Blender door actuator replacement

I am about to replace the A/C blender door actuator on the passenger side of my car listed above LE. This will be the third or fourth time I am replacing this actuator in about five years. After I replace the actuator I can tell it is straining because of minor sounds it makes that come from the actuator. After some time the actuator goes bad again and starts making that really loud clicking noise.
I believe I may not be setting everything up properly when I install the new actuator. But I have been unable to find anything on proper positioning of either the door itself or the settings in the AC center controls. I did find a way to supposedly reset the system. But that really doesn't help my issue.
What I need to know is what settings should I set my A/C for when changing the actuator and do I set it before or after I take out the old one. I also need to know which direction should I turn the door itself before installing the actuator. I can turn it clockwise or counter clockwise about a half a turn each way. I can easily turn the door and I can hear it thump into place each time but not sure which way to have it turned before I install the actuator.
I really hope you can help with this.