93 RM air blend actuator

[Rollsongton]

Greetings from the northeast!

Just like the title says, I've got a 93 roadmaster wagon and it's gotten a bit cold so I thought I'd finally fix the heat. I have the FSM and it looks like I need to replace the air blend actuator. Seems common on the electronic HVAC systems. I bought a replacement and I've begun my work, but I'm being outsmarted by the dashboard.

I've found some information by searching but it was for a 94+ and the design is different

My question is what next? Do I need to remove the dash pad and the glove box panel? I want to make sure I'm going down the right path before I rip this all apart

Any information is appreciated, thanks in advance!

 

[Rollsongton]

Hey gang, hopefully this helps someone in the future. I got the actuator replaced, here is how I did it.

I drilled a hole so I could get a socket in on the actuator. Like the rest of the car it uses a 9/32 | 7mm socket. I'd suggest a wobble or flex socket. Be aware there is a wiring harness next to the hole I made but I used a camera snake to make sure my drilling did not hurt anything. It's the large hole to the left of the glove box.

Bad news is I still don't have heat but the actuator is now working and adjusting the blend door. I opened up the old one and the large plastic gear was cracked and the main shaft was spinning freely. junk.

Anyway, the picture shows where to make the cheat hole. It makes the job much easier. I'll be consulting the FSM for some more troubleshooting and will document my findings.

 

[krazykrames]

Did you try flushing the heater core?

 

[Rollsongton]

That is the next step, if it is anything like the radiator (replaced) then Im sure it has some sort of clog! May not be able to get to it until the weekend

 

[Rollsongton]

Okay the core and the cooling system was generally clean and there was no blockage when I pushed water through the core hoses or through the intake manifold. Cleaning did help, I got the temp of the heat to about 99 degrees if the car is parked but if I turn off 'economy' it gets ice cold.

Anyway, the hoses aren't getting hot so I have a flow issue. I realized I may have caused this when the radiator was changed. I put in an aftermarket aluminum cooler which did not have ports for the heater core, transmission or power steering. I have big plans for this car so I took the opportunity to install dedicated power steering and transmission coolers. There is a 383 stroker with a roller cam and aluminum heads built and waiting to go in someday.

As for the heater hose I routed it to the top of the intake manifold to a tee where the temp sending unit belongs. I suspect I am not getting proper flow from this as it was not designed for it! I ordered a tee for a radiator hose to a 5/8 so I can relocate the hose to where it can get better flow.

Has anyone ever done anything like this?