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Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Tech Talk => Topic started by: Kent Speers on July 31, 2011, 08:41:12 pm

Title: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: Kent Speers on July 31, 2011, 08:41:12 pm
Does anyone know what was used for the multi-speed blower motor for the Dash A/C of a  1993 U300 Grand Villa? Mine is making some noise and I would like to have a spare on board in case it goes out while on the road in this hot weather.
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart on July 31, 2011, 09:01:52 pm
Noticed you guy aren't catching a break heat wise. Possible leaf in the squirrel cage noise or more like dry bearings? I have pulled one before and stretched the springs that push on the brushes when I got into a pinch before. Can't help other than that sort of lame suggestion. Nice to have all the cooling possible now.
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: Kent Speers on July 31, 2011, 09:07:36 pm
Sadly, it is not a leaf it is the bearings. Please explain the brushes trick. Would that help if the bearings go? I'm guessing it is a pretty much standard GM blower motor but I was hoping someone has already found an exact replacement.

You are so right about the heat. We finally giving up and heading for the mountains this week. Steve and Michelle, Jeff and Carol watch out, we are headed your way.
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: wolfe10 on July 31, 2011, 09:18:25 pm
Actually, on our 1993 U240 the fan motor has bushings, not bearings.  I took mine out and used a few drops of sewing machine oil when it started making noise.  Still fine after 5 more years.

Brett
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: Dave M (RIP) on July 31, 2011, 09:33:50 pm
Wolfe10, Wonder if you ever tried using a graphite / silicone mix, we use it on some automatic transfer switch areas, it is a very slick grease that stays.  the silicone grease holds the graphite in place, seems to work real good for us. there is a fancy name for the combo, I can not pronounce nor spell.
One can not bad mouth sewing machine oil either.
Cheers
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: Kent Speers on July 31, 2011, 09:36:57 pm
Brett, it only starts making a racket occasionally but in this weather I'm just afraid it will go out. Do you recall how to get to the blower motor? I sure will try the lubrication trick.

Dave, where would one get that lubricant. I use silicone grease all of the time and I have some graphite. Can I mix my own?

Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: wolfe10 on July 31, 2011, 10:04:24 pm
Kent,

The dash area on your/our coach are very different, so can't comment on access to yours.

Brett
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: Dave M (RIP) on July 31, 2011, 10:14:32 pm
Kent, If you promise to not laugh at me, I think the name is Molydisolfate,, I think that is also known as graphite, because it feels like it,a very very smooth grease  and yes we mix the two, I use a battery acid brush, get the Dow Corning 44 silicone grease  on brush then dip into the graphite make a grease out of it and brush it on what ever we need.  The funny, you get it on your fingers and you can not pickup anything.  Have used a lot of it, Factory has a part # for the combination of the two parts, but cost about $35.00 per kit. 
Told you I can not spell.
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: Michelle on July 31, 2011, 10:31:39 pm
Kent, If you promise to not laugh at me, I think the name is Molydisolfate,, I think that is also known as graphite, because it feels like it,a very very smooth grease 

Dave,

I know that lubricant!  Moly Disulfide, aka molybdenum disulfide grease.  I used it way back when I worked in thin films research - it's a very low vapor pressure non-organic lubricant so we could use it in high vacuum (10-9 torr) for anything that needed to move during deposition or etch.  It doesn't have graphite (carbon) in it, but it's a dark grey/black grease.

I think you can buy it in a tube at some auto parts stores.  We used Molykote M-77, a Dow Corning product.

Michelle
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: J. D. Stevens on July 31, 2011, 10:53:53 pm
...
I know that lubricant!  Moly Disulfide, aka molybdenum disulfide grease.  I used it way back when I worked in thin films research - it's a very low vapor pressure non-organic lubricant so we could use it in high vacuum (10-9 torr) for anything that needed to move during deposition or etch. ...

Michelle

Geez! You and Steve are indeed geeky and fluent in technobabble. I love it!  ;D The resources available here a varied and amazing.
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart on July 31, 2011, 11:47:00 pm
Kent,

Sounds like everyone has good bearing tips. Good high school trick. Stop the car with date claiming engine trouble in a nice view spot. "What's wrong" "Lost my bearings" OK, old joke.

