37' pickup cowl vent

[banjoQ]

The cowl vent in my truck is stuck pretty bad with rust. I have been underneath the dash using penetrants trying to free up the mech. Can someone tell me, does the vent rise up and then tilt back or pivot on the two rear corners tilting back to open. Laying on your back looking up, its hard to tell. Trying to understand if there is a hinge point there. I can see the screen up there and figured it drops down to close off opening. One side seem to be loosening but the other is binding. Strong possibility rust has eaten the metal in this corner where it pivots upward. Spring tension has the vent sitting a bit cocked to one side in the opening. It seems that removing the spring on the handle would take any pressure off this assembly. But getting it back in place might be a problem. Anyone tackled this kind of problem before?

 

[banjoQ]

Okay, how about the cowl vent on a sedan. Can anyone tell me if they rise up out of the cowl before tilting back or pivot upward on a hinge. Just trying to understand the mech. so I do not damage it any further. It's rusted and stuck but I think it can be salvaged with a little care. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[oz40]

Attached Images

Hi I just downloaded this from another site.
This might help. The two end rivet areas at the top part of the pic are the areas that might be seized.

 

[banjoQ]

Oz40- Thanks for finding the photo of the vent assembly. That makes it a lot easier to study than crawling in there on my back. The area you note looks to be the hinge points. I will get under there today and soak it down and see if I can loosen it up. Our Indian summer is coming, having that vent open would be great for getting more air in the cab. Thanks again.

 

[nelsb01]

BanjoQ:
Cowl vent = leak
Some thought it would end the leaking by sealing the cowl vent. Yours maybe one that was done prior to your owning.
I have seen at least two attempts at sealing the cowl vent --- tar like glue and welding.
Hopefully yours isn't this.
The cowl vent swings up from the pivot point in the rear of the hinge points. Like an alligator opening their jaws. The handle arm is spring loaded and slides along the edge until it hits an indentation in the arm. That indentation is the stop point of the open position. So, depending on how strong your spring still is, it can be hard to open and hard to close.

 

[banjoQ]

Nelsb- Thanks for your input. I am certain that this would be functional if it did not have rust on the mech. There have been no alterations or repairs to the vent assy. My problem is I am am trying to get it working without taking out the dash. The photo that was posted cleared up the questions I had about the hinge points. I was not sure if the vent rose up level before tilting back to open or just tilted back. I now know its the left hand hinge that is stuck. Maybe with some gentle persuasion I can free it up. Laying on your back looking up at the hinge, you have a few cables and many wires obstructing you view. Just have to find a way to get some penetrating oil up there without making a mess of everything around it.
I have been working on this truck for a year and a half and now have a running and driving Early Ford. Too much fun. But I now find myself fixing the "little" things. Having a vent that opens would make driving it a bit more pleasant. Funny thing, when I work on things that need to be fixed in order to continue driving- it goes well. Work on things like this that have no bearing on drivability and it's tough sledding. Go figure..