Is this a common problem on 94 Caddys?

[navion]

Fiberglass & resin is not fireproof. The fiberglass by it's self is, but when you add the resin------ it tends to support combustion. Ever see a fiberglass boat that has caught fire?

The rear exhaust manifold runs very close to this "barrier". Perhaps that is one of the reasons that it gets so brittle.

Scotty,

That "Tap Test" with a ball peen hammer is something the local stealership would do. They would say "Yup, it's bad, you need a new one!"

[adallak]

I am fraid it is not about weight (in this case) it's rather about saving a few cents on $45.000 car. They could save them on stupid stuff like trunk closing mechanizm instead.

[Bob D]

Fiberglass & resin is not fireproof. The fiberglass by it's self is, but when you add the resin------ it tends to support combustion. Ever see a fiberglass boat that has caught fire?

The rear exhaust manifold runs very close to this "barrier". Perhaps that is one of the reasons that it gets so brittle.

Ah, good point. (I keep forgetting that things sideways..)

How about heat reflective tape? You know, the kind you get a speed shops to wrap stuff near headers. It comes in widths that would work well on the boxes dimensions.

[Scotty]

Scotty,

That "Tap Test" with a ball peen hammer is something the local stealership would do. They would say "Yup, it's bad, you need a new one!"

How true! Yulp its bad...

I am going to get PROFICIENT at dropping the freakin carriage! That's the answer!

How about ceramic tiles from the space shuttle or HOME DEPOT!

[navion]

I would be caught trying aluminum body repair tape like they use on OTR trailers. It has really good adhesive and is shiny on the exposed side. What I don't know is how well it will stand up to heat. I do know that it will resist at least 150 degrees or so. (Ever try to walk barefoot on a piece of aluminim that has lain out in the sun?)

Anyway. I think that would be a good material to try.

Britt

[Bob D]

I would be caught trying aluminum body repair tape like they use on OTR trailers. It has really good adhesive and is shiny on the exposed side. What I don't know is how well it will stand up to heat. I do know that it will resist at least 150 degrees or so. (Ever try to walk barefoot on a piece of aluminim that has lain out in the sun?)

Anyway. I think that would be a good material to try.

Britt

It'll work great, and I think it would be a good preventative measure against a failure mode that looks, by the percentages has a good probability over time. I have some of the heat tape out in my shop, and I think an application is in order.

[TDK]

A fair enough caveat regarding typical fiberglass resins... <_<

OK then, how about the following coating?

http://www.epoxy.com/coating.htm

EpoxySystems'™ Product #640

100% Solids Chemical and Heat Resistant Coating

DESCRIPTION

PRODUCT #640 Chemical & Heat Resistant Coating is a two component; 100% solids brush, roll or airless spray applied coating designed to provide cavitation, corrosion and erosion resistance to concrete, metallic and nonmetallic surfaces. PRODUCT #640 acts as an inert barrier against extremely harsh environmental factors such as low and high PH, temperature extremes, dry and fluid particulate flow and corrosive chemical attack. USES FGD scrubber ducts

Floor coating

Condensers

Tanks and vessels

De-min concrete pads

Heat exchangers

Waterboxes

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Finish High Gloss

Color Red

Specific Gravity 1.27

Pot Life 45 minutes ® 770F

Dry Time 4 hours @ 770F

Recommended Film Thickness 30 mils/min.;

40 mils/nominal;

45 mils/max.

Coverage Rate One gallon covers approximately 53.4 square feet at 30 mils

Flash Point Above 2000F

CURED PROPERTIES

Compressive Strength (ASTM D-695/7 Days) 14,000 p.s.i.

Flexural Strength (ASTM D-790/7 Days) 13,000 p.s.i.

Tensile Strength (ASTM C-190/7 Days) 7,500 p.s.i.

Shear Strength (ASTM D-1002 Tensile: Steel to Steel) 2,300 p.s.i.

Operating Temperature Wet: 300 F

Dry: 400 F

PH Range 0.5-13.5

[Scotty]

I like the CURED properties! Its good to 400 degrees also

[Regis]

Wow that sure is a complicated replacement for duct tape TDK. I had the same issue with the 1990 Bonneville SSE I used to own. The duct tape never melted or caught fire. I'll bet it's still on there today. Unless the new owner got curious....."hmmm I wonder why this is on here...rrrip...crumble....oh I see." We might be bringing a bazooka to a squirt gun battle. Not that I'm opposed to over kill mind you.

[TDK]

Kger2,

Yea, I suppose you could be right and duct tape is a time honored tradition.

But it is RED and that alone should count for something (recall the high praise for Growe3's red MHD coil packs).

My boss (a mech engineer) once built a "Monument to Micromotion" in that a coriolis-type mass flow meter was suspected of being sensitive to transmitted vibrations. We poured it a steel-reinforced concrete/base that was 4' high, 4 ' long and 3' wide. On top of it was j-bolt cast - a 1" slab of steel plate. All this for a 10-pound instrument. But it did work and it was durn impressive with the chamfered corners and all too. Oh, yea we also coated the entire monument with epoxy - lest eons from now that it might be forgotten.

Overkill maybe...but a number of those guys might welcome any fix (short of pulling the engine).

Still..ductape has its appeal. Could you use it in conjunction with some baling wire somehow? That would be a can't miss one-two combo fer shur.

[Ranger]

Not at all, I have not paid too much attention to blower motor problems, all I know is that its difficult to get them out and that its necessary to cut the housing..

Is there no way to tilt the engine forward to gain access?

Yes, you can use the engine tilt method to R & R the blower motor. It didn't work for me but I probably didn't do it right. I think the brittle HVAC housing varies with model year as I shoe horned mine in with a big persuader and put a lot of stress on the blower motor cage and the housing. Both had a lot of flexability and gave as necassary. Nothing broke.

I think aluminum tape would work quite well. I used it on my furnace 25 years ago at the base of the heat exchanger duct where there is a lot of heat and it is still in place. It was a rather thick guage aircraft skin tape that I got form an aircraft mechanic at work, not the thin stuff that you buy in a parts store. Not sure if it is availabe comercially, but I think that would work as well. .

[cruzajc1]

My 96 STS has no AC housing, I chipped away at the final plastic piece a few months ago. I don't have any odor problems inside the cabin, so I don't really want to pay to replace it if I have to drop the motor, too much *smurf* pain or too much cash:)

Gus

www.adumbrecords.com/hosting for pics and videos at the 1/4 mile track

[navion]

cruzajc1,

If you look closely you will see that there are several small holes in the metal HVAC duct that is now exposed in your engine compartment. Since you have already removed the crappy plastic cover, I would suggest that you at least plug the holes with either hi-temp RTV or aluminum body repair tape. Remember, just because you can't smell any fumes, doesn't mean that they aren't there. All you would need is a small exhaust leak to poison yourself and passengers.

Remember CO has no odor. (Carbon Monoxide)

Britt

[sprucegoose]

Add my 93 Eldo to the list of crumbling blower motor shrouds. I think I was the one that Ranger mentioned posted of this a long time back (may have been on the old board), when I replaced my blower motor.

I ended up piecing together as much as I could, and also fabricating a chunk out of some thermo-set plastic part I had laying around. (another advantage of being a toolmaker in plastic moldmaking!) I sealed it up and held it together with high-temp RTV, and sprayed it black to hide it a little...