So, a lot of fan motors have brushes with the feed wire inside a long spring. The brushes wear down, the spring can't keep the brushes against the armature and the motor stops. IF you can get at them, you can stretch the spring so it will again put pressure on the brushes. Got that tip from a MBZ wrecking yard and have tried it on a couple of heater/air motors with good results. Can be a fast fix IF you can get at the motor easily (and it comes apart easily). Good luck.
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: Gary Bouland (RIP) on August 01, 2011, 11:08:50 am
Kent, I replaced the blower motor in my 95 U280 in a parking lot in Enid several years ago.
I got a standard chevy motor and it fit exactly.  Try a 80's Chev PU or compatable at any parts store.
To get to it in a GV I had to remove the breaker panel on the passenger side, pull the screws, lay panel out as far as you can and you can reach blower.
Good luck
Gary B
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: Rick on August 01, 2011, 12:18:56 pm
Does anyone know what was used for the multi-speed blower motor for the Dash A/C of a  1993 U300 Grand Villa? Mine is making some noise and I would like to have a spare on board in case it goes out while on the road in this hot weather.
try this
Dash A/C , dash heat blower motor (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=11598.msg58462#msg58462)
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart on August 01, 2011, 03:27:15 pm
Kent,

My '93 is different. Has several hidden screws in the carpeted panel (four sided). You can open the dash top, pull the large flex hose aside and look straight down at it (look behind glove compartment) but not enough room to remove it. Took me a little while to find all the screws on mine but once you do that the motor is straight ahead.  The assembly should come out in a couple of minutes. Would have taken a couple of shots but pretty straight forward.

Think cool weather.
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: Kent Speers on August 01, 2011, 06:57:41 pm
This is one more time I love my old 93 Grand Villa. To change out the A/C Blower Motor I had to loosen the plywood knee box in front of the passenger seat, four screws hidden under the carpet. It took more time to find the screws than it did to remove them. My knee box would not come out but I was able to pull the right side back far enough to get to the blower motor. The blower motor had five screws, one of which acted as a ground attachment. Four of the five were easily reached with a flex shaft on my power screw driver. The fifth I reached by lifting the dash moving the flex duct as Pierce said and used a 1/4" drive ratchet with a 1/4" socket and a phillips screw driver bit. There is a short flex hose running from the motor up to the plenum. It is held with one screw at the plenum. The whole process took less than 30 minutes, excluding the time to figure it all out and gather the tools.

I then went to Orielly's Auto Parts with the old blower motor and asked them to pull a 1993 Chevy pickup blower motor, Bingo they matched. Cost for a lifetime guaranteed blower motor was $28. Thirty minutes later it was installed and works great. Total job time excluding travel to the auto parts store, one hour. Man, simple is beautiful.
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: coastprt on October 13, 2016, 02:53:26 pm
This is one more time I love my old 93 Grand Villa. To change out the A/C Blower Motor I had to loosen the plywood knee box in front of the passenger seat, four screws hidden under the carpet. It took more time to find the screws than it did to remove them. My knee box would not come out but I was able to pull the right side back far enough to get to the blower motor. The blower motor had five screws, one of which acted as a ground attachment. Four of the five were easily reached with a flex shaft on my power screw driver. The fifth I reached by lifting the dash moving the flex duct as Pierce said and used a 1/4" drive ratchet with a 1/4" socket and a phillips screw driver bit. There is a short flex hose running from the motor up to the plenum. It is held with one screw at the plenum. The whole process took less than 30 minutes, excluding the time to figure it all out and gather the tools.

I then went to Orielly's Auto Parts with the old blower motor and asked them to pull a 1993 Chevy pickup blower motor, Bingo they matched. Cost for a lifetime guaranteed blower motor was $28. Thirty minutes later it was installed and works great. Total job time excluding travel to the auto parts store, one hour. Man, simple is beautiful.

Kent,

Agreed!  I changed out my blower motor which went kaput over the weekend.  It was as easy as you said and I found one at Autozone for $26.99. Everco #35334 with limited lifetime warranty and made in Canada!  I didn't realize how worn out the old motor was.  The new one is more powerful and blows out much stronger.

