Replaced my broken Active Grill Shutter Vane / Louver

[Mach e Mark]

The driver’s side lower vane took a hit. (Who knows what? Only the broken vane was left inside) It broke all three end protrusions of the vane but left the holders intact.



I looked at Ford parts, and they don’t sell individual vanes (They call them vanes, I would call them louvers). They do sell the “Active Grill Shutter assembly” My local dealer has it for $800.95. eBay advertises it for $311.93 but say’s out of stock. Either way it’s expensive and you have a lot of disassembly and reassembly of your front end to replace the entire assembly.



The broken vane had some flexibility, and I figured I could bend one into place if I could find a wreck with the one I needed. (I needed the left front lower vane. This is the driver’s side in the U.S. More on that later) There were no junkyard Vanes/Louvers to be had.



I went to AOSK and they (Thank you AOSK) had 3D files for all six vanes. I downloaded the files from their thread (post 32) on this forum. (Thank you forum). My PC could not open the files as they have an .stl extension and I had no program for that. I found a site called Viewstl.com that let me drag and drop the file I wanted to open. I did so. (Thank you viewstl.com)



Once open on the viewstl site, I clicked on print and it brought up several 3D print services to choose from. Pricing was all over the board. I chose Treatstock.com out of New Hampshire. The printed part with PLA 20% infill, including tax and shipping to my upstate NY address was $14.05. Quite a discount from entire assembly options! I ordered the vane and within minutes I got a reply showing a link and rendering asking me if it was good to print. I took a quick look and said yes. I missed two important things… The default color is White and the file I sent them (Even though it said LH side) was for the right-hand side lower vane. (Maybe these files came from a country like England with opposite driver position?) I realized all this when it arrived. Lesson learned. I ordered another one using the RH side .stl file and asked for it in black. It cost me another $14.05 but that’s not to steep a learning curve in my book.



I installed it today. To make it bend easier I used a blow dryer to warm it up. I flexed it into position and got it into the reception slots, but it was just a smidge to long. I took it back out and hacksawed ~1/8” off the single long end. Back in it went and it looks fine and functions perfectly. Not an exact color match but if anyone ever notices and say’s anything I’ll buy you lunch. Hopefully this writeup was helpful.

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[rhougey]

Bravo, Mark!
I hope never to need to do that, but if I do this is really valuable info. I suppose if the mismatched shade of black bothered you enough you could do all three on that side or all six. I don’t think I would bother though.

 

[NY_Cade69]

Bravo, Mark!
I hope never to need to do that, but if I do this is really valuable info. I suppose if the mismatched shade of black bothered you enough you could do all three on that side or all six. I don’t think I would bother though.

Love your avatar, my 1st car was a '68 289 convertible
Seafoam Green with a White top and Ivy Gold interior

 

[d1ll1gaf]

Great Job!

I'm adding this file to my collection in case I ever need to print one.

The only thing I would add for anyone following this thread (as someone whose been 3D printing for years) is to consider using a filaments like PETG or ASA instead of PLA because the glass temperature of PLA is 55-60°C which means it can sag under it's own weight if it gets hot enough and black parts in the sun are always at risk of that (depending of course where you live) whereas PETG's glass temperature is 80-85°C and ASA's is 100-110°C. Additionally both PETG and ASA are more UV resistant than PLA.

 

[rhougey]

Love your avatar, my 1st car was a '68 289 convertible
Seafoam Green with a White top and Ivy Gold interior

This one (1968) is the original factory color Lime Gold built at the Ford plant in Fremont, CA and originally sold at S&C Ford in San Francisco and we bought it in 2003 as a running beater when our daughter was 14. Spent 2 years rebuilding it, and it became her daily driver when she got her license on her 16th birthday.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

This one (1968) is the original factory color Lime Gold built at the Ford plant in Fremont, CA and originally sold at S&C Ford in San Francisco and we bought it in 2003 as a running beater when our daughter was 14. Spent 2 years rebuilding it, and it became her daily driver when she got her license on her 16th birthday.

Milpitas probably. Ford had a plant in Milpitas, the San Jose Assembly Plant. Apparently “Milpitas Assembly Plant” didn't have the same ring to it. In any event, that plant closed in 1983.

