Hello to the group. May I please ask for assistance with the fresh air flapper located in the kick panel of my 1969 Convertible 4 speed NO AC Corvette?

Passenger side flapper door and ball lever control works fine.

Drivers side is the problem. The ball lever control on shift console feels like a spring and is not controlling the flapper door correctly.

I removed the kick panel and the flapper door opens and closes well by hand.

When I close the flapper door by hand, I am able to open the flapper door using the ball lever control with no problem. However, when I push the ball lever control up in attempt to close the flapper door, the ball lever control feels like a spring and it will not move the flapper door. When I close the flapper door by hand again, I see that the ball lever control does move upward on the shift console like it supposed to.
Once again, I push the ball lever control downward and the flapper door opens just fine, but the ball lever control feels like a spring when I push it up and the flapper door doesn't move.

I wish I could see the ball control mechanism under the shift console but I don't know what it will take to remove the shift console. Perhaps someone can provide instructions for removing the 4 speed shift console
if it is not difficult to do? Or perhaps I may not have to remove the entire console to get to the ball lever control mechanism but remove only the overlay template? Thank you all in advance!! Best Regards, Otto

 

Sounds like the attachment for the cable to shift panel is broken or un attached,I have the same problem,just too lazy to fix it because its a PITA...

 

I think that your control cable is sticking when pushed and the inner wire of the cable is flexing where connected to what you call the "ball lever control". The "spring" that you feel when attempting to close the door is the spring-back caused by the flexing wire. If you remove the small trim panel on the forward driver's side of the console (one screw, I think), you may be able to see the business end of the lever with a mirror and flashlight. The cable may have a kink in it or it may have stiffened up over the years. Not unusual.

 

This is probably the issue. Mine had a kink and damaged housing. New cable fixed it up.

 

Thank you to all that responded to my inquiry. I have located the source of the problem. The problem appears to be the screw that is holding the tab at the shift console end of the cable has loosend and the cable is flexing when I move the ball lever. I can see it with a mirror when I remove the trim panel on the forward driver's side of the console
(Thanks 69vette19467!!). Now I have to figure out how to tighten that little screw that is inside the shift console. Thanks again to all for your help!! Best Regards, Otto