Heater blower motor

zonedoubt · 01-12-2005, 08:44 AM

The heater blower motor in my '74 is toast. I bench tested the motor w/ 12VDC and confirmed that the supply circuit is working OK. It's probably the original motor and finally kicked the bucket from constant heat exposure in the engine bay.

The type of motor that is in there is the single output tube with a Y-adapter. Two hoses come off the Y and go to the two J-tubes on either side of the engine bay. I know that on most 74's, the motor has one output and that the passenger side J-tube is usually capped. This car was probably set up to output more heat to deal with the cold Canadian climate.

My question is whether the motor from the earlier 2-output fan blowers can be easily removed and fitted to the housing on the later style blowers? Alternatively, are there any other motors (Porsche or VW) that will fit?

Or...does anyone have a good condition working motor they want to sell? It could be the single output type since I could simply swap the motor the Y-adapter.

Dave at Pelican Parts · Dave at Pelican Parts's Garage

You can mount the early blower directly. It may be a bit of a challenge to get it to sit nicely on the stand on the left-hand side, but it should be possible. Or you can mount it to the top of the fan shroud, the way early cars did.

You can also get a 73-74 fan, and swap the outlet for the splitter.

You can also get a 75-76 fan and use that directly; that's the one with the splitter.

I'm not sure about the blower motor swap.

--DD

bd1308 · 01-12-2005, 01:36 PM

hey where do you all put the hoses for the input air to the heater motor?....zone i do have a motor that has a single output that was designed to work with a Y adapter.....if you want it talk to me

zonedoubt · 01-12-2005, 02:49 PM

bd1308: I just sent you a PM about the fan.

As far as I know, the '74 has a fan with a single output that goes to the driver's side J-tube. The passenger J-tube is usually capped off. On some cars the fan has a splitter and the other tube will go to the passenger J-tube. Maybe it was an optional set-up or just for cars in the far north?

Other years are different as Dave mentioned above. There's a few posts about this topic that are pretty helpful to ID the different setups.

Dave at Pelican Parts · Dave at Pelican Parts's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by bd1308
hey where do you all put the hoses for the input air to the heater motor?

Huh??? The input to the heater motor? The heater blower fan just sucks in whatever air happens to wander into the middle of its "squirrel wheel" impeller fan.

Heater blowers on the 914:
70-72: Two-outlet fan, mounted to the top of the fan shroud. One hose to each J-tube.
73-74: One-outlet fan, mounted to the left side engine shelf (part of the chassis), running to left-side J-tube only. Right side J-tube capped off.
75-76: One-outlet fan, mounted to left side engine shelf, with Y splitter on the outlet. One hose to each J-tube.

The splitter can be retrofitted to the 73-74 fan setup. Sometimes you have to drill out a rivet, I think, to get the splitter off.

--DD

calbrat · 01-12-2005, 07:36 PM

This subject facsinates me because my motor is toast as well. I don't even have hoses connected.

Should just remove it, it would be lighter for Auto X.

bd1308 · 01-13-2005, 04:13 AM

i dont know how to check pm's....tried checking my gmail....not there? Um....can anyone help me out?

bd1308 · 01-13-2005, 04:16 AM

dave....my fan has the impeller thingy in the middle....and it sucks in any air around it. I am getting to know the VW mechanic real well, and he said that I shouldn't just suck the air in from the engine bay bc that has gas vapors in it and whatnot, but isnt that where the engine fan gets the air?

bd1308 · 01-13-2005, 04:17 AM

my girlfriend doesnt like the old-car heat smell as much as i do

Dave at Pelican Parts · Dave at Pelican Parts's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by bd1308
dave....my fan has the impeller thingy in the middle....and it sucks in any air around it. I am getting to know the VW mechanic real well, and he said that I shouldn't just suck the air in from the engine bay bc that has gas vapors in it and whatnot, but isnt that where the engine fan gets the air?

The engine cooling fan does get its air from the engine bay. So does the heater blower. Both of those push air into the heat exchangers, so what you're getting out of the heater is engine bay air. If that has fuel vapor in it, something is Not Right with your car. Ditto oil vapor. Then again, that means something is Not Right with a lot of 914s, including mine...

--DD

bd1308 · 01-13-2005, 04:10 PM

dave what is the status of your 914...? Just curious

Dave at Pelican Parts · Dave at Pelican Parts's Garage

Running. It's my only running car at the moment, so I drive it every where every day.

--DD

bd1308 · 01-14-2005, 01:00 PM

awesome Dave!!! very awesome. Which do you like better, the '14 or the Honda?

Dave at Pelican Parts · Dave at Pelican Parts's Garage

For what? For going long distances while getting 40 MPG (on rare occasions when I drive at a sensible speed), the CRX hands-down. For a quiet ride somewhere, the CRX. For comfort, the CRX. For the ability to carry a single large object, the CRX.

For top-down motoring, 914 all the way! For LOUD, obnoxious fun, the 914. For showing up somewhere with my nose running from the cold (roof off and heat on full blast) and my ears ringing from the noise, the 914. For going around corners, very very much the 914. For autoXing (or, someday, the Big Track again!) the 914.

If I had to sell one of them, it'd be the Honda. Happily, I don't have to!!

--DD