Heater Fan Replacement

[RQB3504]

Is there a easy way to replace the heater fan motor shy of removing the dash board? I am still trouble shooting but it's not looking good so far. Fuses and switches are all good.

[Gunslinger]

Did you check and see if the motor itself is getting power? A test light should tell you that. You can also run a jumper lead direct to the motor from a 12v source such as the battery and another jumper to ground and see if the motor kicks in. If it does, you have connection or ground issues.

[Mel]

I recently had the dash out of my '66 which gave me more room to get the fan out but it was still not terribly easy; I don't know if it can be done without taking the dash out or not. If you have access to earlier issues of AOAI magazine, check out Issue 82, page 38. This tells how to get the dash 'down' -- i.e., pulled back but not out -- far enough to do most jobs; the described procedure will probably let you get the dash pulled back far enough to do the job. If you don't have the earlier issues, AOAI sells a CD-ROM for $95.00 which includes the entire contents (pictures, text and all) of issues 1-141 of the AOAI magazine (.pdf files). When AOAI prints their magazine supplement, they include a GREAT listing of all the articles, Tech-tips, letters of 'here's what worked for me' tips, etc. This CD is a very worthwhile investment. (By the way, the author of the above referenced article says he can get his dash 'down' in 15 minutes and back in the same time -- he's done it several times, apparently.)

If you're a first timer doing this, I'd allow an afternoon to get it down and another to get it back in place; if you're taking it 'out', I'd allow a day each way for standing up and stretching, drinking a beer, losing your religion, etc. The four nuts which hold the dash up under the windshield are challenging. If you don't have a magnetic socket, you can get 'fun tack' -- essentially sticky but non-stick (oxymoron) rubber -- from a kid's hobby store and cram it in the end of the socket to hold the nut in the socket until you get it started. Some of it may stick to the nut when you pull the socket away, no worries.)

I took my dash out following the shop manual which was pretty accurate. (I removed the oil line from the gauge early in the process which allowed easier access to the vacuum gauge which, depending on the length of the hose, you may or may not have to loosen if you only take the dash 'down'.) If you decide to take the dash 'out', remove the front seats and steering wheel. If you decide to try starting with taking the dash 'down', I'd still remove the passenger's seat to get to the fan. No matter how you do it -- 'out' or 'down' -- be sure to tag EVERYTHING.

Studebaker Int'l has new 'heater core housing to kick panel', 'core housing to motor', and 'motor to firewall' gaskets. I'd replace these; they're cheap. At the least, you could inspect them after getting the fan out and order replacements as needed from SI. The grommets on the firewall where the heater hoses pass through are available. I'd certainly change the heater hoses and clamps, unless you know their history. I'd take the heater core to a radiator shop and have it flushed and pressure tested. While you're at it, check the condition of the hoses from the plenum to the defroster outlets. The original (mine, anyway) were tar impregnated cloth around wire and they rot after awhile; mine essentially fell apart in my hands. The hose is available from SI also. Check the 'flapper' valves in the side vents; the rubber on the edges usually falls apart and you have air leaks. The SI catalog lists the rubber seals for the edges of the flappers. (I made new flapper valves out of sheet aluminum, riveted the hardware from the originals to the new plates and made some 'seals' for the edges from an old inner tube and glued them to the plates. The original flapper plates were essentially hard pasteboard and humidity had taken its toll. You can certainly take care of the vents without taking the dash out or down.)

WHen you tackle this, think of what all you might want to do and do it all at once -- change all dash light bulbs, reroute any radio/CD/speaker wiring, lubricate all your heater and vent cables, etc.,; this is not a task you want to do often. Between assessing things as the task went on and ordering more parts, my dash was out for about a month but I don't intend to ever take it down again.

Mel RQA-0108