Dashboard Air Vents & Controls

[Spawn]

I'm trying to find out if there is an easy way (short of pulling the dashboard out) of reconnecting one of the control rods that you use to open the air vent in the dash closest to the door?

 

My son, on his first trip out in the truck while it was dark, asked how to get the air flowing and I told him to reach down and pull the rod to open the vent air flow.  Mistakenly, he pulled it downward instead of toward him (again, it was dark so I can't fault the kid too much) and next thing you know he's holding the whole control rod in his hand!  It did open the vent to get the air flowing through it, but it doesn't help when the temperature starts dropping down through winter.

 

I would really like to just be able to somehow reach in and get the control rod hooked back up to whatever controls the air flow (I'm guessing it's a flapper or something) so that I can close the vent and stop the air flow coming in as it gets colder out.

 

Additionally, I'm sure I'm not alone in this, but I have noticed that the vents in the dash are extremely loose.  I can basically direct them almost anywhere horizontally, but vertical choices are straight up or straight down.  Needless to say, if I position it upwards it has a tendency to occasionally lose it's grip and flop downwards.  I know that this is just probably due to the old age of the truck and the dashboard having most likely expanded or worn out.  Is there some way to be able to restore the original functionality of the vent to b e able to position it the way I would like, and not just the way it wants.

[Spawn]

Bump!  Surely someone must have an idea of if this is even possible, and may know of a way of rejuvenating the in-dash vents?

[hobospyder]

i don't think my vents even move up and down, but i haven't moved them in a good long while. 

 

you're gonna have to crawl in upside down to see about getting the control rod back onto the flapper, should be a rubber hose type looking thing with a slit in it connecting the vent to the firewall (i think, haven't actually crawled under a dash, only pulled one). might be able to just pull that and slide the rod into it and connect. 

 

let us know how it goes

[Jersey]

Unscrew the "flapper" from the inside of the cab cowl area (4 phillips head screws, if memory serves...), disconnect the push/pull rod from the knob area and carefully drop the complete duct, rod, and flapper down and out so you can reconnect the rod. On the flapper there is a little plastic grommet that the rod goes through and connects with a Very tiny C-clip. The C-clip is most likely inside the duct...if not you may have to buy one.

[Spawn]

Thanks Jersey!  This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for.  So from the sound of it the screws holding the flapper inside the cab cowl area are up under the dash to support it and the duct work just attaches to the end of it?

 

Unscrew the "flapper" from the inside of the cab cowl area (4 phillips head screws, if memory serves...), disconnect the push/pull rod from the knob area and carefully drop the complete duct, rod, and flapper down and out so you can reconnect the rod. On the flapper there is a little plastic grommet that the rod goes through and connects with a Very tiny C-clip. The C-clip is most likely inside the duct...if not you may have to buy one.

[Jersey]

Thanks Jersey!  This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for.  So from the sound of it the screws holding the flapper inside the cab cowl area are up under the dash to support it and the duct work just attaches to the end of it?

You're welcome! Yes, that is correct. There is a sticky sponge like gasket sealing the flapper to the cowl. Once you remove the screws, use say a little metal putty knife to gently break the seal. On the other end where the knob is, there is a black plastic grommet that the rod passes through, just pop that grommet off the retention bracket and the rod should fall down. Once you do that, drop the flapper and duct down and out. You may have to manipulate the duct off of the air vent. It's been a while since I've been under there, so I hope what I have remembered helps you solve your issue: Good Luck!