages
- 48
- Reaction score
- 2
- City, State
- Lafayette, Indiana
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2002 & 2004 Explorer
Well, let me start by saying THANK YOU, for your everyone's posts, regarding the "vents not blowing". My son just had the common problem of the little plastic tab breaking off his 2004 Explorer. Your posts took me right to the problem, with some EXCELLENT advice and pictures. I've read where you can spend $700 at the dealership, or spend hours taking apart the dash, to replace the stupid little plastic-tab-operated door, that allows air to come out of the vents.
READ THIS IN IT'S ENTIRETY BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO COMPLETE THIS TASK!!!
Some of us consider us "creative". I consider myself kinda handy, so I'll walk you through the repairs I made, that are working fine, and hopefully you can have as much luck as I did, and be enjoying a nice breeze from your dash vents, (and not just be limited to the floor vents or defroster vents), again.
I spent approximately $6.00 at Lowes, and used some J B Weld, that I already had. I'm going to walk you through the repair, and drop a couple of notes along the way, hoping that you fully understand the process, and do not have any troubles along the way.
My supply list:
some J B Weld, about 1/4 tube of steel and hardener is enough.
1 1/4 x 20 bolt x 1&1/4" long
3 1/4 x 20 nuts
1 1/4 x 20 stop nut - (has the nylon ring/inset, to lock it in place) also called a lock nut
1 crossbar - normally used to install a light fixture in your home electrical box Lowes sku # 41055
1 10 x 24 x 1" round head screw/bolt
1 nut to fit the 10 x 24 screw/bolt
1 lock nut to fit the 10 x 24 screw/bolt
Thread the (3) 1/4 x 20 nuts on to the bolt. Lock them together as you add them, one at a time. It should look like this:
Insert your new "Pivit point" through the big hole in the middle of the crossbar, and add the 1/4 x 20 lock nut, it should now look like this:
Make a mark exactly 1" from the center of the bolt (pivit point"), like this:
I cut the other side of the crossbar off, and then took it to the grinder, to round off the corners. Do this to yours too, as there will be a plastic vent tube that will be in your way later, which will restrict the rotation of the new bracket. Once you're done grinding, it should look like this:
Now you're going to add the #10 - 24 x 1" bolt and one nut to the bracket. It should look like this :
NOTES:
1. I ORIGINALLY USED TOO SHORT OF A BOLT FOR THIS PICTURE, YOUR LITTLE BOLT SHOULD BE LONGER THAN THE ONE IN THIS PICTURE.
2...THE UNUSED THREADS ON THE LITTLE SCREW/BOLT SHOULD BE FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE "PIVOT".
The engineering and fabrication of your new bracket is now over. Take a minute to be amazed at how Ford's engineers got you in this situation.
At this point, I took a razor blade and cut off the little plastic tab, of the old part that sticks out, towards the glove box, as I wanted the old broken bracket to be flat/flush with the new bracket. Sorry I don't have a picture of this, but at this point, I was struggling getting my fat fingers in to this cramped space. Just trust me on this one, it takes a few minutes to carve it off, but it is necessary.
NOTE: THIS IS ABOUT THE TIME I DROPPED THE NEWLY FABRICATED BRACKET, AND IT FELL INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE CONSOLE, TO BE LOST FOR ETERNITY.
I MADE A DUPLICATE OF THE BRACKET, AND TIED ABOUT 24" OF STRING TO IT. THIS CAME IN HANDY WHEN I DROPPED THE SECOND BRACKET, BECAUSE I JUST PULLED IT RIGHT BACK UP, AND OUT OF THE GATES OF HELL.
YOU'LL SEE A REMNANT OF THE STRING IN A LATER PICTURE, AND YOU'LL NOTICE i USED ANOTHER BRACKET THAT I HAD IN MY GARAGE.
Now, mix up a pile of J B Weld. Coat it heavily around the 1/4 x 20 nuts, and quickly slide the assembly into the round hole, just above the broken area. This round hole is the part where the vent door rotates open and closed. The sloppiness you will experience will go away as the jb weld cures, as the nuts and inside of the tube are not quite the same diameter/size. This will slide in easily, so slide it in and let the J B Weld do it's work. MAKE SURE THE NEW BRACKET IS AT THE SAME ORIENTATION AS THE BROKEN TAB!!!
NOTE: IF THE LITTLE METAL ARM OF THE ACTUATOR IS IN YOUR WAY, SIMPLY START THE EXPLORER, AND CHANGE THE SETTING FROM "VENT" TO "DEFROST", OR VISA VERSA. tHE ARM WILL RETRACT OUT OF YOUR WAY.
IMPORTANT !!! Now take a break, at least 45-60 minutes.
