Heater Blower Upgrade Question

All,

I went out and bought the heater blower
(http://www.off-road.com/jeep/tech/body/heater.html), and have run into a
problem or two. First off, both AutoZone and O'Reilley's only offer one
heater blower for that year, so there wasn't a choice between the cheaper
one and the more expensive one. It also does not come with a new fan.

The first problem was that the motor housing was a bit bigger than 3 1/4",
more like 3 1/2", but that problem is easily remedied. The second is more
serious, in that, after putting the old fan onto the new motor, I am unable
to put the heater blower back into the housing. The shaft on the new
heater blower sticks out about 1/4" more than the old one.

Any hints?
--
Michael White "To protect people from the effects of folly is to
fill the world with fools." -Herbert Spencer, 1891

Go back to AZ and ask for the one without AC and compare. I think you will
find that's the ticket..


"Michael White" > wrote in message
k.net...
> All,
>
> I went out and bought the heater blower
> (http://www.off-road.com/jeep/tech/body/heater.html), and have run into a
> problem or two. First off, both AutoZone and O'Reilley's only offer one
> heater blower for that year, so there wasn't a choice between the cheaper
> one and the more expensive one. It also does not come with a new fan.
>
> The first problem was that the motor housing was a bit bigger than 3 1/4",
> more like 3 1/2", but that problem is easily remedied. The second is more
> serious, in that, after putting the old fan onto the new motor, I am
unable
> to put the heater blower back into the housing. The shaft on the new
> heater blower sticks out about 1/4" more than the old one.
>
> Any hints?
> --
> Michael White "To protect people from the effects of folly is to
> fill the world with fools." -Herbert Spencer, 1891

Go back to AZ and ask for the one without AC and compare. I think you will
find that's the ticket..


"Michael White" > wrote in message
k.net...
> All,
>
> I went out and bought the heater blower
> (http://www.off-road.com/jeep/tech/body/heater.html), and have run into a
> problem or two. First off, both AutoZone and O'Reilley's only offer one
> heater blower for that year, so there wasn't a choice between the cheaper
> one and the more expensive one. It also does not come with a new fan.
>
> The first problem was that the motor housing was a bit bigger than 3 1/4",
> more like 3 1/2", but that problem is easily remedied. The second is more
> serious, in that, after putting the old fan onto the new motor, I am
unable
> to put the heater blower back into the housing. The shaft on the new
> heater blower sticks out about 1/4" more than the old one.
>
> Any hints?
> --
> Michael White "To protect people from the effects of folly is to
> fill the world with fools." -Herbert Spencer, 1891

I'm thinking you have the "premium" motor upgrade and are now in the same
predicament I was in. Your only option is to cut away part of the plastic
housing that the motor goes into. If I remember correctly, where the motor
goes in is kind of concave. Cut away ALL of the concave part so that it is
now just a flat opening. The motor should now fit without the fan catching
the sides of the housing. If it doesn't fit, add some foam padding (it's
like a foam insulator type stuff that is sticking on one or both sides). I
used this foam stuff as an insulator and it works nicely. You'll also have
to widen the firewall hole a bit ...after that's done get some heat-proof
silicone and silicone the motor on the engine side to seal it.

The biggest tip I can give you is to keep TESTING THE FAN out at each step
of reinstallation. The tightening of the housing and all of the
reinstallation procedures can flex the plastic housing and cause the fan to
rub. I had almost completely reinstalled it and when I went to test the fan,
it was stuck to the side of the housing again ...very annoying.

Good luck.

--
griffin
'85 Jeep CJ-7
'97 Toyota Corolla SD

"Michael White" > wrote in message
k.net...
> All,
>
> I went out and bought the heater blower
> (http://www.off-road.com/jeep/tech/body/heater.html), and have run into a
> problem or two. First off, both AutoZone and O'Reilley's only offer one
> heater blower for that year, so there wasn't a choice between the cheaper
> one and the more expensive one. It also does not come with a new fan.
>
> The first problem was that the motor housing was a bit bigger than 3 1/4",
> more like 3 1/2", but that problem is easily remedied. The second is more
> serious, in that, after putting the old fan onto the new motor, I am
unable
> to put the heater blower back into the housing. The shaft on the new
> heater blower sticks out about 1/4" more than the old one.
>
> Any hints?
> --
> Michael White "To protect people from the effects of folly is to
> fill the world with fools." -Herbert Spencer, 1891

I'm thinking you have the "premium" motor upgrade and are now in the same
predicament I was in. Your only option is to cut away part of the plastic
housing that the motor goes into. If I remember correctly, where the motor
goes in is kind of concave. Cut away ALL of the concave part so that it is
now just a flat opening. The motor should now fit without the fan catching
the sides of the housing. If it doesn't fit, add some foam padding (it's
like a foam insulator type stuff that is sticking on one or both sides). I
used this foam stuff as an insulator and it works nicely. You'll also have
to widen the firewall hole a bit ...after that's done get some heat-proof
silicone and silicone the motor on the engine side to seal it.

