I'm fearfully considering replacing my blower motor which intermittently grinds so bad you have to turn it off to have a conversation...

I've read several posts and I wondered how many of the fans need replaced with the motor? the way mine sounds it can't be doing any good to those blades!

I'm planning on trying the quicker, sloppier method...

Bill Cheb's e-mail address doesn't work anymore, anyone know how to contact him?
maybe he got too much business and shut it down!

the 700/900 FAQ said their motors were replaceable with older GM blowers is this true for the 240 as well?

hope someone who's been through this can post,

thanks if so!

jack

Go to this URL..http://users.erols.com/benstein/
Art Bernstein is the author..Guru of R&R blower motors
--
john,,1985, 245:GLTi 235k mi..so.california

Thanks John,

I had forgotten about Art's great pictorial. In looking it over, I wonder if it is absolutely necessary to take the center control panel plumb out of the car. I have been able to get it loose enough to move an inch or two away from its supports, and that's been space enough to get the side supports loose and out of the way.

When and if I get into replacing my 86's blower motor, I plan to see what it would take to put ball bearings into the old motor - presuming the electrics are still good. The price from that guy in Rolling magazine was about $170, way too much for me.

BTW - the first one of these I ever did was on a 1979 245DL, and it required a major modification. The motor coming had speed control via tapping different stator windings, the newer one used the resistor. Big grinding on the mount points, and a 5/8 inch hole to drill in the bottom of the one-piece air box. Power drill, extention, right-angle attachment, 5/8 inch spade bit. The part from Volvo was $110.00 or so, and came with a full set of instructions mainly for the modification. The book labor was 5 hours. Still is, and at the current dealer rate of $82 per hour, it's a real DIY saver. I always learn the book hours, and double them for my job estimate, and this one really took 10 hrs.

Good Luck,

Bob

:>)

I have to agree guys.

I spent the better part of two weekends in Jan. 25-35°F putting in my heater fan. I would much rather R&R a rear main seal than take on that heater fan. I would rather staple my toes to my forehead and remove them with a pick ax than replace my heater fan. But when the heater fan dies again I will get in there and replace it. It is amazing what we will do for our 240's.

I think that Volvo should have a badge like the High Mileage Badge for any owner that replaces his own heater fan motor. Maybe it could be something pleasent like a picture of some poor chap with a broken spine and bloodly mangled hands. Something that shows just some of the rewards of replacing the heater fan.

I could go on all night about the joys of replacing the fan but I will just leave you with these closing thoughts.

When you do get it finish you can stand back, admire your work, and think to yourself...Gosh that is a real pain in the @$$.

After replacing the fan you can join the ones of us that cringe every time we turn on the heater fan.

Finally, if you start to wander if your beloved 240 is worth all this trouble just head to a used car lot and test drive a Dodge Neon. This will remind you that it is all worthwhile.

Brian

86 240GL

like I said, "I'm fearfully considering replacing it"

maybe there's some wiring issues in there that I'll need to do to make it that much more worth the experience!

Addendum: When you do the repair, give yourself time and room. Remove both front seats. Get some carpet scraps or other suitable padding for the seat anchor studs (these are strategically placed to gouge your ribs in every position).

Phillip

The squirrel-cage fans (one on each side of the motor) are probably okay even though they've been rubbing on the fan housing. Just make sure there isn't extreme abrasion of the edges which would decrease efficiency (when you see how the fans relate to the housing you'll know what I'm describing).

240's require a blower motor specifically for 240's. There are good aftermarket ones available. Be very sure the motor is for your model. I was sold an aftermarket fan for my 1982 240 that was designed for mid-80's cars and had to do some grinding to the innards of the blower housing to obtain a good fit--a tedious pain in the butt.

The Brickboard consensus is to replace the resistor at the same time. In my book, if there is any reasonable chance of resistor failure in the forseeable future, you don't want to repeat this procedure to save $20.

