Help

[Ebby]

I just spent $500.00 on the new and improved blower motor and I can't get the thing in. After 4 hours of trying and lots of words I gave up. How do I gain more clearance at the cam cover? new blower wheel is 1/4" larger dia. also. GM parts guy told me the old one went due to the spark plug wires run so close to the motor. Can someone tell me how to lower the engine at the rear to gain the room needed. Nice time of year for this to happen with snow and ice hanging under the car. Thanks guys

[epricedright]

Wow---$500.00, that's high! Can you return that motor? Here's a new ACDelco for $205.00 including shipping:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CADILLAC-BL...1QQcmdZViewItem

Rockauto.com sells the same motor for $248.00 plus shipping.

Do you see anywhere above the blower that says "cut here"?

[Barry94]

Actually you can....

1. Disconnect the "dog bones" (Top engine mounts)

2. The sub frame is connected to the body with 4 or 5 bolts on each side. To make the process a bit easier, remove each bolt (one at a time), grease/oil and replace.

Procedure:

If you back off the front pair (left & right) sub frame bolts to only being held by about two turns, then the next pair of bolts (left & right), back those off, not as much as the front pair.

Then the third pair, and so on, until the last pair (rear) is mostly tight.

This will cause the frame to "slope" down in the front, and cause the engine to rock forward about 2 inches. This gives improved access to the rear head for changing the heater fan.

You should not have to "cut" the housing.

Hopefully your mount bolts are not "frozen" with rust.

Barry

[Ranger]

$500! WOW! You must have bought it from a dealer parts dept. Got mine for about $225, gmpartsdirect.

This may help with the instalation.

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/showt...0268#post520268

[epricedright]

I hear the N* aren't as easy to do and have no "cut here" mark...what a shame! My Deville has a "cut here" mark above the blower where you cut the rubber, and underneath that is a metal crescent shaped plate you remove that is held in place by one screw that allows just enough access to R&R the motor.

[BodybyFisher]

I have a cut here mark on my 96 NS

[epricedright]

That's good Mike, if you ever need to do the R&R. A lot easier than the motor tilt. I'm curious if anyone doesn't have that "cut here" mark. I feel many have unfortunately overlooked that mark and did it the hard way. Here's my thread on this, hope it helps:

http://caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=7641&hl=

BTW, that crescent shaped piece I referred earlier is plastic, not metal. And there are 3 places to cut the rubber, with one saying cut here. The other two places to cut are identified with lines in the rubber if my memory's correct.

[epricedright]

How can a dealer justify charging $500.00 for a $150.00 part (their cost I imagine). That is just CRAZY! I purchased my motor from the same dealer as in that ebay ad I gave the link to, for $182.00 including shipping, and you know he made money, even at that price. I know there's overhead, but geeeeez!

[Ranger]

I can't say if mine had any "Cut Here" marks. Never saw them if they were there. I did see "Cut Here For Service" on top of the HVAC box in line with the passenger seat, but I think that is to clean or spray algecide on the evaporator.

[Don Hatfield]

Ebby:

Here's how I did the blower motor on a 96 STS.

Raise the hood and disconnect the "dog bone" mounts.

Put the front end on jack stands.

On the two rear corners of the sub frame are two mounts with bolts.

Two in the left corner, two in the right corner.

Place a jack under the rear cross member of the sub frame (centered).

The two bolts at each rear corner should be removed and then replaced one

at a time, going in four turns only. Once all four bolts have been

run in four turns, lower the jack until the sub frame is resting on the bolt

heads. I did not disconnect anything else, including exhaust.

However, having said that, I would lower the jack very slowly, " watching and

listening".

This will lower the "rear head" about 2 inches. You will have ample space

to install the blower motor.

After the motor is installed, just retorque the sub frame bolts, lower the car

and finish the job under the hood.

It worked very well for me, hope it does for you. I would not cut the blower

housing. It will fall apart on it's own soon enough.

Don H.

[epricedright]

Don, Do you recall seeing "cut here" on the housing above your blower?

