blower motor/heater core hints

[Dave Michael <dave.michael@quantum.com>]

This is something I wrote up on heater core/blower motor replacement
a few years ago. Its in the archives somewhere, so this is a bit of a repeat:
 
I took a vacation day yesterday and did the blower motor. I ended up removing
the whole heater box per the bently, mostly 'cuase I can't stand the idea
if cutting bits that are not supposed to be cut. Plus, in getting the
housing out far enough to extract the blower, I broke one of the vacuum
servo mounts, so I had to take the whole thing out the make a bracket
to fix it. It took about 6 hours, but could do it in 3 next time.
 
My helpful hints to add to the others:
1. To un-stick the housing from the car, I made a tool from a 9" flat piece of
steel bracket (the stuff that comes in 4 ft strips, has holes and is about
1.5" wide by 1/16" thick). I folded one end 1/4"   back on itself to
make a hook that fit under a lip that is at the very front of the housing.
Then I put a 90 degree bend in it half way along its length so the the flat
part of the steel was parrallel with the engine (ie-front back)
                                |-------|
                                |       |
                                |       |
                                |       |
                                |       |
                                |       |
                                |       |
                                |       |
                                |       |
                                |       |
                                |       |
                                |       |
                                \       /
                                 \     /    <----90 deg bend
                                  \   /
                                    ||
                                    ||
                                    ||
                                    ||
                                    ||
                                    ||
                                    ||
                                    ||
                                    ||
                                    ||
                                    || <-----1/16" flat steel
                                    ||
                                    ||
                                    ||
                                    ||    <-----hook
                                    L___|
 
Anways, I clamped the flat part to a big pry bar, and using a tubafor that
was laid accross the water-box "U" as a pry surface, popped the heater box
loose.
 
2. Make sure you work the box streight back out up - no twisting allowed,
'cause if you twist, you'll catch the vacuum servo mounts and break them.
You have to move some wiring that is tie-warpped to the a/c line so you can
pull up and out.
3. Make sure you use a thick enough gasket if you are replacing the blower to
body- seal. I used 1/4", and that I think that is barely enough. I will buy
the oem gasket when I ordered the motor if I do it again.
 
4. I diconnected the rear seat duct rubber hose at the duct, not the blower
housing, but that means you nead to have help from inside to pull the rubber
hose through as you insert the housing (otherwise, it folds back on itself).
 
5. The only other things that nead disconnecting are two elbow ducts (they
pull right out), the vacuum servo connector (pry apart with a flat blade), and
the red, black and white vacuum lines that disconnect on top of the
a/c housing (in the water box).