Help! Need Blower Fan Help

[alyevich]

In need of some advice, as usual (hopefully someday I can reciprocate with advice for others).
My blower fan is making some noise. It's most annoying in low speed when the ignition is first turned on. It's not a bad bearing, but rather it seems that fan impeller is rubbing through a portion of the rotation.
Looking at the location of the motor, it seems nearly impossible to access.
Is there away to access the impeller/fan itself through the glove compartment area? I am thinking I might be able to just make an adjustment to the impeller or perhaps there is a leaf, piece of duct tape, or something stuck in there.
Thanks,
Al

 

[minifridge1138]

I don't have any personal experience, but others have told me that you have to get to the fan motor from the engine compartment.

I'm sure someone that knows this for a fact can chime in.

Mine occasionally makes a creaking sound when the car first starts, but goes away after 5 seconds or so.

 

[duke94]

It comes out from the engine side. Here's a photo of a 71' non-AC car that shows the blower motor mounted to the plenum. There are 5 screws that hold the motor mounting plate to the plenum. Remove the 5 screws and the motor/fan comes out as a unit. On an A/C car, it comes out the same way but it is hidden behind the A/C evaporator box. Tomorrow I will look at my 78' which has A/C to see if just the blower motor can be removed w/o removing the plenum too.

 

[duke94]

I just looked at my 78' with A/C, which should be close to your 81', and if you remove the Rad overflow jug, there should be room to remove the blower.

 

[bill81vette]

I just looked at my 78' with A/C, which should be close to your 81', and if you remove the Rad overflow jug, there should be room to remove the blower.

Yup,I'm pretty sure I did that to mine!!
It is tight but it can be done!!!

 

[minifridge1138]

Yes you need to remove the overflow jug. But the ac lines keep you from getting the jug out. You will need to remove the ac compressor from it's bracket to get the coolant lines out of the way. You do NOT have to disconnect the lines and drain the freon.
This is what the service manul says and it is what I had to do.
Good luck!

 

[Nobody Cares]

Changed the blower motor on my 80 recently ( with A/C). Took the washer jug out . Did not have to remove any A/C lines or brackets. Takes alot of twisting and turning, but finally got it out and new one in. Lots of patience involved it that project. Dave ad

 

[Tstorm]

It helps if you remove the gill vent as well, you can reach right up and grab the fan motor from that acces point! It is a pain to get them out,,,sorry!!!