The biggest tip I can give you is to keep TESTING THE FAN out at each step
of reinstallation. The tightening of the housing and all of the
reinstallation procedures can flex the plastic housing and cause the fan to
rub. I had almost completely reinstalled it and when I went to test the fan,
it was stuck to the side of the housing again ...very annoying.

Good luck.

--
griffin
'85 Jeep CJ-7
'97 Toyota Corolla SD

"Michael White" > wrote in message
k.net...
> All,
>
> I went out and bought the heater blower
> (http://www.off-road.com/jeep/tech/body/heater.html), and have run into a
> problem or two. First off, both AutoZone and O'Reilley's only offer one
> heater blower for that year, so there wasn't a choice between the cheaper
> one and the more expensive one. It also does not come with a new fan.
>
> The first problem was that the motor housing was a bit bigger than 3 1/4",
> more like 3 1/2", but that problem is easily remedied. The second is more
> serious, in that, after putting the old fan onto the new motor, I am
unable
> to put the heater blower back into the housing. The shaft on the new
> heater blower sticks out about 1/4" more than the old one.
>
> Any hints?
> --
> Michael White "To protect people from the effects of folly is to
> fill the world with fools." -Herbert Spencer, 1891

at Autozone I had to go through a few GM cars to find the right one. All of
the Blazers had the same part number, I tried something like a 77 Camero and
it was the right one.


"Michael White" > wrote in message
k.net...
> All,
>
> I went out and bought the heater blower
> (http://www.off-road.com/jeep/tech/body/heater.html), and have run into a
> problem or two. First off, both AutoZone and O'Reilley's only offer one
> heater blower for that year, so there wasn't a choice between the cheaper
> one and the more expensive one. It also does not come with a new fan.
>
> The first problem was that the motor housing was a bit bigger than 3 1/4",
> more like 3 1/2", but that problem is easily remedied. The second is more
> serious, in that, after putting the old fan onto the new motor, I am
> unable
> to put the heater blower back into the housing. The shaft on the new
> heater blower sticks out about 1/4" more than the old one.
>
> Any hints?
> --
> Michael White "To protect people from the effects of folly is to
> fill the world with fools." -Herbert Spencer, 1891

at Autozone I had to go through a few GM cars to find the right one. All of
the Blazers had the same part number, I tried something like a 77 Camero and
it was the right one.


"Michael White" > wrote in message
k.net...
> All,
>
> I went out and bought the heater blower
> (http://www.off-road.com/jeep/tech/body/heater.html), and have run into a
> problem or two. First off, both AutoZone and O'Reilley's only offer one
> heater blower for that year, so there wasn't a choice between the cheaper
> one and the more expensive one. It also does not come with a new fan.
>
> The first problem was that the motor housing was a bit bigger than 3 1/4",
> more like 3 1/2", but that problem is easily remedied. The second is more
> serious, in that, after putting the old fan onto the new motor, I am
> unable
> to put the heater blower back into the housing. The shaft on the new
> heater blower sticks out about 1/4" more than the old one.
>
> Any hints?
> --
> Michael White "To protect people from the effects of folly is to
> fill the world with fools." -Herbert Spencer, 1891

AutoZone sandbagged me on that one too when I did the swap. They sold you
the wrong motor or, rather, the right motor but not the one you wanted.
Take it back, bring your old Jeep motor with you and compare it to a few
other GM motors. Bewa The wrong motor will put the squirrel cage in
the wrong place and it _will_ bind in the heater box. Go to the sales
associate that is old enough to not have pimples, s/he'll know how to find
parts that don't easily show up on the computer.

I didn't know that there were two motors for that GM application and ended
up making mine fit by changing the spacers around and adding a shim
between the motor flange and the heater box, but I'm told that the other
motor is a drop-in replacement (except for the firewall hole.) Don't try
to make it fit, your time is worth more than that.

Resist the temptation to use silicone around the heater motor at the
firewall when you get it back together. Silicone, unless it is specially
formulated for windshield installation, is reputed to eat paint and metal.
I used some butyl rubber I scored from a glass shop. Butyl is like chewed
bubble gum, stays tacky and never hardens.

Oh and, depending on how old your Jeep is, think about your heater core
while you've got the box out. Do you want to replace it now, or wait
until later?

Good luck.


