I must thank Art for his website with pics. It took me about 1.5 hrs to take the old motor out. It's not that hard as it seems. Just work slowly and make notes of everything, wiring ect. Not hard at all, just timely.

Installation seems a little harder, I put the new motor in, but I am afraid I was out of crimps, so I called it a day and will continue later. It's good to take a break. The motor, I bought was a local parts store one, so it needed some connectors. Apart from that, it should be smooth sailing. I was putting this off untill the weather turned fine but the motor gave out this week.

Art's website is truly excellent.

If you're looking for (what I consider to be) an easier method, pop the dashboard out. Then you can do the job sitting in the driver's and passenger's seats. You do have to lean down to get a couple parts back in place, however.

This method takes the blower replacement one step further. There are a lot more parts to remove and reinstall, but it ends up being very fast.









All done.



--
Chris Herbst, near Chicago.

How hard is it to change the heater control valve only?

My blower motor makes a bit noise in the lowest gear but in 2nd 3rd and 4th gear it's fine. So I am think I can just change the hcv, which is causing my temp to be binary.

Thanks,

I thought digital=better? Well, not really.

The Ranco compensated valve dies in two ways I know of, (1) the capillary tube and piston lose their hermetic seal and fail to act as a thermostat, and (2) the valve and seat get cruddy and fail to seal closed.

The first failing didn't bother me that much. I kinda like binary heat controls, like sitting in front of the register. But when the heat starts interfering with the A/C, and the capillary adjustment screw didn't shut it off, the Ranco valve had to get replaced.

I haven't done the conversion to the simpler valve of the '90s, just replacement of the copper one.

Hi Art. I didn't even know you had a heater replacment howto website! I just visited it, and you did a fine job. I immediately bookmarked it. I'm especially glad to see it because once the weather warms up a bit, I've got to replace my heater motor. She squeals like a stuck pig when cold. Thanks very much for taking the time to put together the info.

Now there's a compliment to be cherished, coming from a guy who's saved me and I'm sure many other brick owners cold hard cash with his web page. Here's your original post describing your home brew Trailing Arm Bushing Tool.
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Art Benstein near Baltimore

My 1992 isn't any better than the 1980. Both are either HEAT or NO HEAT. Neither has ever leaked so I've just gone with it. I thought it was the price of having glorious heat at 10 degrees. Or maybe some Swedish perversity.

The problem is what to do when it's 40. I discovered that by turning off the blower, outside air engaged, all vents closed, there is just enough seepage from the system to provide a little heat. I can drive at 55 mph in comfort--if I speed up to 70, the greater pressure differential makes things get a little too hot, and I have to crack a window. Also, the 1980 has a separate low-level vent on the driver's side that compensates just right at highway speeds for open heat/ac vents and fan speed 1. But the 1992 lacks that feature.

How do you change the valve without spilling way too much coolant everywhere? Cut-off hose clamps? Don't they lead to hose splitting somewhere down the line?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Doug Harvey

Doug, you work yours just like I do. I'm thankful for the heat this time of year. In my 79 I just leave the adjustment at full on, and like you say, the fresh air intake does the circulation fine once warmed up inside. If I notice it getting stuffy I just hit the recirc button and the flow stops. By the way, the 79 has that same cold air vent on both sides, not that I ever reach over and fool with the one where I guess your lambda 'computer' resides.

When I changed the valve, (an 84) I brought a cake pan and some old towels. I let the block drain first and just held the hoses high while I worked them loose from the old valve. Only got an ounce or two in the pan, and a few drops on the towels. The cake pan might have held all the coolant in the core, but it would have been close. The 20 year old hoses inside the car looked like new outside and as far inside as I could see. I don't own any hose squashers, but I admit to using a vise-grip plier on the transfer pump output fuel line once.
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Art Benstein near Baltimore

An awful lot of 240's are like that. Seems to be the price you pay for getting fantastic heat when it's REALLY cold out. All of mine are like that. There's no "low" it's just HEAT or COLD. Mine all seem to cross over about 1/2 inch from the left end of the slider. I've heard that the new replacement makes them more linear. I can't imagine why they're like this, based on the construction of the valve. I think it's just because it's a damn big heater core.
Reportedly the new replacements require a possible change of heater hoses as well, so get some if your considering replacement.
Haven't changed them myself, maybe I've been lucky!
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Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: 86 244DL, 87 244DL, 88 744GLE, 91 244: 808K total

Could you send me Art's website address?

Thanks,

Lawren

When I saw these pictures I turned green.
My motor is the cousin of Tweety Bird and needs to be done unless I go totally loco and dont care anymore.
Then again I look at the pictures and decided to go and put shingles on a roof in minus 20 weather and give the job to somebody who enjoys gutting the dashboard

http://users.erols.com/benstein/

Haroon,
I`m thinking that I have to do mine soon. My excuse is that when the car is fully warmed up and driven a bit, the blower doesn`t squeal at all. Gotta have patience till some of the frost is off before I can go anywhere...

Mine was doing the same, but finally gave out this week. I think I could have gotten away with just lubing the bushings on the motor, but replacing it seems to be the right thing to do.