This weekend I changed the passenger side blend door motor without removing the instrument cluster. There is a bit more to it than in my SHO since there is what appears to be an interior temp sensor hose running underneath the actuator. By disconnecting the blower motor wiring harness and moving that out of the way, I was able to get the hose repositioned enough to snake the actuator out from the glovebox opening.
I had to order the new actuator ($24) so instead of keeping the MKT in the garage for the several days it might take for the new part to arrive, I moved the driver's side actuator to the passenger side and put everything back together. The driver's side actuator is the same part number and only takes about 5 minutes to remove or reinstall. When the new part arrives, I'll just need to tuck my head under the driver's side dash, install the new actuator, then recalibrate the HVAC system and all should be well.
-Rod