Replacing the blower motor

[20050627|3|008327|000043|65.183.99.20]

So, I've got to replace the blower motor on my truck on Saturday. I've got the instructions but am curious about any tips and I'm curious about doing Kennedy's fast idle tip at the same time (since I'll have the ECM out)

Is this a good idea? I'm thinking mostly about warm up if it should ever get cold here again.

[bbudus]

Keep this post updated with your experience, inquiring minds would like to know how it goes. I have to do the same as the motor is constantly squeeling. :mad: Drives me insane. I had heard it was not a fun job, so I have been putting it off. :rolleyes:

Bbudus

[DChristie]

I didn't exactly replace my blower motor, but I did have it out this summer. iirc it's fairly simple and straight forward. There are eight or so self-tapping screws holding it in place. It hides behind the plasti-coted insul-shield below the glove box, which dis-integrated on removal. I didn't bother to replace it.
While I was in there I cleaned out all kinds of trash, leaves dirt hair pine needles etc. with my shop-vac. That made the A/C work much better.

The Hi-idle is easy, and inexpensive. It's a nice feature I've only used twice since I did it, I like it for the cool factor.

[stingthieves]

It appears to me that the most annoying aspect of this repair will be removing and replacing the large iron bar under the dash to gain enough access/clearance to R/R that pesky blower motor! Rick

[GMC Hauler]

I have used the fast idle to help warm up the burb faster, and to help cool it down after a large climb. I also use it when i need to charge the batteries faster, jump someone else off, or when doing winching operations. How i did the modification can be seen via the link in my signature line.

[roclongrider]

Just did the motor in my '93. If you take the kick panel out and remove the lower dash support bolt that's behind it, it comes out pretty easily.

[BobND]

Originally posted by stingthieves:
It appears to me that the most annoying aspect of this repair will be removing and replacing the large iron bar under the dash to gain enough access/clearance to R/R that pesky blower motor! Rick IIRC, the metal bar is riveted to the plastic dash, and is not removable separately. However, it is attached to the RH door frame area by a stud and nut. All that is needed is to remove the nut, pop the metal bar off of the stud, and pull the bottom of the dash back a little, for the extra clearance needed to drop the fan/motor assembly out.

[stingthieves]

All that is needed is to remove the nut, pop the metal bar off of the stud, and pull the bottom of the dash back a little, for the extra clearance needed to drop the fan/motor assembly out. REALLY!!! :rolleyes: Thanks Bob

[20050627|3|008327|000043|65.183.99.20]

Done. Found instructions on the ChevyTalk site and used them as a guide.

Need a 7mm wrench, 7 mm socket and a 13mm socket.

Remove inner glove box.
Move the computer out of the way.
Remove plastic bracket holding computer (4 bolts 2 on top, two by blower that I loosened enough to pull the tray up).
Remove the passenger side courtesy light as it kinda gets in the way.
Remove 2 wires, and plastic blower cover.
There's about 6 bolts holding the blower.
Once you remove them, the blower will come out, but not all the way no matter how many times you rotate it.
Unbolt the bracket on the passenger side kick panel. I still could not move the dash out of the way enough as there is a stud in the way. I had to bend the bracket to get it by the stud to move the dash enough to get the fan out.

Install was simply the reverse. I was smart and tried the new fan before installing, but it worked just fine.

Now for the rant. This is where all of the GM designers need to spend a few year in purgatory working on the vehicles they designed. If the fan had been mounted a 1/2 inch lower, it would pop right out with no trouble. But instead I had to pry on the dash bracket and bend it to get it past the stud and out. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

[bbudus]

Thanks Tackle, at least now I know where the yelling and cursing will start!! ;) This is going to be my after Christmas fix, along with a tranny flush, front axle flush, power steering flush, and rear end flush. :eek: Fun Fun Fun.

Bbudus

[20050627|3|008327|000043|65.183.99.20]

Originally posted by bbudus:
and rear end flush.Uh.

Yeah.

Good luck with that.

And please don't post a write up. Especially don't post any pictures.

[Hubert]

Thanks for the tips.

This morning AC/heater fan did not come on. Selector switch operated vents ok and AC push button lights for compressor haven't checked that it engages yet though. I expect its the blower motor. I haven't checked anything but AC fuse on side of dash (which I don't necessarily think controls blower). Anything else to check before R&R the fan motor. Did not have time to look under dash is there a wire that unplugs to the motor I can test with a DMM to verify power from switch?

Once had to do my Mitsubishi blower fan motor and it was a dead wasp and some trash stuck in motor. Cleaned it up and been working for several years now.

[rlvelin]

There is wire to the fan that can be checked, it plugs in behind the the insulated rubber cover that faces the rear of truck and can be easily pulled out of the way.

Set the fan speed to highest setting and use a test light to see if the fan power lead is live, test on lower fan speed settings and if the light dims with each step down in fan speed your blower motor is bad. If light goes out on any speeds lower than high the blower motor resistor is probably bad. It is mounted on top of the air duct below the glove box and can burn out as it gets pretty hot and is cooled by airflow through the duct.

Ryan

[TTM]

Hey Tackle? was those removal instructions for your 2001 or....My fan has been squeeling for some time now on med and high....

[Hubert]

Thank you Ryan.

Well don't know now. Might be that resistor or some . As the blower came on last night on drive home.

I had parked in my carport but left the windows down on Saturday. Sunday all day it was cooler, misty, rainy, and damp and I did not drive the truck. Monday morning the truck felt real damp. So I was going to kick on fan and let idle with heat on to dry things out and it did not come on. EVERYTHING else seemed fine. Played with the switches and nothing so I just drove it. But then on my drive home it came on (I had left it on a medium setting playing with it in the morning). It may have dried out the switch or a connection and its working for now.

Thanks again for that diagnostic test hopefully it will help me pinpoint the problem when it occurs again.

Funny sometimes all I have to do is threaten my truck with some wrench turning and it acts much better for a while. Its kind of like a belt with a kid.

I am pretty sure Tacklwasher's above instructions are for his previous truck as I resurrected an older thread with a lot of relevance to my problem.

[rameye]

Very interesting...

I have converted my fan from electric start to "kick start".

Simply said if you're on the passenger side it's your job to kick the fan 5 times in order for it to start working.

If you're driving solo, I use my wifes' umbrella to beat it into submission from afar.

Has worked for a year now..very inexpensive fix...highly reccomended for those who put things off. This is one of my deferred maintenance issues...new fan in box on work bench for 1 year already.

regards..

rameye

[rlvelin]

I can attest to the PITA process for R&R of this blower motor. I think those responsible should get sent all over the world to replace these things as they go bad at the owners whim, preferably in the outdoors when its raining or -20 degrees. But removing the nut from the stud and moving the bracket out of the way a little is the way to go.

As far as the high idle, I rigged one up on my truck and its great for idling at stoplights in the summer with AC on or to help cooling while idling after it gets warm especially if the fan clutch is engaged.