Question on Vintage Air Center Vent Install

[AusTx68]

My Vintage Air install has been a long time coming. I've had the system since last summer but I'm only now getting it installed. Everything is in except the center vent. I didn't install it because I decided not to use it. That decision was based on another truck I saw that only had side vents and routed the other to the floor, bi-level style. Now that I have everything installed, I changed my mind. Using the VA provided template, I used tape and a sharpie to mark the cut. When I was done, I compared the vent to the cutout and realized the hole is not wide enough. The mounting holes in the vent sit wider than the template cut. What's up with this??

[screaminchevypickup]

Just cut it a little wider that's what I did!!! Pretty simple solution!!
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[jocko]

does the rectangular opening on the template at least match the rectangular opening on the back of the vent? Am curious the finction of the 4 very small screws - are they sandwich clamps that tighten things down to the dash metal? (probably not, can't really tell in pic, but they look to located deeper in the dash). Is there any sort of mounting bracket that goes behind the dash that the two big screw holes attach to? If you post the rest of the instr page, might be able to help more. At a minimum, seems you may have to hod out where the bog round screw bosses go in - but also seems the instructions would have covered that little tid bit. As Norm Abrams says - measure twice, cut once. Interested to see how this goes. Hope you haven't done any irreversible damage to the dash - but if you just cut out the rectangle in the template, I can't imagine that you have. The real question is what goes inside the dash to secure the overall vent to the dash?

[AusTx68]

No doubt Screaminchevypickup! I'm sitting here looking at this beautifully painted dash and second guessing myself. I just needed to hear it from someone else. It sure would be nice if they provided a template that fit the supplied vent!

[screaminchevypickup]

The little screws have nothing to do with the mounting!!! The vent has studs that screw into it that goes through the ducting that pulls it all together around the dash!!
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[AusTx68]

Originally Posted by screaminchevypickup

The little screws have nothing to do with the mounting!!! The vent has studs that screw into it that goes through the ducting that pulls it all together around the dash!!
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Right! Which means the provided template is not wide enough. Here's a photo taken from the instructions. There is a plastic piece on the back of the dash that is attached to the vent via the screws/studs. That means the vent has to fully seat in the hole. I guess the installer has to figure that out on their own!

[screaminchevypickup]

All I did was widen the hole by a 1/16 on each side and the vent slide right in!!!
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[AusTx68]

Originally Posted by screaminchevypickup

All I did was widen the hole by a 1/16 on each side and the vent slide right in!!!
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That's exactly what I'll do. Thanks. I feel better knowing it wasn't something I doing wrong.

[john]

Just notch each side with a rat tail file and it will fit. The OLD AIR template has you drill a hole on each side before cutting the rectangle.