When my furnace come on for the first time after not being on for several days, I get a second or 2 of bearing noise when the blower starts usually just the first time. M\
My question is there a way to lubricate the bearing in the blower without removing the furnace.
Thanks.
Yes, you can use a light, non-detergent oil such as sewing machine oil.
BTW, they are just bushings, not bearings. Put 2 drops on either end of the motor shaft and let it wick in.
Brett
Brett,
Will 3 n 1 oil work?, no sewing machine oil guess I can find a sewing shop.
Brett,
Would I access the blower wheel from the kitchen. I havent looked but figured you would know how to best access the blower.
Thanks.
NO, 3 in 1 oil will not work well-- it increases in viscosity as the light/short hydrocarbon chains evaporate. Any fabric shop, craft shop, etc should have sewing machine oil.
With the Atwood furnace, the motor is accessed from the outside access panel. Suburbans from the inside, though I have not taken apart a Suburban.
Brett
Thanks Brett, on my list.
Jerry, I have some penetrating oil that I used, Stoddard Solvent and Kerosene probably. Its been a couple years since I did mine, and you are welcome to use it. That little bottle would service every furnace in the FT's on this forum. It don't take much. The idea is to get the lubricant into the pads at the bushing. What I did was drill a small hole ( 1/16 or less ) Soak it a couple times and put it back together..
Gary B
I replaced blower motor outside. Open furnace inspection door and pull down plastic cover.
Larry Bradley
1998 u 270
Larry,
Thanks for the help.
Jerry
I use Tri-Flow. Light carrier gets into tight spaces and leaves heavier oil when it evaporates. Good stuff!
As others have said the right stuff is critical. There's oil sold in a squeeze bottle with a flexible tube on the end of it, contains Turbine Oil. Available at any industrial supply place.
So do you have to take the furnace out and remove the motor to lubricate it? Our back furnace has a brief squeal when it starts up? If it has to be removed, any advise would be welcome.... e.g., how to get the ducts off, etc.
George
George, mine started squeekin just last week, lasts for 1-3 seconds.
George, Some info on Hydroflame Furnace.
Atwood Hydroflame Furnace UPDATE (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=17137.msg114115#msg114115)
Yes, You have to remove motor. Not simple, here are major steps.
Open Outer door
Remove plastic cover
Loosen wingnut to left of exhaust tube.
Pull exhaust tube out, it is just pushed into plenum, probably rusty but keep trying, just wiggle straight out..
Remove screws holding motor shroud, you will need a long nut driver to reach one in back..
Partially remove motor, then use a long shank Allen wrench to loosen blower cage from motor shaft.
Remove motor.
Also , as you go you will have to disconnect the various wiring connectors, label them so you know how to replace them.
If you need to give me a call, and no I am no expert, Gary O showed me how to do it.
Gary B
You can lube it without completely removing it. Follow Gary's instructions until you access the motor. Put a couple of drops on each shaft next to the motor and some will wick in.
Gary's drilling oiling hole at each end is probably an excellent idea, but I have not done it and so can't comment.
Thanks Gary and Brett. Is Gary O Gary Omel?
George
Agree with Chuck,
I use one all the time in my shop. The long tube makes it easy to get those hard to reach places where fingers shouldn't go if your oiling something that's running with a lot of moving parts .... in my case a printing press. 461354 ZOOM SPOUT TURBINE OIL - Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/461354-ZOOM-SPOUT-TURBINE-OIL/dp/B008MG3T1Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390599406&sr=8-2&keywords=zoom+spout+turbine+oil)
Jerry aka Murph
George, Yep Gary O is that one.
Gary B
Most Ace Hardware stores carry the turbine oil.
To take off the ducts you have to use the correct words, ie %^&%$# ^&*(B ) @#!$, not necessarily in that order. So don't go that far if there is no need.
Roland
WAs that two #'s or three ?
three ### during duct removal and Four #### when reinstalling ducts to rear furnace housing! :'( :'( :'(
Guess I missed something, no need to remove any ducts to take motor out and service. Next time I will try the words and see if they help.
Gary B
Gary,
I do wish I had known or checked Foreforums when the rear furnace motor started squealing!
A tech at local repair shop working on a furnace problem for a neighbor camped next to me, told me you
could not oil the motor when I mentioned the squealing noise and that the motor needed replacement. To remove the motor the whole furnace needed to be taken out of the coach. I decided to do the job which included removing and reinstalling air ducts by putting my arms through the vent holes located outside of closet floor area in bathroom. Thus the four "####"!.
I then brought the entire Atwood Furnace to the Local Shop and they replaced the motor. The new motor cost ~ $75 and their labor to replce in the furnace another $75.
My total labor time removing and re-installing furnace about 4 hours, approximately three of those hours were reconnecting the ducts!!!
Furnace model number: 8516-IV-DCLP; 16,000 BTU and as mentioned the motor did not have any holes for lubrication so I was satisfied I had done the correct thing till I read this post.... :'( :-[ :(
Tony, All that labor will probably get you out of purgatory a few minutes early, sorry you went to all that trouble BUT you now have a furnace that will function for another dozen years.
Gary B
See the attached pics.... are these the screws that need to be removed to get to the motor? Any others? Thanks in advance.
George
George, Those screws you marked only remove the plastic shroud over the motor. You will also have to remove :
@#19 on drawing a wingnut
#6 2 screws
#43 1 screw
#24 2 screws
#41 1 screw attaching the sail switch
@51 1 screw attaching the electrical connectcor
In addition the Exhaust / intake has to come out along with the igniter.
Hard to tell if that is all from a drawing.
Gary B