Removing Dash A/C vents

After 10 years on this forum with plenty of reading this is a job that I had high anxiety about doing. Delicate Ferrari plastic parts pried out of an expensive leather dash. With some recent quality guidance I was directed to two inexpensive tools to make this one of the quickest and safest jobs I've done.
First for about $6 a piece you purchase two fish hook remover tools (mine from the Internet). It comes as a handle with about a 10" rod with a "S" shaped end on it. You hacksaw or grind it down to a hook type end and smooth off the sharp edges, 5-10 minutes effort. See pic.
With the tool made you put them carefully inside the vent about 4" to 5" deep, as close to the outer edge as possible, at roughly 180 degrees apart (see pic). You want the hooks pointing towards the outside. You are essentially hooking the most inner part of the vent from the inside out. Being certain you are hooked well, with even pressure between the two handles you pop out or pull away from the dash. In most cases it takes a substantial pulling effort. In some cases to the point that you think this thing is going to rip apart. Done with experience with a slide hammer type effort, it takes only seconds and you have a complete dash vent removed. Only a few minutes for all of them.
Naturally when you haven't done the job before you start pulling easily raising the effort until it pops loose. As mentioned sometimes a significant popping/pulling effort is needed. Once hooked over the edge and pulling just try not to alter your rod angle too much against the outer ring of the vent. These parts are more resilient than expected.
In some cases there is a rubber ring that comes out too. It is simply slipped back in over the tube that the vent flows out from. Easier to do and see than I can describe.
One more tip would be to put your vent arrow at the 12 O'clock position before removal so it can be reinstalled the same way. There are gears on the bottom of the vent that need to be positioned at the 6 O'clock position for reinstall. More simple than it sounds. To reinstall you simply line up and push the vent back in, should hear some clicks as the plastic tabs pop back into place.
In my case, all boxed up and sent to Dave at Sticky RX for his fine service.
Both sticky repair services have how-to videos on their respective websites.
Happy to help with any questions.
Bill
FL
Posting with Idevice so several post will be involved
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Work in progress, tool positions.
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Borrowed this pic from the Internet to show side (bottom) view of vent.
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Safely ready to go in just minutes.
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Excellent write up Bill, thanks.

 

Great job, Bill! Thanks for posting

 

Bill- Very professional.

 

Thanks guys. Like many here I enjoy helping when possible. There is much less stress and much easier to do a job with guidance. Unfortunately the learning curve here for Ferrari is still straight up.
Ask me anything on a 1970-72 Olds 442 and I can be much more help, although much is being forgotten

Thought to add one more pic that might be of help. This is looking right down the now empty hole into the A/C vent feed duct. All you see is the rubber gasket previously mentioned. Nothing else there.
Bill
FL
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Way to go Bill! A few years ago I pried mine out with a plastic wedge, but your method is much, much better. Thanks for posting!

 

Bill are replacing with carbon fiber ones?

 

Kevin I've seen the carbon pieces and they look very nice. The car doesn't have any carbon options and my vents are in very nice condition so thought to just have them restored back to original.
Bill
FL

 

I have the full CF interior pkg. so I bought MaCarbon's CF inner rings because the brushed chrome was looking poorly.

I'm very happy with the look and will soon be sending them to Dave for refinishing and adding the arrow now that Bill's post has inspired me to get off my butt and get it done.
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Just received Bill's vents for refinishing a few minutes ago - thank you very much my friend!

Regarding the inner chrome ring - please allow me to elaborate:

This is a Chrome Plated plastic process. Can we get it done? Sure - the problem is doing one set of rings at a time. Currently, if the inner rings are in good shape, we disassemble them, clean and reassemble when the outer ring is refinished and the graphic (arrow) laser etched. If the inner is in bad shape, we can refinish the exact charcoal grey (without chrome).

For the folks that know us - I don't like that. We are working to develop a process to refinish the inner ring exactly like the OEM and do so one set at a time for a reasonable cost.

When we solve this problem, it won't be a rattle can K-Mart chrome paint - it will be a professional grade product and we will apply the charcoal grey too.

Stay tuned

 

OK, They're out and on their way to Dave's for refinishing.

I have to confess that in spite of Bill's excellent advice about the fish hook tool I used a bent coat hanger with similar results.

 

Good job Dave, I so thought about this. Wasn't sure it would have been strong enough and in my case I don't think it would have been. Had to pull so hard on the center one about fell over. Worrisome at the time but amazing how it all comes out unscathed.
Glad it worked for you.
Bill
FL

 

I am tuned....

 

Bill, this posting is so helpful! You gave me some advice last year on handbrake removal and refinishing. I wrote up a little piece on the steering wheel cover removal - question for all you out there who know the ins and outs of posting on Fchat - is there a way to create a single, organized thread with these invaluable removal instructions? It is too much of a pain to search for, and locate, the individual sticky threads (at least for me). I imagine a moderator could combine previous instructional posts on the topic into one thread?

I doubt there is a single 456/550/575 owner out there that hasn't needed these helpful instructions - all in one place would be great.

 

Patrick thank you and I do remember.
And I agree, a "how to" sticky would be a great idea. It would take a lot of work putting together past post that are useful. Searching and finding useful tips are an effort in the current search function and many times not productive.
If there were a way to put something together I'd be happy to assist.
For now if a thread were started as "How To" and forum members added good ideas with the subject matter in bold in the title section, it might be a good start. Perhaps if enough post were added it might grab attention for sticky status.
Further input welcome.
Bill
FL

 

There is also a thread for pulling out the whole dash. Some do that when doing all the stickies. I like the idea of a "sticky" thread maybe called "interior refurb". Then put the dash removal thread in there and how to get the dash vents out and anything else.

 

Bill (and others), I am thinking a thread limited to how to remove (not repair) all of the sticky components would be better than one that includes refinishing - do you agree? I would be happy to put some effort into locating existing threads and working with you and others to come up with a complete set of useful instructions.

 

I got my vent ring back from Sticky-RX today and I'm more than just pleased. Dave's crew did a fantastic job.

Many thanks to Dave and the crew at Sticky-RX.

In case you're wondering about that switch labeled "PARK" well that's another little favor Dave did for me and it came out looking just like OEM. It activates the front parking camera that then shows the front view on the hard mounted Nuvi GPS.

After all this is a Skunkworks edition Maranello, it has some wierd stuff on it.
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LOL! During this thread I thought about using that switch too.

Except mine would say "NOS"

 

Mine will change the exhaust bypass valves from Motronic controlled to open.

 

Patrick, will send you a PM regarding this.

Dave, very Nice. Love the the park switch. My vents are due back Tuesday. Any troubles popping them back in?
Bill
FL

 

Thank you very much for your support, Dave. Glad you are pleased

Hi Bill, your vents shipped the same day as Dave just his went USPS which is faster than UPS even to California.....go figure...