64 Recirc/Fresh Air Door Actuator replaced; FROM THE INSIDE.

[Norman Silverman]

I am happy to report that I have successfully replaced the Fresh Air/Recirc door actuator that is located on the blower box-and have done so without having to remove the blower box. I did it by taking out the glove box and attacking it from the back.  It took several days, LOTS of patience and some band-aids, but it is done. THE most difficult part -BY FAR- is to remove and then replace the screw that sits on the actuator arm, connecting it to the fresh air/recirc door operating arm. It took 5 hours to get it off, then 4 more to get it back on. But it is now all buttoned up and tomorrow I'll run through a complete system test. Right now, I'm tired and bloody; the entire area where you have to work is VERY tight and has sharp metal surrounding it, thereby limiting your range of movement-and the type of tool you can use to loosen/tighten the fasteners. 

[Norman Silverman]

Actually, no.

When i was younger and had no patience for almost anything i used lots of expletives and didn't get much done; too easily frustrated. Now that I'm older I've found that along with arthritis and gray hair I also have this thing called "Patience" which enables me to do things I was not mentally equipped to do as a kid. In fact, that's a key reason i have old cars; to perform diagnosis and repair of the type that I was all but incapable of doing when I was young. I get enormous satisfaction out of doing diagnosis and repair.

[Norman Silverman]

Never heard that word, but I think I do feel that way. 

Actually, I had no choice: I could not remove the hood hinge because I am one guy and it risked having the hood crash in to the windshield, also the way my AC refrigerant lines are routed it would mean having to de-gas the system in order to take the heater box off. So, I had to find a way to do it from inside. I don't think I will ever do that again; it was uncomfortable, painful, exhausting and frustrating.