Air Vents

[68longhorn]

My 86 swb has AC and no vents in the kick panels. Can the kick panel trims be changed to make the vents functional or are they not there on my cab?

[TKCR]

There are no air vents down there for the AC

[Cowdogpete]

Originally Posted by TKCR

There are no air vents down there for the AC

Actually, there is one on the passenger side. You can swap out the trim and fabricate a 'pull' to open and close it. It is vacuum actuated when you have A/C, but can be changed to manual with a little custom work.

I wish they would have included those in all trucks, A/C or not!

[Jeepwm69]

Originally Posted by Cowdogpete

Actually, there is one on the passenger side. You can swap out the trim and fabricate a 'pull' to open and close it. It is vacuum actuated when you have A/C, but can be changed to manual with a little custom work.

I wish they would have included those in all trucks, A/C or not!

Pics of said vent? Not sure what you're talking about.

[Mattchu60]

I believe they are discussing the fresh air vent that's built into the wall on the passenger side kickpanel, not the vents that heat/air come through.

[Cowdogpete]

Originally Posted by Jeepwm69

Pics of said vent? Not sure what you're talking about.

I don't have pics. But;

If you look just below the glovebox on a squarebody truck, there is a half dome shaped plastic trim piece, attached to the upper portion of the kickpanel and colored like your door panels. Behind that is a vacuum actuated air vent. When you put your A/C control on "Vent" it routes air from the cowl, through this vent into your A/C ducts.

This can be bypassed and made into a manual vent if you no longer have A/C or choose to get rid of it for whatever reason. Lets more air in than you might think.

Non-A/C trucks have them on both sides from the factory.

[Desert_Eagle02]

Can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm glad my truck doesn't have A/C. I love my kick panel vents! One day I may add vintage air, but the vents are staying!

This actually explains why my buddies truck doesn't have them. We couldn't figure out why it didn't. Too bad too since the previous owner took off all the A/C stuff under the hood.

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by Cowdogpete

Actually, there is one on the passenger side. You can swap out the trim and fabricate a 'pull' to open and close it. It is vacuum actuated when you have A/C, but can be changed to manual with a little custom work.

I wish they would have included those in all trucks, A/C or not!

Yeah the fresh air vent

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by Jeepwm69

Pics of said vent? Not sure what you're talking about.

It's the right side kick panel. Here's a pic, top left in the photo. The kick panel with the opening.

[xrcr]

I actually cut the opening out on the drivers side on an AC cab and put the old style "floor" vent in. It was a little tedious but it was worth it. there was actually a stamped area there for a template.

[Jeepwm69]

Gotcha. My truck has A/C which, of course, doesn't work. I've wondered what was under the little dome, but haven't ever looked.

I've got to tear into my entire system. The temp lever only goes about 2/3 of the way to cold before it stops, and my airflow doesn't seem to switch to the proper vents when I switch from vent to heat to defrost.

[68longhorn]

Yep fresh air vent is what I meant. Thanks guys

[Matt Man]

Originally Posted by Desert_Eagle02

Can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm glad my truck doesn't have A/C. I love my kick panel vents! One day I may add vintage air, but the vents are staying!

This actually explains why my buddies truck doesn't have them. We couldn't figure out why it didn't. Too bad too since the previous owner took off all the A/C stuff under the hood.

When I put vintage air in my non AC cab 81, I kept the fresh air vents and it is very nice to have them. Crack the window a tad, open the floor vent and you get nice air flow.