The Fremont plant was a GM plant from its opening in 1963 until its closure in 1982. It reopened as the NUMI joint venture with Toyota in 1984 and lasted until 2010 when it closed then reopened as the Tesla plant. The two plants were only 6 miles apart though.

Sadly, the Ford Milpitas plant never reopened. The site hosts a shopping mall today. The roads to the mall are named Fairlane Drive, Falcon Drive, Mustang Drive and Comet Drive.

I grew up in Fremont. Well, supposedly I grew up.

 

[NY_Cade69]

This one (1968) is the original factory color Lime Gold built at the Ford plant in Fremont, CA and originally sold at S&C Ford in San Francisco and we bought it in 2003 as a running beater when our daughter was 14. Spent 2 years rebuilding it, and it became her daily driver when she got her license on her 16th birthday.

Here's an upgrade just for your Pony...
My 2nd (NY-convertible) and 3rd (CA-Town Landau) cars were '66 Thunderbirds, have always had a thing for sequential lights. I even loved the sound of the cams clicking...Full circle to the Mach-E...

OP-sorry for hijacking...

 

[Theolddog]

Mine was similarly damaged also. I was parallel parked behind a pickup truck with a very low protruding trailer hitch. When he backed up to leave his spot , the hitch punched into my "vanes", breaking 3 of them. Warning to parallel parkers! Look at who's in front of you!

 

[Green Machine 2025]

This one (1968) is the original factory color Lime Gold built at the Ford plant in Fremont, CA and originally sold at S&C Ford in San Francisco and we bought it in 2003 as a running beater when our daughter was 14. Spent 2 years rebuilding it, and it became her daily driver when she got her license on her 16th birthday.

My first car was a '68 Country Squire in that same color. I do homage to it today with my Eruption Green MME!

 

[rhougey]

Milpitas probably. Ford had a plant in Milpitas, the San Jose Assembly Plant. Apparently “Milpitas Assembly Plant” didn't have the same ring to it. In any event, that plant closed in 1983.

The Fremont plant was a GM plant from its opening in 1963 until its closure in 1982. It reopened as the NUMI joint venture with Toyota in 1984 and lasted until 2010 when it closed then reopened as the Tesla plant. The two plants were only 6 miles apart though.

Sadly, the Ford Milpitas plant never reopened. The site hosts a shopping mall today. The roads to the mall are named Fairlane Drive, Falcon Drive, Mustang Drive and Comet Drive.

I grew up in Fremont. Well, supposedly I grew up.

You are correct, brain fart.
Milpitas.

 

[rhougey]

Here's an upgrade just for your Pony...
My 2nd (NY-convertible) and 3rd (CA-Town Landau) cars were '66 Thunderbirds, have always had a thing for sequential lights. I even loved the sound of the cams clicking...Full circle to the Mach-E...

OP-sorry for hijacking...

Haha, my rear turn signals are sequential. We kept most things visually stock, with the factory block and heads, but many intervals are upgraded. 4 barrel Holley carb. MSD ignition/distributor. Hedman headers. Added power steering and power 4wheel disk brakes, 9” traction lock rear end, motorized antenna. Still carry the original bias ply spare tire.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

You are correct, brain fart.
Milpitas.

Not a big error. 5 to 7 miles in pre-GPS. . As a reference, in the pre-GPS/INS days, using a navigator, airliners were required to hit their coastal fixes after an oceanic crossing by ± 25 nautical miles.

It was a very different era when your car was built. Pacific Steel in Niles, GM, and Ford were all big employers for the trades workers. FMC (Not Ford) had a unit near the San Jose airport building and testing early versions of the Bradley, the M113, and landing vehicles. All in plain sight. Being a skilled trademan was a desirable option for those not on a professional path.

You did a great job with the car, btw.

 

[sunder1025]

Got a link to the .stl files?

 

[NY_Cade69]

Got a link to the .stl files?

in case some owners might also need the active shutter, I also include the file here

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Thanks for the post. It inspired me to finally fix mine.

One note: it's a lot easier to install if the louvers (louvres? shutters?) are opened instead of closed. To accomplish this, I turned on the car's AC while installing. Took just a few minutes. I live where it gets warm so if it sags, I'll probably have it printed again but with ABS instead.

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