After your break, slide the little metal arm from the vacuum actuator over the small bolt, and then install the #10 lock nut. DO NOT tighten it, just snug it up, to allow the flat arm to move freely around the little bolt. You just want the nut to stay on the bolt, without ever unthreading.
READ THIS IN IT'S ENTIRETY BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO COMPLETE THIS TASK!!!
Some of us consider us "creative". I consider myself kinda handy, so I'll walk you through the repairs I made, that are working fine, and hopefully you can have as much luck as I did, and be enjoying a nice breeze from your dash vents, (and not just be limited to the floor vents or defroster vents), again.
I spent approximately $6.00 at Lowes, and used some J B Weld, that I already had. I'm going to walk you through the repair, and drop a couple of notes along the way, hoping that you fully understand the process, and do not have any troubles along the way.
My supply list:
some J B Weld, about 1/4 tube of steel and hardener is enough.
1 1/4 x 20 bolt x 1&1/4" long
3 1/4 x 20 nuts
1 1/4 x 20 stop nut - (has the nylon ring/inset, to lock it in place) also called a lock nut
1 crossbar - normally used to install a light fixture in your home electrical box Lowes sku # 41055
1 10 x 24 x 1" round head screw/bolt
1 nut to fit the 10 x 24 screw/bolt
1 lock nut to fit the 10 x 24 screw/bolt
Thread the (3) 1/4 x 20 nuts on to the bolt. Lock them together as you add them, one at a time. It should look like this:
Insert your new "Pivit point" through the big hole in the middle of the crossbar, and add the 1/4 x 20 lock nut, it should now look like this:
Make a mark exactly 1" from the center of the bolt (pivit point"), like this:
I cut the other side of the crossbar off, and then took it to the grinder, to round off the corners. Do this to yours too, as there will be a plastic vent tube that will be in your way later, which will restrict the rotation of the new bracket. Once you're done grinding, it should look like this:
Now you're going to add the #10 - 24 x 1" bolt and one nut to the bracket. It should look like this :
NOTES:
1. I ORIGINALLY USED TOO SHORT OF A BOLT FOR THIS PICTURE, YOUR LITTLE BOLT SHOULD BE LONGER THAN THE ONE IN THIS PICTURE.
2...THE UNUSED THREADS ON THE LITTLE SCREW/BOLT SHOULD BE FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE "PIVOT".
The engineering and fabrication of your new bracket is now over. Take a minute to be amazed at how Ford's engineers got you in this situation.
At this point, I took a razor blade and cut off the little plastic tab, of the old part that sticks out, towards the glove box, as I wanted the old broken bracket to be flat/flush with the new bracket. Sorry I don't have a picture of this, but at this point, I was struggling getting my fat fingers in to this cramped space. Just trust me on this one, it takes a few minutes to carve it off, but it is necessary.
NOTE: THIS IS ABOUT THE TIME I DROPPED THE NEWLY FABRICATED BRACKET, AND IT FELL INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE CONSOLE, TO BE LOST FOR ETERNITY.
I MADE A DUPLICATE OF THE BRACKET, AND TIED ABOUT 24" OF STRING TO IT. THIS CAME IN HANDY WHEN I DROPPED THE SECOND BRACKET, BECAUSE I JUST PULLED IT RIGHT BACK UP, AND OUT OF THE GATES OF HELL.
YOU'LL SEE A REMNANT OF THE STRING IN A LATER PICTURE, AND YOU'LL NOTICE i USED ANOTHER BRACKET THAT I HAD IN MY GARAGE.
Now, mix up a pile of J B Weld. Coat it heavily around the 1/4 x 20 nuts, and quickly slide the assembly into the round hole, just above the broken area. This round hole is the part where the vent door rotates open and closed. The sloppiness you will experience will go away as the jb weld cures, as the nuts and inside of the tube are not quite the same diameter/size. This will slide in easily, so slide it in and let the J B Weld do it's work. MAKE SURE THE NEW BRACKET IS AT THE SAME ORIENTATION AS THE BROKEN TAB!!!
NOTE: IF THE LITTLE METAL ARM OF THE ACTUATOR IS IN YOUR WAY, SIMPLY START THE EXPLORER, AND CHANGE THE SETTING FROM "VENT" TO "DEFROST", OR VISA VERSA. tHE ARM WILL RETRACT OUT OF YOUR WAY.
IMPORTANT !!! Now take a break, at least 45-60 minutes.
After your break, slide the little metal arm from the vacuum actuator over the small bolt, and then install the #10 lock nut. DO NOT tighten it, just snug it up, to allow the flat arm to move freely around the little bolt. You just want the nut to stay on the bolt, without ever unthreading.
