Doing the Blower Motor Shuffle

[urq]

... there's no need to hacksaw anything ... years ago I succumbed to the
lure of an easy fix with the "steak knife" method on my '88 5kCSQA ...
regretted it ever since.  

On the T44 the blower can be easily accessed by removing the blower box hold
down strap and lifting it slightly.  There are 3 Phillips head screws that
hold the access cover in place.  You slide the duct from the evaporator box
to the HVAC box back into the former.  Two of the cover screws are fairly
easily accessed with a small screwdriver ... the third is down close to the
bottom of the shelf.  It is good to see what you're in for by looking into
the area with an inspection mirror first, then you can see what you need.  

As I noted, by lifting the HVAC box up slightly you will have a clear shot
to the screw with a small screwdriver by inserting the handle into the duct
coming from the evaporator.  If you happen to have an "Skewdriver" setup you
might actually be able to get at the screw without loosening the airbox.
Things are a bit tight, but I find that by deforming the squirrel cage a
little the blower can be removed intact and the new one reinstalled.  

Make sure that the black outer housing comes out with the old motor ... it
tends to remain in the blower motor bore.  You will find a metal frame for
the motor if the housing is missing ... compare the old motor to the new to
see what the housing looks like.  I also spray some silicon lube on the
housing of the new motor just before installing it, it makes the job much
easier (especially in situ).  Remember that the motor housing is keyed, so
make sure it is properly aligned before sliding the new motor in.  

Steve B
San José, CA (USA)

-----Original Message-----
Like the blower motor, which has now gone south on my '87 5KCSTQ after
about six months of funny noises, sub-par blower speed and running
intermittently in right hand turns.

I've done Scott Mockry's electrical tests and the 12V power, control
head voltages and grounds are all in spec.  So it's got to be the
brushes/commutator, which fits the intermittency problems I've been
having.  I had my fingers crossed that it was the blower control unit,
as I have a spare for that, but no such luck.

I'm going to try some of the archive's amended procedures for removing
the motor that don't require taking the airbox apart and instead
recommend hacksawing away some of the ductwork to remove the motor and
squirrel cage.  I'm not a concours purist at this point, and I'll
gladly accept a little ductwork and tape under the plenum cover
instead of 6 hours pulling and swearing and snapping brittle plastic.