HVAC Vent Control issues

[CHICAGO_ONE]

Ok guys/gals, I've run into a problem. To start, I did search through a few pages of results and couldn't find any topic that went further into my issue. If I missed it, my mistake.

Here's the deal:
Ever since I bought the car, the control to switch vents has only worked for Face and Windshield Defrost. Content at the time, I just left it.

Well, I finally got around to wanting to fix it and get some heat for my feet. I found that the cable from the knob to the gears was kinked/frayed and came apart when I took it out. Got a straight one from the JY and started to install that, just to find out that its the gears that are seized. I can't even move them by hand. I assume it's what caused the previous cable to bend. Someone probably kept forcing the knob and it kinked the cable.

Problem now is with a "new" straight wire, the vent are only on the face. So now I don't have a defroster anymore.

Either way, does anyone know how to fix these gears? They still has some grease and I sprayed white lithium grease on them for good measures, but no luck. I can't find any part numbers either.

Would I have to take the entire box out?
Has anyone faced this issue?

Any help is appreciated. Im not sure when I will be able to dig around with this problem again, as its only in the 20's in Illinois, but I want to make sure this gets resolved as soon as it warms up.

[mko]

play with the lever, trying to move it back and forth and maybe it would budge. If not you might have take the box out.