ckuske Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 Hi Everyone, I recently had my dash apart as part of the restoration (still in progress) I'm working on, and I noted my Heater Blend Door had separated from its hinges. This explained why only my defroster worked and not my vents. Anyway, I shared my tale of woe to a coworker who recently started using a 3D printer. He offered to print me a replacement part with some improvements to boot. After a few iterations, I believe we have something that is ready for beta testing. If someone would like to install this and try it out, we can offer a free copy to that person. Feel free to send me a private message or reply to this thread. I still have to work out a few details (like attaching foam to both sides of the door) but the main purpose of this post is to have a fit check done on someone else's truck. A sample size of one does not mean it works everywhere. The main advantage to this design is that the hinge will not break and separate from the door like the original door design, where only a very thin bead of plastic joined the two pieces together. This design also uses clips and nuts to fasten the door instead of rivets. I drilled out the rivets on my plenum and am using the original screws on the top and bottom holes, and new hardware that allows for larger holes where the rivets used to be. The assembly is printed in ABS plastic which should be able to handle the temperature range needed, but real-life testing is yet to be done. We do not have a price in mind yet, but the goal is to be reasonably priced emphasizing that this is meant to be something that won't need to be touched again, is a better design, and is ready-made for installation with a minimum of fuss. I've attached some pictures below, any and all feedback is welcome! Hopefully this is something that can provide some utility to others out there. I will post updates here as well if that is OK as we fine-tune things. Thanks, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 That's cool, Chris! Looks like it'll last forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kramttocs Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 Very, VERY nice! A lot of people print ABS parts (if they can get it to print right ) for engine bay use so you should be good here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckuske Posted January 25, 2022 Author Share Posted January 25, 2022 Very, VERY nice! A lot of people print ABS parts (if they can get it to print right ) for engine bay use so you should be good here. Thanks guys, I think it's pretty spiffy. I think it will hold up nicely and it has some advantages over existing solutions. The offer stands above for me to send a free one to the next unlucky person that needs to fix their blend door to verify fit/function in another truck. After that if everything works, if you guys could offer this to anyone as a possible solution I'd appreciate it! (if you're so inclined) I'll probably post to FTE as well a little while down the road... And yes Scott, the ABS is harder to print! My friend says its harder to get things to stick to the build plate while printing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
confetti Posted January 27, 2022 Share Posted January 27, 2022 Thanks guys, I think it's pretty spiffy. I think it will hold up nicely and it has some advantages over existing solutions. The offer stands above for me to send a free one to the next unlucky person that needs to fix their blend door to verify fit/function in another truck. After that if everything works, if you guys could offer this to anyone as a possible solution I'd appreciate it! (if you're so inclined) I'll probably post to FTE as well a little while down the road... And yes Scott, the ABS is harder to print! My friend says its harder to get things to stick to the build plate while printing. This looks like it would last forever This afternoon I pulled the blower motor and cleaned out a mouse house. I noticed the blower door “hinges” looked frail and a little rusty. I was wondering how I would fix it if it breaks. Maybe I’ll try one of these out in the future! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckuske Posted January 29, 2022 Author Share Posted January 29, 2022 This looks like it would last forever This afternoon I pulled the blower motor and cleaned out a mouse house. I noticed the blower door “hinges” looked frail and a little rusty. I was wondering how I would fix it if it breaks. Maybe I’ll try one of these out in the future! Here are some new pics after foam has been applied. I might double up on the foam on the front after testing (can't do it at the moment, long story involving multiple mishaps with getting stuff shipped to me...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 Here are some new pics after foam has been applied. I might double up on the foam on the front after testing (can't do it at the moment, long story involving multiple mishaps with getting stuff shipped to me...) Yeah, it looks like the foam might be a bit thin. Is the foam on the door actually touching the housing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckuske Posted January 29, 2022 Author Share Posted January 29, 2022 Yeah, it looks like the foam might be a bit thin. Is the foam on the door actually touching the housing? Hi Gary, Yeah, I made a guess on the thickness but I was wrong. It’s surprisingly difficult to find foam in sheets that is 1/8” thick or less, and not neoprene. I figure neoprene won’t smell great heated…. Weatherstripping foam is great, but it’s in coils or narrow rolls 1 or 2” wide. The door is 8”x4.5”. I know exactly what I’m looking for but my Google-fu is failing me. I’m really looking for what I think is called “charcoal foam” but in thin sheets. (And reasonably priced) The foam is 2mm thick with adhesive backing. With 4mm, it’s close but didn’t touch the whole way around. This is one of the things I need to test when I can get heat going again - feel for blow by. i think 1/4” is probably a better place to start. I have some more work to do in this area… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 Hi Gary, Yeah, I made a guess on the thickness but I was wrong. It’s surprisingly difficult to find foam in sheets that is 1/8” thick or less, and not neoprene. I figure neoprene won’t smell great heated…. Weatherstripping foam is great, but it’s in coils or narrow rolls 1 or 2” wide. The door is 8”x4.5”. I know exactly what I’m looking for but my Google-fu is failing me. I’m really looking for what I think is called “charcoal foam” but in thin sheets. (And reasonably priced) The foam is 2mm thick with adhesive backing. With 4mm, it’s close but didn’t touch the whole way around. This is one of the things I need to test when I can get heat going again - feel for blow by. i think 1/4” is probably a better place to start. I have some more work to do in this area… I remember going through this on BB's door. Never did find "the right stuff", and wound up using weatherstripping. Not saying it works well, just that it worked. But I didn't do any leakage tests. So if you find "the right stuff" let's document it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salans7 Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 I remember going through this on BB's door. Never did find "the right stuff", and wound up using weatherstripping. Not saying it works well, just that it worked. But I didn't do any leakage tests. So if you find "the right stuff" let's document it. I found the "right stuff" when I purchased the a/c box sealing kit from DMT, shown below. The center sections of the foam gaskets were left intact when the kit was shipped to me, I assume to protect the gaskets and keep them from folding. I removed the center sections from each gasket and was able to use those to seal my doors. In my opinion, they were all about the right thickness, and they seem to seal well to the box. https://www.detroitmuscletechnologies.com/ford-80-86-pickup-truck-f150-f250-bronco-ac-heater-box-rebuild-seal-kit/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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