How to fix your 80's broken dash vents.... For free! (1 Viewer)

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MrMoMo

That's not rust, it's Canadian patina...
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So today I took my dash apart to install my CDL switch, figured while I was in there I would clean the grit out of my dash vents. They were pretty gnarly. I think a previous owner lived on the moon.

So while I had them apart I figured I would see if I could figure out why my center vents were all wonky, loose, floppy.... I found that both had one side snapped off. I'm sure there's more than one way to fix this but, here's what I did, and it worked great and cost nothing!

I drilled out the broken side of the vent very carefully with a 3/16" bit. Pretty easy to get the right spot as there is a little pilot hole there. This doesn't leave much meat left, but leaves enough. Then I raided an old model kit, and found a parts sprue that was roughly the same diameter. Cut a short length and press it into the hole. Next I dripped some CA glue in and let it soak into the crack. I'm impatient, so I hit it with zip kicker (accelerator)

Did a bit of final shaping with a file, then re-assembled the whole shebang.... Works beautifully!

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Nice! I might have to try this myself...
 
I have a couple in the 80 that need fixing that I was going to live with since new ones are not worth the cost. Nice job! Adding this to my ongoing list of to dos.
 
Sweet fix, this has been bugging the hell outta me. Thanks for posting.

One question, what is CA glue?
 
CA
Sweet fix, this has been bugging the hell outta me. Thanks for posting.

One question, what is CA glue?


CA glue = Cyano Acrylate = superglue, crazy glue, etc...
 
I had the same problem with mine but I popped the vents out and used some small rubber o-rings around the little nipples and now they work fine. Zero cutting or drilling and I had the o-rings laying around so it was a free fix.
 
I had the same problem with mine but I popped the vents out and used some small rubber o-rings around the little nipples and now they work fine. Zero cutting or drilling and I had the o-rings laying around so it was a free fix.
Yeah, but if you look at the pictures, there was nothing left... No nipple to put an o-ring around!

Take a look at the vent on the RHS of the 4th picture, no nub.
 
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This is awesome! I just noticed my vents "flopping". I never use them (AC hasn't worked for about 6-8 years and only use defrost in the winter). But I was driving on some rough roads and noticed them bouncing around. This just got added to the "Book of Mods". Thanks!
 
How did you remove the vents without removing the dashboard? Or did you remove the entire dashboard too?

If I recall, I think I just pulled them out? Unfortunately my memory doesn’t work well from
4 years ago! It can’t have been overly complicated or I wouldn’t have bothered doing it :rofl:
 

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