On Mon, 6 Dec 2004, Michael White wrote:

> All,
>
> I went out and bought the heater blower
> (http://www.off-road.com/jeep/tech/body/heater.html), and have run into a
> problem or two. First off, both AutoZone and O'Reilley's only offer one
> heater blower for that year, so there wasn't a choice between the cheaper
> one and the more expensive one. It also does not come with a new fan.
>
> The first problem was that the motor housing was a bit bigger than 3 1/4",
> more like 3 1/2", but that problem is easily remedied. The second is more
> serious, in that, after putting the old fan onto the new motor, I am unable
> to put the heater blower back into the housing. The shaft on the new
> heater blower sticks out about 1/4" more than the old one.
>
> Any hints?
> --
> Michael White "To protect people from the effects of folly is to
> fill the world with fools." -Herbert Spencer, 1891
>

--
Some conditions apply. YMMV. This message was packed by weight, not
by volume. TWIAVBP, local variation may occur. Dramatization, not a real
authority. Do not induce vomiting. No user-serviceable words inside.

AutoZone sandbagged me on that one too when I did the swap. They sold you
the wrong motor or, rather, the right motor but not the one you wanted.
Take it back, bring your old Jeep motor with you and compare it to a few
other GM motors. Bewa The wrong motor will put the squirrel cage in
the wrong place and it _will_ bind in the heater box. Go to the sales
associate that is old enough to not have pimples, s/he'll know how to find
parts that don't easily show up on the computer.

I didn't know that there were two motors for that GM application and ended
up making mine fit by changing the spacers around and adding a shim
between the motor flange and the heater box, but I'm told that the other
motor is a drop-in replacement (except for the firewall hole.) Don't try
to make it fit, your time is worth more than that.

Resist the temptation to use silicone around the heater motor at the
firewall when you get it back together. Silicone, unless it is specially
formulated for windshield installation, is reputed to eat paint and metal.
I used some butyl rubber I scored from a glass shop. Butyl is like chewed
bubble gum, stays tacky and never hardens.

Oh and, depending on how old your Jeep is, think about your heater core
while you've got the box out. Do you want to replace it now, or wait
until later?

Good luck.


On Mon, 6 Dec 2004, Michael White wrote:

> All,
>
> I went out and bought the heater blower
> (http://www.off-road.com/jeep/tech/body/heater.html), and have run into a
> problem or two. First off, both AutoZone and O'Reilley's only offer one
> heater blower for that year, so there wasn't a choice between the cheaper
> one and the more expensive one. It also does not come with a new fan.
>
> The first problem was that the motor housing was a bit bigger than 3 1/4",
> more like 3 1/2", but that problem is easily remedied. The second is more
> serious, in that, after putting the old fan onto the new motor, I am unable
> to put the heater blower back into the housing. The shaft on the new
> heater blower sticks out about 1/4" more than the old one.
>
> Any hints?
> --
> Michael White "To protect people from the effects of folly is to
> fill the world with fools." -Herbert Spencer, 1891
>

--
Some conditions apply. YMMV. This message was packed by weight, not
by volume. TWIAVBP, local variation may occur. Dramatization, not a real
authority. Do not induce vomiting. No user-serviceable words inside.

It looks like we have a winner! The fan without the AC fits just fine.
Some other notes for anyone planning on doing this:

1) The correct fan part number at AutoZone is PM102 and is made by Siemens.
Other parts stores may (or may not) vary.

2) With the PM102, I'd use a bit to make a 3 1/2" hole, not 3 1/4" hole
listed on the web site. I think the dimensions have changed since the web
site was last updated, as mine fits pretty darn good (better than the
factory fan).

3) The easiest, quickest way to make the hole is to use the nearby bolts
from the removed battery tray to hold down a 1x4 covering the old hole,
then drill from the inside. Note that you'll also need some longer bolts
temporarily. Total time was under five minutes to find the bolts, mount
the board, and drill the hole. Much easier than the aluminum crossbar on
the web site (although a bit less accurate).

4) Replace the heater core. It's only $35, and not worth it to pull the
whole thing apart again.
--
Michael White "To protect people from the effects of folly is to
fill the world with fools." -Herbert Spencer, 1891

Tom Greening ) wrote on Sunday 05 December 2004 08:33 pm:

> Go back to AZ and ask for the one without AC and compare. I think you
> will find that's the ticket..
>
>
> "Michael White" > wrote in message
> k.net...
>> All,
>>
>> I went out and bought the heater blower
>> (http://www.off-road.com/jeep/tech/body/heater.html), and have run into a
>> problem or two. First off, both AutoZone and O'Reilley's only offer one
>> heater blower for that year, so there wasn't a choice between the cheaper
>> one and the more expensive one. It also does not come with a new fan.
>>
>> The first problem was that the motor housing was a bit bigger than 3
>> 1/4",
>> more like 3 1/2", but that problem is easily remedied. The second is
>> more serious, in that, after putting the old fan onto the new motor, I am
> unable
>> to put the heater blower back into the housing. The shaft on the new
>> heater blower sticks out about 1/4" more than the old one.
>>
>> Any hints?
>> --
>> Michael White "To protect people from the effects of folly is to
>> fill the world with fools." -Herbert Spencer, 1891