Jerry
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: John/Pat on October 13, 2016, 03:05:44 pm
Any idea if 1998 U270 would be as easy as the one Kent did? And would you ask for 1998 Chevy blower motor?
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: Mike Leary (RIP) on October 13, 2016, 03:40:54 pm
I've never had good luck with dash air. My files on this coach show, "Serviced dash A/C, replaced the compressor, dryer flushed the system, replaced the expansion valve, evacuate the system, oil change and adapter fittings to charge system with 134A". This was in 2014. Coming through Phoenix the other day, I needed dash air, bad. Fan worked, but nothing cooled!  :o
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: craneman on October 13, 2016, 04:10:53 pm
I've never had good luck with dash air. My files on this coach show, "Serviced dash A/C, replaced the compressor, dryer flushed the system, replaced the expansion valve, evacuate the system, oil change and adapter fittings to charge system with 134A". This was in 2014. Coming through Phoenix the other day, I needed dash air, bad. Fan worked, but nothing cooled!  :o
Put in 134a with leak detector dye. Use a UV light and special glasses, both can be bought on Amazon to find the leak or leaks. Usually a hose in the engine or condenser area. I have had to do this to my Monaco, Grand Cherokee and the current coach. Now have 40 deg. at register of toad and coach.
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: AncloteJoe on October 13, 2016, 04:30:10 pm
John/Pat. it would be nice if the 98 was as easy as the 93 but they are quite different. I had my 98 u270 dash open to try and replace a leaky heater core. The motor assembly is integrated into a HVAC unit.

Motorhome HVAC Unit (SCS/VCS) 090-00114 - Comfort Air Inc. (http://www.comfortairgr.com/shop/motorhome-hvac-units-vcs-090-00114/)

I am not sure how to get to the motor assembly. its all the way forward in the dash.

Rick
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: craneman on October 13, 2016, 06:42:29 pm
Any idea if 1998 U270 would be as easy as the one Kent did? And would you ask for 1998 Chevy blower motor?
Here is a picture of what a '99 looks like.  I only replaced the expansion valve, but if the blower was bad I would remove the whole unit and work on the bench with it.
dash air expansion valve (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=27441.msg224665#msg224665)
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: Don & Tys on October 13, 2016, 11:43:13 pm
Not an easy job... It requires basically disassembly of the center of the dash. I didn't replace the blower, but I did replace the heater core with a unit that wasn't an exact match (FOT can't get the exact fit version anymore). My assessment is that the whole HVAC assembly would need to come out to replace the blower motor, which will necessitate evacuating the A/C system and then of course refilling it. I suppose if the dash A/C doesn't work, it may be an easier decision. My blower is working fine, so I didn't feel it was worth it to do it as a preventative measure. Here is a link to my heater core project. Maybe the pictures will be helpful in visualizing the necessary process.
99' U270 Heater core replacement Saga (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=28929.msg243050#msg243050)
Don
Any idea if 1998 U270 would be as easy as the one Kent did? And would you ask for 1998 Chevy blower motor?
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: Old phart phred on October 14, 2016, 12:24:51 am
Was there no model # on the heater core? Or measure and check with Modine a major OEM supplier. Most of this stuff is parts based on off the shelf pieces and based on a very large volume automotive application, for economic reasons. If you can find out what was specified you can get much cheaper parts.
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: John Duld on October 14, 2016, 08:22:22 am
I was able to rotate the HVAC box enough without disconnecting the AC lines to slip the blower motor and squirrel cages out over the top left side of the HVAC box on my '95 U320.
Cleaned the squirrel cages and new motor. Smooth, quiet and more air!
Title: Re: Need to Replace Dash A/C Blower Motor
Post by: cubesphere on October 17, 2016, 03:46:13 pm
I had to replace the blower on our 95 320, What a job! After disassembly, I was down to the AC lines and wasn't sure how to recapture the gas? I elected to have a truck repair shop disconnect the lines and put the blower in. It still cost 700,00 and I had to put it all back together again. My air no longer works either, such a deal. I might attempt looking to see if it can be fixed this winter. There are some good suggestions above, thank you.