ZenXtra07,
You say that you don't know technical terminology, but are you at all handy with tools? If you are, I am going to describe just how I took care of my blend door problem. I spent roughly $20 total, can control my heat while driving, and enjoy vent air and both AC and MAX AC.
"A picture is worth a thousand words, wish I had one!"
We have two '98s, 4Ltr 4X4 auto is my daily driver, and better half drives 3Ltr 2X4 stick. Both have the same heater A/C control. You mentioned the hot water vacuum valve (heater control valve). This is where my repair started. I removed the vacuum line and plugged so that it wouldn't affect the operations of my working functions. This vacuum valve is all plastic with the exception of the valve control rod and the internal return spring. I took a large pair of channel lock pliers to break the vacuum chamber off the top of this valve. Be careful not to break the flat plate that the dome was molded to. Now if it is still there, remove the rubber diaphragm, spring, and the plastic valve rod.The dome on mine didn't break off clean and flat, so I cleaned and flattened it with my dremil.
Auto parts stores have choke cable kits. Choose a small diameter cable about 3 1/2 feet long. I found a bracket at Lowes 1" wide, 4" long that was predrilled, bent it into an L 1" from the bottom, used two self tapping hex head screws and mounted the bracket to the top of the valve on this flat plate. Inside the cab, right above the accelerator, there is enough space in the firewall between the cable and insulation to drill a hole for your cable. I mounted my bracket just to the left of the ash tray, installed the cable after I removed the cable from the housing and lubed it with white lithium grease. I installed cable then ran it thru the firewall and over to the valve. During your handling of the cable, be careful not to kink it. I removed about 2 1/2" of the housing, leaving about 3" of the cable. Now using needle nose pliers, wrap the end of the cable around a small phillips screw driver about three times or so, making it to where it will just slide onto the valve rod, insuring that there is about 1" straight cable between the cable and the the hooped end that you made to give the valve the room to work. Once completed, with the small brackets provided with the cable kit, slide the cable through the plastic, which has about a 3'4" hole in the center. Slide the cable through the hole in the plate, slide it over the valve rod, and position it on the "L" bracket centered over the tip of the rod.
Work the cable and valve a few times to verify loose operation, fasten it into place with the provided Kit hardware, then go inside to see how it functions. You will have to push the cable for heat, and pull it to turn it off. The more you use it, the better it works.
I hope that this helps. I hope to be able post a picture soon.
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