[stefank]

All,

my '96 SLS has the "cut here" marks also. Please note, you will NOT have to cut the heater cover itself, just the rubber padding! Once you lift off the cut padding you will see a bolted-on cover, which is easily opened and gives the space needed to remove the blower motor.

Some years ago, I have written a short summary how to r/r the a/c evaporator, which includes r/r of the blower motor. It is found in this site's "how to" - section or see here:

http://www.angelfire.com/stars/mycaddy/howtoevap.htm

There are also some drawings which should make things clear.

Stefan

[epricedright]

All,

my '96 SLS has the "cut here" marks also. Please note, you will NOT have to cut the heater cover itself, just the rubber padding! Once you lift off the cut padding you will see a bolted-on cover, which is easily opened and gives the space needed to remove the blower motor.

Some years ago, I have written a short summary how to r/r the a/c evaporator, which includes r/r of the blower motor. It is found in this site's "how to" - section or see here:

http://www.angelfire.com/stars/mycaddy/howtoevap.htm

There are also some drawings which should make things clear.

Stefan

Thanks Stefan for clarifying that the rubber you cut is not the housing itself , but just a rubber covering (insulation maybe?) that is approximately 1/8" thick that covers the blower housing. It's good to hear that acklac7 and I aren't the only ones here that have had to "cut their rubbers"! I was beginning to think hmmm, everyone here must think I'm crazy.

[BodybyFisher]

Ebby:

Here's how I did the blower motor on a 96 STS.

Raise the hood and disconnect the "dog bone" mounts.

Put the front end on jack stands.

On the two rear corners of the sub frame are two mounts with bolts.

Two in the left corner, two in the right corner.

Place a jack under the rear cross member of the sub frame (centered).

The two bolts at each rear corner should be removed and then replaced one

at a time, going in four turns only. Once all four bolts have been

run in four turns, lower the jack until the sub frame is resting on the bolt

heads. I did not disconnect anything else, including exhaust.

However, having said that, I would lower the jack very slowly, " watching and

listening".

This will lower the "rear head" about 2 inches. You will have ample space

to install the blower motor.

After the motor is installed, just retorque the sub frame bolts, lower the car

and finish the job under the hood.

It worked very well for me, hope it does for you. I would not cut the blower

housing. It will fall apart on it's own soon enough.

Don H.

This is great information Don. However I would be very careful not to damage the steering rack. Here is a warning in the manual about dropping the carriage:

Failure to disconnect the intermediate shaft from the rack and pinion stub shaft can result in damage to the steering gear and or intermediate shaft. This damage can cause loss of steering control which could result on personal injury.

Be aware of this folks if you want to drop the carriage, I would disconnect he intermediate and pinion stub shafts

[epricedright]

Ebby:

Here's how I did the blower motor on a 96 STS.

Raise the hood and disconnect the "dog bone" mounts.

Put the front end on jack stands.

On the two rear corners of the sub frame are two mounts with bolts.

Two in the left corner, two in the right corner.

Place a jack under the rear cross member of the sub frame (centered).

The two bolts at each rear corner should be removed and then replaced one

at a time, going in four turns only. Once all four bolts have been

run in four turns, lower the jack until the sub frame is resting on the bolt

heads. I did not disconnect anything else, including exhaust.

However, having said that, I would lower the jack very slowly, " watching and

listening". 

This will lower the "rear head" about 2 inches. You will have ample space

to install the blower motor.

After the motor is installed, just retorque the sub frame bolts, lower the car

and finish the job under the hood. 

It worked very well for me, hope it does for you.  I would not cut the blower

housing. It will fall apart on it's own soon enough.

            Don H.

This is great information Don. However I would be very careful not to damage the steering rack. Here is a warning in the manual about dropping the carriage:

Failure to disconnect the intermediate shaft from the rack and pinion stub shaft can result in damage to the steering gear and or intermediate shaft. This damage can cause loss of steering control which could result on personal injury.

Be aware of this folks if you want to drop the carriage, I would disconnect he intermediate and pinion stub shafts

Good info for lowering your engine a couple inches I agree, but why do it? Why would you want to lower your engine if it's not necessary. Sounds like a lot of work for nothing if he could R&R the blower the right way...that is if he has the cut here marks. Stefan's '96 SLS had them, can't imagine why a '96 STS wouldn't. I'm really curious if all '96 Sevilles have the "cut here" marks, and which models and years do not.

[BodybyFisher]

Kim, I agree that cut here is the easy way, but the way these HVAC plastic housings are cracking I would not want to cut unless I had to, I think Ranger noted that above. Its a WHOLE lot more work to drop the carriage, I agree however.. Mike

[epricedright]

Kim, I agree that cut here is the easy way, but the way these HVAC plastic housings are cracking I would not want to cut unless I had to, I think Ranger noted that above.  Its a WHOLE lot more work to drop the carriage, I agree however.. Mike

You don't have to cut the housing, just need to cut the rubber covering that covers the housing to gain access to the small blower motor access plate.

[BodybyFisher]

Is that rubber or plastic covering? I think mine is plastic and that is what is disinegrating on some of these cars... Am I wrong here?

[epricedright]

Is that rubber or plastic covering?  I think mine is plastic and that is what is disinegrating on some of these cars...  Am I wrong here?

My covering where I cut was made of a flexible rubber. Not hard plastic. Maybe with other models, it's not the same. Until you cut it, I imagine one could think it's hard plastic, but mine was flexible and felt like rubber once cut.

[epricedright]

Is that rubber or plastic covering?  I think mine is plastic and that is what is disinegrating on some of these cars...  Am I wrong here?

Stefan mentioned his '96 SLS was rubber as well. He called it a rubber padding.

[stefank]

The padding on both my '92 Eldo (sold) and my current '96 Seville is made of some kind of rather stiff rubber material. Easily cut and very flexible. The housing itself is made from hard plastic, which would break if you bend it. It was not brittle on my Eldo.

Stefan

[Ebby]

Blower update

My car has the note saying cut here for service but it is on the pass. side above the a/c evaporator.

I ended up lowering the cradle so it hung down only 1/2" at the rear rubbers.

I had the harness wiring , plug wires, coil pack ,purgevalve and top cover all removed to give more room .

With the engine down that little bit I worked the new motor in after trying it for 20 min.

My back told me to take a break as leaning that far over the car to get at the motor is a killer.

With the new motor in place I started to put all the parts back together.

I had to cut off 2 rubber tabs on the housing as per the motor instructions so it would fit tight against the housing.

I found it strange that the old motor was mounted with 5 screws and the new one with only 3?

With all parts back in their home position I started the car and the fan worked.

One thing I can see with the new motor is when it changes speed you can hear it changing in definite stages campaired to the old one that changed the speed smoother.

I know the motor is cheaper from other places but when you are in need of it now you have to pay top money from the dealer.

I was in big trouble when it stopped on the way home in a snow storm at -8 and the windows fogging up fast.

This motor can bring the car to it's knees in this cold climate and cause the owner to learn a new language ha ha

Thanks for all the help and I hope you never have to do this job.

[Ranger]

Well, I still think that the engine tilt method is easier but it just goes to show that there is indeed more than one way to skin a cat. Yes, the new "improved" motor only uses 3 screws instead of the original 5. You did get an aluminum shield with it didn't you?. If you ever had to do it again, you'll knock it out in half the time, if not less. Trust me. Glad you got it done. Now rest your back and have a (well deserved) drink.

[epricedright]

Congrats! Glad to hear you got it done and have your heat back...bad time of year for that to go. I think it's really odd GM would have different designs of blower housings for the same year and basic model car. Larry, you must be a mechanic at heart to think lowering an engine is easier than making three cuts in thin rubber.

[Ebby]

epricedright

Can you post a picture of your housing as I can't see how this would work in my model. When I looked into the housing the bottom was metal and it was metal around the motor for screwing in on. I will post a couple of pictures this week when I have time. When I took a look at this motor I thought the guy gave me the wrong one because the wheel was larger and the unit is one piece. I am glad that it was not the programmer as it has to come from the US someplace and would take a week to come in at a cost of $600.00