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warmblood58
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Joined: March 22, 2005
Posts: 331
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 Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2020 8:40 am Post subject: Easy way to manually turn heater blower fan with my hand? Access |
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| My van had been sitting for four years and found blower non op, blowing fuse, etc and yesterday, I used the Mullendore Port technique with some aerokroil and let it penetrate overnight. I purchase a piece of aluminum rod material and I was hoping I could angle it in through the Mullendore Port to lever the squirrel cage but it is tricky . . .Is there another way to access fan that will allow me to turn squirrel cage with my hand so I can free it up a little? Perhaps by removing glove box? Thanks! |
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zimflux
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Joined: September 30, 2015
Posts: 192
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| Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2020 11:01 am Post subject: Re: Easy way to manually turn heater blower fan with my hand? Access |
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Seems like you have reached the end of the line... Pull the dash and be done with it.
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djkeev
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Joined: September 30, 2007
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Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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Eric_Taylor
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Joined: January 21, 2011
Posts: 291
Location: Bend, Oregon
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| Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2020 11:09 am Post subject: Re: Easy way to manually turn heater blower fan with my hand? Access |
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Removing the glove box is a good idea for access, and your best option for opening up much more access.I don't know that you can get to the cage from that direction though. I just replaced mine and i'm trying to remember if you remove the hoses for the vents if you get access, and I don't think so.
My best bet would be to remove the two defrost vents in the middle of the dash and go in that way. I believe the cage is open to the drivers side, but cannot remember for sure either. Both are easy to remove and it should be pretty clear after some poking around through each one. |
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Ahwahnee
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Joined: June 05, 2010
Posts: 9810
Location: Mt Lemmon, AZ
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| Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2020 11:27 am Post subject: Re: Easy way to manually turn heater blower fan with my hand? Access |
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Mine got seized but I was able to get it to spin by abruptly turning the switch to the highest speed. That broke it free when the low speed would just blow a fuse.
I then used the port trick to lube it and it has been fine for many years since.
Yeah, a bit of a Hail Mary but worth a try before you start taking things apart. |
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tencentlife
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Joined: May 02, 2006
Posts: 10078
Location: Abiquiu, NM, USA
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| Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2020 11:30 am Post subject: Re: Easy way to manually turn heater blower fan with my hand? Access |
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You're on the right track already to try to hook a fan blade, but some wire you can bend more creatively would probably be easier to use than a rod. It helps a lot to make a second M-port to see thru while you work thru the first one. And you should have a helper there to switch the fan on at the same time you pull your hook to make it spin, otherwise you'll just keep blowing fuses.
Once you get it spinning keep it running and spray some lube on the end bearing. You probably know Kroil is not a good lube, neither is WD40, you need something that will hang around like TriFlow.
I've found after lubing that getting some electrical cleaner on the commutator and brushes restores the full power, the lube gets on there and adds resistance to the brush contact.
It's always worth trying this and see how you do because some of the replacement fan motors are poor quality, not that the OEM motors weren't pretty crappy already, so pulling the dash doesn't offer any guarantees you won't be right back in there. Some replacements have an actual sealed bearing instead of a plain bushing, if you can find one of those you'd have better assurance the new one isn't a bigger piece of crap than the old one.
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old_man
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Joined: June 19, 2018
Posts: 1382
Location: Newfoundland
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| Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2020 12:41 pm Post subject: Re: Easy way to manually turn heater blower fan with my hand? Access |
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| Compressed air blow gun might be of use. |
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IdahoDoug
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Joined: June 12, 2010
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Location: N. Idaho
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| Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 12:49 am Post subject: Re: Easy way to manually turn heater blower fan with my hand? Access |
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The advice to remove the glove box above is actually bad advice. You won't be able to access the blower from there.
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jlrftype7
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| Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 8:14 am Post subject: Re: Easy way to manually turn heater blower fan with my hand? Access |
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You can use the now-drilled port as a tiny window to see the cage, and try to move it with a coathanger or other stiff wire- For light, do this, which is what I did, gently shove a thin LED inspection/flash light[ they tend to have the bulb style that's 90 degrees from the body, shining outward] up into the Air Intake. If it's a pocket sized version with a magnet on the body of the light, even better as it will cling to the steel and stay in place for you. It's tight ,and a bit worrisome that once you've gone past the curved section of the intake, you'll lose the flashlight. But with nimble fingers, you won't.
I'll show the light I used to illuminate the whole rear end of the blower once my port was drilled. This one is longer than you need, but even at 15 1/2” long, it snuck up past the curved deflector and right into the hole for the intake, shining the blower motor nicely.
https://shop.snapon.com/product/Tool-Storage/250-Lumen-Tool-Storage-Drawer-Light/ECTSB022
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Wildthings
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| Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 2:22 pm Post subject: Re: Easy way to manually turn heater blower fan with my hand? Access |
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I have two holes drilled of pretty good size, maybe 1"???. This gives both good visibility and access.
Last edited by Wildthings on Mon Feb 17, 2020 6:50 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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djkeev
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jimf909 
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| Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 5:44 pm Post subject: Re: Easy way to manually turn heater blower fan with my hand? Access |
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Perhaps the OP meant "easy" an in relatively easy compared to pulling the dash?
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jlrftype7
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Location: Chicago
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| Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2020 1:20 pm Post subject: Re: Easy way to manually turn heater blower fan with my hand? Access |
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| djkeev wrote: |
Wait?!
What happened to the "Easy Way" part of the question?
Dave |
My way IS easy, single 3/8" diameter Mullendore Port, and a small LED inspection light to illuminate the rear end of the blower once you've drilled the port access. Nothing else other than coathanger and spray lube needed.
Although with my Vanistan Fresh Air Flap installed now on my Vanagon, I don't have the same room to pull the light into the intake hole like I once did.
Oh well, the Mullendore Port remains in place for the future. 
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'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto |
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