ebruns1 Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 So I've almost got the cab stripped for blasting. Busted the bottom edge off of one of the dash pot metal bezels so I guess I'll be ordering a replacement! It was cracked anyway... No such thing as a dumb question... First: How do you release the catch to operate the fresh air vent? I can reach underneath and push the spring latch and then use the handle to open it...but it looks like there was some type of cable hooked to the release catch at one point. It was disconnected when I got it so nothing to go by. Is it supposed to have a cable to one of the knobs on the dash? Mine were all cracked and trashed. PS - who sells replacement switches and knobs and bezels? Second question: How do you get the fresh air vent off so you can replace the rubber seal after painting? Those bolts look really difficult to reach. Do you have to unbolt the two pivot bolts on the ends and unbolt the two center bolts to the arm that operates it? That is how it looks to me, but if anyone has a better way I'd love to hear it! Lastly: Any repop windshield wiper bezels where they bolt to the cowl? Mine are totally pitted and I'd like to replace them and the rubber base grommet if someone supplies new ones. BTW - My truck came with a vacuum wiper but I'll be replacing with 12v electric. Thanks for any input fellas!!! JT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBNeal Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 the pitted metal can be cleaned off, the voids filled with an epoxy, then painted or hit with the rattle-can chrome...the rubber gasket can be made from sheet gasket material. The fresh air vent is bolted in place and the mechanism is probably rusted shut. Marvel Mystery Oil or other penetrant applied to strategic locations and let to sit for a day or so, then see if anything can be moved...try not to apply too much torque that would break or bend anything, but work things back & forth then reapply the MMO and repeat. The vent in my '49 was also stuck, and after a week of this approach, it worked itself loose & has operated normally since Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallytoo Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 i'd suggest a search about the cowl vent seal, and it's installation, there are several threads and discussions on this site about it. no cable or other connection to the dash, it is operated by the under-dash handle. unless you really do mean the fresh air vent, which is used for the under-dash heater, and is located on the passenger side of the firewall. this IS cable operated, and goes to a knob on the dash - it would be an optional console added to the bottom of the dash. there is no handle associated with it, though, which is why i assume you really mean the cowl vent (especially since you mention the difficult to reach screws and rubber). good luck with the wiper pivots, probably not easy to find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ggdad1951 Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 Check the classifieds for parts or request them there if no one has them for sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Balazs Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 Your fresh air vent may be stuck down to the gasket area as well. Besides using penetrating oil on the lever linkage you could try pushing up on the vent while someone operates the handle. It may take a bit of coaxing to get it to free up but if you get a little movement to start with it will probably free up. It is a very cool feature when it works properly. The bezels (and some other parts) can be easily repaired with JB weld. I had a couple of the threaded sections of my bezels strip out and was able to repair them in this manner. This stuff works a treat on cracked sections of the steering wheel too. Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebruns1 Posted June 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 Great suggestions fellas! I'm sorry to hear no one makes new wiper bezels (pivots?)...guess I'll have to repair mine now. Yes, I'm talking about the cowl vent...sorry to be ambiguous. The gasket was brittle and cracked in a million pieces and just fell apart. Here's the head scratcher...when fully closed the vent locks down with a spring loaded catch. There seems like no way to release it. I have to reach up beyond the lever and push on the catch to get the vent open. What am I missing? There has got to be some way to unlock it with a pull of some sort...no? When it's closed it's definitely not opening just by the operating handle alone. Any thoughts appreciated. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiftyFifty Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 I would remove the vent and the levers, clean them all up and replace that gasket and try again. Mine was a bit siezed when I first started using it, and it would sometimes just barely open and then stick and almost bend the handle....not much too the system. Just remove the three little bolts that hold the vent to the swing arm, and the one bolt at the top for the pivot arm, and then the bolt the arm rides on...should be the 5 in total. Be prepared to replace the top bolts, they typically don't come out nice after years of rain and moisture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave72dt Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 I think you need to pull back on the handle a bit to trip it, then forward to open. All the pivot points need to move freely for it to work. been a long time since I looked at mine but fairly certain that's how it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ggdad1951 Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 on my B3 its simple push and pull. Since you have a B1 or B2 I can't say for sure (you show a 1950 B1B in your sig, a 1950 would be a B2) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merle Coggins Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 I'll confirm that there is a spring loaded catch that helps lock it closed. I usually just have to give it a little bump with my hand to get it to open. I've never tried to pull first to see if it unlocks. Merle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBNeal Posted July 1, 2015 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 (edited) mechanism locked in the closed position; note the lever tab is engaged in the cam upper notch, and the location of the cam lower notch. mechanism in half-open position; note spring under tension. mechanism locked in the open position; note spring not under tension. It does take a little extra oomph to get the lever to open & close the vent...as shown, the '48 probably could use a little more lubrication on this mechanism to reduce the required oomph Edited September 3, 2021 by JBNeal revised pictures 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebruns1 Posted July 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 Wow, some insightful answers...and thanks for the great photos of your mechanism JBNeal! Really helps clarify the issue. Mine does not budge despite not being all that rusted. Maybe a little grease on the closed position detent when I re-install it might make it workable. Before I took the vent off it would not open at all despite how hard I pushed on the lever. That's when I discovered the spring catch and thought there was a missing release that got removed or lost. I was thinking along the lines of a modern hood release pull, just to pop the lock so you could then open it. I will have to wait until after the paint and assemble to try all your suggestions. If all else fails I will just keep it closed and use the windows! Haha Thanks fellas!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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