How to: My take on the blend door fix for 95+ Explorers (several pics)

[vbtruk]

Zulu i think your right but i will check tomorrow. here is a pic of the exploded diagram for the upper plenum chamber. #41 is the shaft that i have, #10 is the Blend door motor and #2 is the part i assume you are talking about Zulu. Remember this diagram will look like it's the wrong way around but it's for my X (right hand Drive) either way i can buy the part sigularly.

 

[Zulu95]

From what I remember the broken part was actually insde the plenum chamber and was a white plastic "socket" that was driven by the motor. To effect a repair would involve removing the plenum, splitting it and then installing the new parts. I suspect that Ford may have already dug a pit there for those who go this route by making the door of the same material so it will also break! The whole situation is obviously a design flaw that Ford exploit. Something to add the the equation when it comes to the next vehicle I purchase.

 

[vbtruk]

Okcheck this out Zulu! i pulled out the passenger airbag and glove box and with a little difficultty i pulled out the blend door motor which has a D shapped shaft attached to it (This worked fine). to my suprise the part #41 on that diagram doesn't seem to be where it should be, (doesn't exist) but on the diagram which you cant see that shaft goes into the blend door itself, so i assume that in my car the long D shaped pin attached to the motor acctualy goes inside the blend door and moves it or the socket like you said which would sit inside the top of the blend door pivot point???
i will be pulling out my dash to fix it and there are blend door's available at ford so should i just buy the blend door as it look's like the motor attaches directly into it???
here are pic's of the blend door motor of the bottom with that D shapped shaft
Thanks Again.

 

[vbtruk]

...............

 

[Zulu95]

vbtruk: From memory that sounds about right. My unit was replaced totally, it was all that Ford offered here at the time.
At this time I always say replace the heater core be it good or bad as all the dash will have to come out again if it starts to leak all over your feet later!
Hope this helps!

 

[gerwalker]

My explorer emits a fairly loud "clicking" noise when I select a different mode for the automatic heat/air system and nothing happens. Does this sound like the same problem you had?

 

[chadb]

Possible jury rig?

I have this idea you know.. On the bottom of your plenum you will find a round nub that is the bottom hinge for the plenum door. I might be possible to drill a hole it, affix a shaft to it and move the plenum door to the bottom with a harness extension. Or you might be able to glue some kinda adapter to it on the bottom and hook the motor to it. Anyway you look at it this sucks. Never again will I get a ford.

 

[Red97EBV8]

How do you get that last nut?

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!

OK. After reading this thread, I decided to tackle my blend door problem myself. I'm in the middle of the plenum replacement on my 97 5.0. I'm down to the very last nut holding the plenum. The dash is out, the console is out, many pieces under the hood is out, the evaporator housing is loose, and three of the four nuts holding the plenum are out. I'm left with one last, stubborn nut. The one on the engine side of the firewall on the lowermost stud. I have tried pulling back the evaporator housing and reaching alongside the firewall, but my hand is too big. I can't even get close. I tried sliding my hand along side the head back to the firewall. This worked a little better, I could get a finger on the nut, but not enough to remove it. The only thing I can see to try now is to remove the throttle body and the 90 degree turn that connects it to the upper intake plenum. It looks like that would give me a little more room. For those who have successfully done this, how do you get this last stinkin' nut?

Thanks.

Billy

 

[Red97EBV8]

OK. I finally finished it. I must disagree with the person who described his project as the "Project From Hell". This was the "Project From Hell". I read everything I could on this before starting, and here's the things that gave me the most trouble:
- Using a Haynes manual. I thought it would be easier to refer to pictures vs the diagrams in the Ford manual. Wrong. Use the Ford manual. The Haynes manual instructs you to remove things you don't need to remove, and it doesn't tell you to remove things you do need to remove.
- Removal of the evaporator. I read that you had to remove the evaporator, and I read that you didn't have to. Well, if my wife (who has smaller hands) hadn't been willing to help, I wouldn't have been able to get the lowest nut behind the evaporator. Well, maybe I could have. I would have starting removing stuff. The next thing would have been the intake.
- I would completely remove the console. It's not much more work, and I had much more room to work.
- Try to get the blend door motor in proper position before starting. I didn't, and the motor wouldn't go on the new plenum because the shaft was too far to one direction. And at this point the dash was out and I had no way of driving the motor to any other position. I had to install the motor after installing the dash. I had to enlist my wife with small hands again.
- You will need two people to remove and reinstall the dash. I also needed a helper for installing the plenum to the firewall.

Thanks to you all for your help.

 

[smithg3]

My repair on the blend door... remove the door actuator (white electronics box), take out the glove box, find ductwork, cut a rectangular hole in the plenum box to the left of the heater core and continue the hole to the top of the box to make the door removal easier, reach in and pull out door.
Reattached the spindle on the door with a new metal piece that I fabricated to replace the broken plastic one. Sealed up the box with epoxy and new plastic pieced, and reattached the electronic actuator.
Been fixed for two years with perfect operation with the electronic temperature control.

Much cheaper than buying the part and MUCH less of a headache than removing the dash and awaking a whole bunch of gremlins like lights not working, etc.

You have to have a little inginuity and the willingness to fabricate your own replacement parts.

Good luck.

 

[Opera House]

Reach in and pull out the door

I cut a hole more than a year ago and reached in and moved the door to get heat. Haven't had too much of an urge to do more. Are you saying that I could bend the door enough without breaking it to get it out of the mounting holes? The AC guys were going in from the engine, but that was when Ford would sell the door as a replacement part. I thought about making a metal dowel with a slot to straddle the door and to EDM the keyway for the actuator. Might be a good Spring project.

 

[jjue]

I'm sure that when I said that certain A/C components didn't need to be removed, I forgot to mention that I am 5'10", 145 lbs., and wear a medium glove, although the Mechanix gloves that I just bought are a large this time.

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

Guys...I did the free fix a month ago and still works very well. Here's the thread:

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24962

There's a link for the fix.