digger89L

With it becoming increasing difficult to find good used parts for the G1 ...especially parts that normally wear out with age ..I thought I'd pass on this tip about repairing the heater / AC fan motor. (my digital camera was on loan at the time, so I didn't get any photos). For the past number of months the fan motor had been emitting a very annoying high-pitched squeal ..not all the time ...just after it had been running for a while ...and even then, not all the time. I knew from experience that the problem was dry bushings inside the fan motor.

Removal of the fan motor is fairly simply: remove the plastic strip at the bottom edge of the glove box ...this reveals the other screws (3) that have to be removed to take off the plastic panel that hides the fan motor housing. With those three screws removed , tug the panel forward, and it will release from the two clips holding the backside to the firewall. You can now see the fan motor poking down from the bottom side of the housing. Three 8mm bolts hold the motor flange in place. Use a socket wrench to remove these bolts. They will likely be rusty from the moisture that accumulates in this area ...but not to worry: the bolts are actually "screw bolts" that screw into the plastic housing, so they won't be rusted tight. With the bolts removed, the fan motor unit will drop down. Unplug the power wires on the front side of the motor, and remove the fan motor / fan unit from the car.

On the workbench now, use the 8mm socket to remove the nut holding the fan to the fan motor shaft. If you can't wiggle the fan off the shaft, screw the nut back on part way, and tap on the nut with a small hammer, while holding the entire unit by the fan. This will dislodge the shaft from the fan. If there is a washer on the shaft under the fan, be sure to set it aside, and put is back on before re-installing the fan on the shaft.

Now, take a sharp object (like a screwdriver blade) and scratch the motor housing where the silver part meets the black part. Use these reference marks to ensure you re-assemble the motor properly. Using a phillips screwdriver, remove the two screw bolts holding the silver cap onto the end of the motor. This silver cap is the brush housing. Pull it straight up to remove it ...being aware that you will dislodge the motor's two brushes as you do this. The brushes won't fall out, but the pressure springs might, so watch for them. You can now pull the main motor part out of the housing ...there is a very strong permanent magnet in the housing, so its a bit tricky to pull the shaft out. Now, clean out all the crud and dust from inside the brush housing, and the magnet housing (tap firmly on a hard surface, and / or use an air-hose to blow the crud out). (safety glasses)

In the brush housing cap, you'll see the bushing socket that receives the one end of the motor shaft. Making sure the socket is clean first, put a small amount of hi-temp grease in the socket (I used "SIL-GLYDE" lubricating compound, from American Grease Stick Company in Muskegon, Michigan. This silicon-based grease is designed for applications like electric motors and brake parts, etc.) ...then insert the motor shaft, work it a bit, then remove it again.

Now ..about those brushes: measure the distance from the front to the back of the channel where the brushes go ...it should be about the width of your thumb. Get a regular metal paper clip, and cut about 1.25 inches of wire from it. Bend this wire into a large U-shape, with one long leg (half inch) and one short leg (quarter inch). Make two of these. Carefully push the brush-spring back into the channel, then insert the graphite brush into the channel, ensuring that the brush wire is towards the inside of the housing cap. Now, carefully clip the U-shaped paper-clip wire (retaining clip) over the brush and the edge of the brush holder, to keep the brush and spring in place. Use the long leg of the retaining clip on the brush-side. Do the same with the second brush. This will hold the brushes back away from the motor shaft commutator as you carefully push the motor shaft into the greased bushing socket. Now, you can remove the retaining clips, and release the brushes to contact the commutator. There will be enough friction in the socket to keep the parts in place. Now ..grease the other end of the shaft. There will a small "grease cup" where that end of the shaft meets the other bushing in the motor housing. Grease the cup and about one-half inch of that end of the motor shaft. Careful not to lose any tiny washers / spacers that may be on the motor shaft. NOTE: don't be TOO generous with the grease ..enough is enough. Now insert the motor unit back into the motor housing ...being careful to line up your reference marks ...and being careful to keep the shaft centered inspite of the strong magnets in the housing. It may take a couple of tries to do this without accidentally dislodging the shaft at the brushes end ...and having to re-set the brushes. Patience is key.

Re-install the screws holding the brush-cap to the motor housing, re-install the fan on the motor shaft, and re-install the motor / fan assembly in the car.

THERE ....for the price of a small tube of grease, about an hour of your time, and some VERY dirty hands, you just saved $230 for new heater motor!!

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1990 Cobalt Blue Pearl Sedan LS w/JSP-92104 spoiler, Bose Stereo w/single cd player, plus FM Honda 6-disc changer in glove box. Automatic, 268,000 kms, original drivetrain, stock size tires. 1989 Ebony Black Metallic Sedan L Auto. Integra AM-FM cassette head unit, and Honda 6-disc changer in glove box. Stock size tires. Original engine threw a connecting rod mid-Feb, 2007 at 380,000 kms. JDM swap-out July 1, 2008. Car still off the road pending serious body work on rear quarter panels.

 

eekazum

whoa, how did i miss this one? my 5-speed seems to have a blower that rattles unexpectedly every now and then and it sounds like a ghost dog yelping (use yer imagination). what causes that?

digger89L

Yup ...sounds like you have a similar problem.

SilentBob

You could also get a new fan at partsource. I got one recently for around 80 cnd I believe.

digger89L

...so, where's the fun and adventure in that???

SilentBob

... Ah I am about that catch my fun trying to figure out a fix for my power steering. The steering just doesnt feel right. Like there is not enough assist at times, and sometimes if slowing down from say 120km/hr to make a 90 degree turn it just becomes really hard to turn for a second. Wiggling the steering a bit causes the assist to come back.

I suspect I need a new pump or hoses. Had a remanufactured rack and pinion put in last year.

awelliott

Could be that you have air in the system. With the engine idling, take off the power steering reservoir cap and turn the steering wheel from lock to lock several times. You might get lucky...

SilentBob

nah... I am wayyyyy past that.

I have done lots of oil flushes and bleeds.

tubadude

does a fan rebuild make it blow harder?

my fan barely blows when its up at full. would a rebuild fix that?

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digger89L

Yeah ...I think if the brushes and commutator are worn, it would tend not to turn as fast. As others have said, a replacement blower motor can be bought relatively cheaply ($50 to $80 at rockauto.com) ..but I enjoy the challenge of repairing, as opposed to replacing.

awelliott

Not likely. I can't remember on the Legends, but most blower motors have a series of resistors of different values that control the amount of current to the motor to vary the speed. Chances are that your high speed resistor has burned out. Usually the resistors are contained in a single, easily replaceable module located near the blower motor itself. Check out the online manual and if you can't find anything let me know. I don't have access to my Legend right now or I'd go take a look...

tubadude

^my fan is being weird, it was blowing alot harder yesterday than it was on tuesday. stupid theory #1, i never used the fan, since i had no A/C and the weather has never been cold, it wasnt used, and it just took a while to kick back in.

theory#2: i had a stuck door somewhere and that moved out of the way.

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awelliott

I usually resort to the Budweiser philosophy in cases like this: "Why ask why?".