Got a broken passenger side dash vent I'd like to replace.
Nothing in the Haynes about how to remove it; does it require removal of the dash itself, or does it "snap" out of the dash somehow?

Looked for some sort of fastener or clip through the louvers, but couldn't see any.

Has anyone replaced one of these? If so, how? Also, good source for the part as the dealer is really expensive (That almost goes without saying)

Thanks,

 

 

Posted by: Bronco79

Anyone know how to remove the dash vents from a 78 ford f-150 without breaking the tabs that hold the vents in?



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Posted by: karljay

I'm pretty sure these are the same as the F150/250 trucks, the Ford manual says to use an ice pick or small flat screwdriver to pull the tabs in from the inside of the vent and then wiggle the vent out. You can also remove the inside louvers with a thin screwdriver at the top & bottom and that might help to get to the tabs.

If you think they'll crack, a hair dryer will help to warm the plastic and that helps to prevent cracking.

I am told they are pretty much the same on all yr models....good luck

 

I actually got some practice with this recently and thought I would pass on what I learned. My truck is a '94, so this applies specifically to the '87-'96 model trucks, but may work for other years.

You don't have to remove any dash components to replace a broken vent. They do snap out, and they snap out really easily if you have the correct tool. The good new is, you can easily make a tool that works.

The vents have two tabs on each side that are wedge shaped (smaller toward the back of the truck, larger toward the front) that snap into slots on either side of plastic boxes glued to the dash component where the vent sits. So what you need is a tool that will slide in between the vent and the box and depress both tabs at once on one side of the vent. However, there is a little plastic lug in the middle that prevents it from being easy. You can make a tool to depress both plastic tabs while missing the lug in the middle out of a cheap, thin 1 1/2" putty knife by cutting a 1/4" slot two inches long in the middle of the blade with tin snips like this:

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Make sure the end of the putty knife is dull so it will slide up the tabs on the vent instead of slicing into them. You could also use a piece of sheet metal if you don't want to splurge on a $0.99 putty knife.

Hang onto one of the louvers of the vent as you slide the tool in between the vent and the box housing it on one side. The tabs are about 1 1/2" in or so. They are pretty easy to push in. If you're having trouble, it's probably because the putty knife is cutting into them instead of sliding along the wedge and pushing them in toward the vent. Once you get one side of the tabs pressed in, there may be enough room in the housing to pull the free side of the vent out until the tabs on the other side pop free, or you can switch the tool to the other side and free them that way.

Note that the vents do have a top and bottom. If you look at the vent from the side, you will see that the top front edge of the vent is angled back a little bit. Check it out when you remove the vent so you get the new one in correctly. Once you get the broken vent out, you just snap the new one in place.