I haven't done the chop-shop replacement, but have been tempted. I seriously considered cutting a hole in the passenger side of the fan housing to remove the clips on the fan for that side only. One could check in advance to find a suitable plastic plug or cover (hardware store) then cut a round hole to match precisely, and it wouldn't be terribly sloppy. All you need to do on the passenger side is remove the flat clip holding the fan to the blower shaft, and then to be able to replace that fan and clip when you install the new motor. The passenger fan wouldn't necessarily even have to come out of the housing. I would still dismantle the driver's side so as not to destroy the venturi baffle on that side.

Fellow Bricksters?

Phillip

thanks!

the guy at my parts store was curious as to why his computer screen told him to ask me if I had a black or white housing on the original motor?!!

I'm assuming that the fan would be similar for all '86 240's but maybe not.

It is a long job, with a lot of taking things out/apart and remembering what goes where. I have done it twice, using the instructions I got from Volvo that came with the first motor (pre-Brickboard).

A couple tips: Take out both front seats, makes much easier access. Four bolts and a trim piece removal for each seat, and remember to unhook the seat heater harness. Then you can pull back the front carpet to get at the duch that blows under the seats. It's held in with a screw back where the air outlet is - that's the one I usually forget.

The defroster ducts are held in with rubber thingies that get old and brittle. I put some ATF on them early into the job to allow a little softening to happen.

Take out the ductwork all in one piece as much as possible. Actually they just need to be out of the way so as to open the turbine housings.

The metal clips that hold the turbine housings together are easy to lose. Be ready to catch it when you pop it loose. It helps to use a Sharpie or other felt-tip to mark the spots where they go.

The metal pieces that hold the turbines onto their shaft are hard to remove. They have to slide along their long axis about 1/4 inch and then come out. I have used a small and medium flat tip. Do one, you'll remember how forever. The turbines like to stick on the shaft. WD-40, just a little.

There is a lot more to the job, as both sides lower dash horizontal supports and the vertical supports of the center control panel must be unbolted and moved. The front of the control panel doesn't have to be taken out, just moved forward a few inches.

Whether your radio is in the upper or lower mount spot, you'll want to take it out.

If you have no shop manuals, get one or two - and/or go through a pick-n-pull to see how things are put together in there before starting out.

Good Luck,

Bob

:>)

>If you have no shop manuals, get one or two - and/or go through a pick-n-pull >to see how things are put together in
>there before starting out.

> Good Luck,

> Bob

The pick-n-pull is an excellent idea! I haven't replaced my blower yet but I did get a chance to figure it all out at the junkyard. I got the blower out of that car in about an hour and a half. Saved a handfull of little clips, some screws, and the fan blades for spares when I do my car. It's really nice to be able to pull all that stuff apart and not worry about screwing up your own car. I feel much more confident about doing my own now.

thanks,

the times you have done the job did you have to replace the fan blades?

should I buy those before starting or wait to see what they look like?

Hi -

The times my blower motors quit, they just quit with no warning. No grinding sounds or such. Now my 1986 244 has been making noises 10-12 months, so I know it's en route out. When the motor bushings wear, the shaft can drop a small amount and the turbine blades contact the turbine housing. When the turbines are spinning, at least on speed 3 or 4, they seem to stay centered and there is no noise, it's only when I turn off the key with the fan on #3 or #4 and they spin down with no engine or stereo noise to drown out the rubbing noise.

So - I've never had to actually replace a turbine, yet.

Good Luck,

Bob

:>)

I was able to buy a (cheap) fan motor at Pepboys. About 40 bux, as I recall. Fit great and ran quietly. I would consider the Foster chainsaw method, if I ever have to do this job again. Dremel tool or some such to cut the ends off the fan boxes, and hot glue to put the pieces back together. As far as I can tell, the biggest stinker with the fan cages themselves is the bushing in the middle. After some time and abuse the bushing slips and the fan won't rotate any more. The instructions tell you to be careful when you take the fan off the shaft. I wasn't, and went in again after the passenger side fan. I was able to modify things enough to fix the problem, but, like so many other things, a little care and patience in the first place would have been a better idea.