Just picked up a 97 LSC

Ken Shepard said:
I've seen now a couple times where people are going in behind the msg center and putting a zip tie around the broken portion apparently this works? Anyone heard of this
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I've heard of somebody doing this with good results. I inspected mine a few weeks ago via removing the display and found that the reinforcement I did a decade ago is letting loose but still functional 90% of the time. I was able to wrap a zip tie around it, what good it do over my old reinforcement is anybodies guess.

Imho, a zip tie by itself doesn't seem like it would last long. A zip tie/epoxy mix seems like it would have a better chance at lasting a bit. It's tight in there but possible.

From what I remember, to keep the pressure down on the shaft it's best to never set it above 80 degrees and below 65.
 
What creates the REAL problem is the geometry. The actuator puts out a lot of torque for such a small motor, and the steel arm that moves to close the lower blend door has a hole that the lower flap inserts into, when it should have been slotted to give it more distance of movement. So even after the lower door is closed all the way, the actuator is still turning and putting pressure on the upper arm, which weakens and then eventually breaks the plastic sleeve around the arm of the actuator that opens and closes the upper blend door. So my guru (who's replaced 160 of them) reinforced the upper sleeve breaks with a copper sleeve, and made the hole in the arm for the lower door into a slot to give it more movement. It'll never break again. The dash has to be pulled out -- not removed -- and he went in through the side behind the glove box. I should have taken pics of what he'd done to reinforce the upper sleeve and the slot, but, duh! just didn't think of it at the time.
 
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Jim Knight said:
What creates the REAL problem is the geometry. The actuator puts out a lot of torque for such a small motor, and the steel arm that moves to close the lower blend door has a hole that the lower flap inserts into, when it should have been slotted to give it more distance of movement. So even after the lower door is closed all the way, the actuator is still turning and putting pressure on the upper arm, which weakens and then eventually breaks the plastic sleeve around the arm of the actuator that opens and closes the upper blend door. So my guru (who's replaced 160 of them) reinforced the upper sleeve breaks with a copper sleeve, and made the hole in the arm for the lower door into a slot to give it more movement. It'll never break again. The dash has to be pulled out -- not removed -- and he went in through the side behind the glove box. I should have taken pics of what he'd done to reinforce the upper sleeve and the slot, but, duh! just didn't think of it at the time.
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Where do you live?
 
Very nice Mark VIII. It is cherry for sure.

Rare color combo too if I reckon.

I remember seeing this on Ebay too. Glad it went to a car enthusiast.
 
Jim Knight said:
What creates the REAL problem is the geometry. The actuator puts out a lot of torque for such a small motor, and the steel arm that moves to close the lower blend door has a hole that the lower flap inserts into, when it should have been slotted to give it more distance of movement. So even after the lower door is closed all the way, the actuator is still turning and putting pressure on the upper arm, which weakens and then eventually breaks the plastic sleeve around the arm of the actuator that opens and closes the upper blend door. So my guru (who's replaced 160 of them) reinforced the upper sleeve breaks with a copper sleeve, and made the hole in the arm for the lower door into a slot to give it more movement. It'll never break again. The dash has to be pulled out -- not removed -- and he went in through the side behind the glove box. I should have taken pics of what he'd done to reinforce the upper sleeve and the slot, but, duh! just didn't think of it at the time.
Click to expand...
Need help with mine
 
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