How To: Dash Blend Door Actuator Replacement 05-09 Mustang

[Eman]

I just did the passenger side upper actuator, not a day at the beach but I've done worse jobs. I'm full size, old and larger hands with arthritis. 2 bots and 2 nuts and the passenger seat is out of the car, too easy to remove instead of working around it. A couple of screws and the glove box is out. From there it's just patience and perseverance. A combination of 1/4 drive handles, extensions and swivel socket. I could see the parts clearly and place the pin in the slot never reset anything.
I will have to do the drivers side as it's clicking at times and I'll probably pull the driver's seat if I need.

 

[bigmace]

Just wanted to thank OP and vent my frustration with the drivers side actuator. Getting it out wasn't too bad. Lower bolt is easy to get out and I just snapped off the mounting bracket for the top and was able to fit a small ratcheting wrench up there to get the bolt out. Lower bolt back in no problem on new actuator BUT HOLY HELL getting the top bolt back in is a PITA! Only way to get at it is laying on my back, going up from the steering wheel and currently only have it half way in. The air vent is blocking my ratchet and I don't think I can wedge it up any higher. Ordered a really shallow ratchet that should be here from amazon today. Hopefully that will be enough drive it the rest of the way.

But it will be worth it to get rid of the tick that was driving me crazy. When its time to do the other ones it will be cake.

 

[asdrew]

... BUT HOLY HELL getting the top bolt back in is a PITA! Only way to get at it is laying on my back, going up from the steering wheel and currently only have it half way in. The air vent is blocking my ratchet and I don't think I can wedge it up any higher...

That was one of the first things I had to address when I acquired my '07 - a LOT of Mustang yoga involved!
I took some photos in a junkard for refeence on how these are mounted:

 

[bigmace]

Thanks for the pics, I was eventually able to get it tightened down at just the right angle with a wobble extension. Hope I don't ever have to do that again. I went with the motorcraft part and not a cheap one so fingers crossed.

So getting some ticking behind the dash, so most likely need to replace the stepper motors in the cluster. But thats a project for another day. This is not my daily driver so just fixing things when I can.

 

[86GT351]

The hardest one is the one that mounts to the backside of the evap case between the case and the firewall. Evap must come out.

 

[StockishS197]

I tackled the passenger side blend and vent doors recently following this guide…and MAN, I never cussed so much in my life.

This guide is a lifesaver though.

 

[360alaska]

I did the hard 3 yesterday, passenger side wasn't too bad... I disconnected the battery and took out the airbag.

The driver side is kind of pain, I already had the seats out so I did it from the bottom. What I really needed was some sort of 8mm offset wrench, even with wedging the vent tube up, putting a socket on that upper screw is hard, once you back it out a little bit and it clears the case of the actuator you can finish it off or even start it off with a regular 8mm wrench. What I more than likely needed was a 8mm offset wrench:

 

[confidenceman]

ok cool.

 

[Blue03Cobra]

I did the hard 3 yesterday, passenger side wasn't too bad... I disconnected the battery and took out the airbag.

The driver side is kind of pain, I already had the seats out so I did it from the bottom. What I really needed was some sort of 8mm offset wrench, even with wedging the vent tube up, putting a socket on that upper screw is hard, once you back it out a little bit and it clears the case of the actuator you can finish it off or even start it off with a regular 8mm wrench. What I more than likely needed was a 8mm offset wrench:
View attachment 114179

When I did mine, I used these, as another option: