Replacing blower motor

[speedgraphic]

I tried searching the forums and, although this topic has come up a few times, there isn't enough information for me to understand what, exactly, I need to remove to get at the blower motor. The FSM doesn't seem to mention the blower at all and the Chilton manual has generic, unhelpful instructions.

I would be eternally in the debt of anyone who could point out exactly what needs to be removed - I don't want to accidentally take out a number of unnecessary bolts. I've removed the glove box, and I've removed one (the only accessible one) of the three screws holding the blower motor to the rest of the assembly, but I need to take other things out and I can't tell which bolts need to be removed.

Thank you all so much for your help...

[ARCHINSTL]

Try these:
https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php? ... OWER+MOTOR+
https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php? ... ower+motor+
Also - go to the Autozone site, add your car, and then click on "Manage vehicles" and then "Repair guides." I think it has some info on the blower.
Is it the motor or fan resistor? If the latter, do a Search here for "blower resistor" - using the quotation marks.
Tom M.

[Petros]

It is pretty easy really, glove box come out, the speaker cover, and the metal angle that the glove box screws to. you have to remove the heater duct at the top of the opening to remove one 10mm nut up behind the dash (use a 10mm open end wrench since nothing else will fit in the space), than there are several 10mm screws below and beside the blower assembly, and you will need a socket extension to get to the one bolt that is agains the firewall between the blower assembly and the heat duct/air conditioner housing (to the left of the blower assembly). there are few screws I think that also has to come out, but once you get the bolts out that hold the blower housing it should pull out and than down, the other screws become obvious. you can not really reach the electrical connector until the blower housing is out from under the dash.

It take me about 6 to 10 min to get it out using a cordless drill to pull the screws, I like using the 1/4 drive socket with extensions since it is smaller and easier to get under the dash. All you need is a philips screw driver, 10mm socket and 10mm open end wrench.

good luck.

[speedgraphic]

Thanks Tom - I hadn't seen the first thread you linked to. I tried the Autozone site and it looks like a direct copy of my Chilton manual - unfortunately, it's a relatively generic description ("remove all bolts, pull out"). I'm going to give it a shot tonight or tomorrow, though.

Besides the bolts - is there any hosing I need to be worried about, besides the black hose that runs to the bottom of the blower motor? As in - is it likely I'm going to break anything while I'm down there, in your experience?

--- then Petros posted...

Thanks! I'm going to give this a shot according to your directions. I'll let you all know how it goes.

[Petros]

no hoses or wires to worry about excpet what you can see. there is a foam gasket that simply pushes against the other inlet/ducts that pulls away without issue. If your gasket/seal is decomposing it is simple enough to renew it with common weather stripping or foam backed tape.

[speedgraphic]

Excellent. Thank you both.

[Petros]

I just went to read the links that Tom posted, I do not know why those guys were having so much trouble. You have to remove the whole housing/blower assembly to replace the motor. IT is an impossible job to try and pull the motor from the housing while it is still mounted under the dash. From memory (I have removed/replaced like 4 or 5 of these motors), after you remove the glove box, speaker cover and glove box support rail, there is a relay that is easy to remove and get out of the way too, there are only 4 10mm screws and/or nuts that hold the assembly in place, two on the fire wall to the left of the blower housing assembly, one on the lower right, and than the one up under the dash that you can only remove with a 10mm open end wrench. I have also loosened the a/c condenser housing to allow me some wiggle room but I did not remove it. Than you have to just wiggle the housing out, you will have to get the upper mount free of the stud, and than it can be slide out of place. I do not ever remember having a problem getting the housing out, you just need to wiggle and shake it around until it falls free. The motor itself is held in the housing with three screws that can be a pain to get out because of the rubber gasket, that is also where the cordless screw driver will be handy, and why you have to remove the housing first, to get a good look (and grip) on those screws.

[speedgraphic]

SUCCESS! I didn't initially realize that the glovebox rail had to be removed, so imagine how difficult that was - and I was lucky to find a flat 10mm wrench in my motorcycle repair kit and a screwdriver-style socket handle to get that recessed nut. Since my replacement blower motor just came with bare wires, I'm planning to twist them together, solder, and then heat-shrink tube the joint.

[celtglen]

IT is an impossible job to try and pull the motor from the housing while it is still mounted under the dash.

It is I actually did this back in 86.

[keith]

Warning about replacement motors that come with bare wires, it is easy to hook them up so that the motor turns backwards. If the vent flow is almost non existent after replacement, reverse the wires. Instead of hard wiring the new motor in, you can use spade lugs on them and just plug the wires into the plug on the cars wiring harness, then if it turns out to be backwards, its easy to reverse them.

[speedgraphic]

Good point keith. I had cut the connector off and ended up soldering/heat shrinking the connection, but before I did I'm glad I tested it because I wired it backwards just like you describe.

[celtglen]

Good point keith. I had cut the connector off and ended up soldering/heat shrinking the connection, but before I did I'm glad I tested it because I wired it backwards just like you describe.

Yeah it is best to do this with all electrical repairs on these cars.

[MR2Di4]

Just put a new blower motor in mine as well. When I got the car I noticed sheetmetal underneath the windshield grille, and that the windshield-wash squirters were missing. I'm almost scared to remove it and see what's underneath, but the previous owner did mention something about water leaking into the front at one time, so I probably should've expected something amiss under the dash.

After reading this thread I was puzzled how easily the housing came out. I noticed the crimped-on motor wiring and figure that someone had done a hack job, along with the goofy sheetmetal shield. I spent about two hours cleaning and epoxying the cracked plastic in the duct back into shape supporting that hard to reach flange and found the other piece still bolted to the A/C housing. I also noticed the metal plate in the housing for directing air into the blower had rust holes, not sure what I'm going to do to fix that, but it's starting to get cold out and I need this thing working, holes or not. I made sure the Fresh/Recirc flap moves freely but it looks like there should be some kind of gasket material on the Fresh intake side to seal it off when Recirc is selected, maybe I'll try to replace it with some stick on foam strips.

Now waiting on a replacement resistor module to test it before I put everything back together.

MR2Di4

[1985-SR5]

I know this is an old thread but i just fixed my blower motor, i didn't even bother pulling the one from my parts car or ordering a new one...

i just simply replaced the Brushes inside the motor on the that broke on me. i didn't find the job very difficult, if you have the right tools or combination of them.

You just resolder the new brushes on after you remove the old ones. I only had barely one brush left.

I just wanted to let folks know that if your blower was working then just craps out on you... that you can maybe just replace the brushes in the motor. i fixed mine for under $1, yes one dollar. a new blower can cost up to $150.

if you can't find the exact right size you can always get ones slightly bigger and use a metal file to resize them like i did.
Here's a pic of what the brushes should roughly look like (these aren't exactly),

[Petros]

great idea, where did you find the replacement brushes? Do you have to pull the motor apart or is there an access panel for the brushes?