Date:         Mon, 29 Dec 2003 04:29:54 EST
Reply-To:     THX0001@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         George Goff <THX0001@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: can the front blower motor be lubricated when it starts to
              squeal?
Comments: To: danoer1@ECLIPSE.NET
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 12/28/03 10:15:03 PM, danoer1@ECLIPSE.NET writes:

<< . . . the thought of lubricating the motor without removing the dash is
impossible.  It is sealed up and really impossible to get at without
removing the dash . . . >>

This is a good point.  The blower is an overhung design so the outboard
("drive end") bearing is seeing the most loading and abuse.  Time and again, I have
seen the outboard bearing of a motor shot while the more lightly loaded
inboard bearing has a lot of life left in it.  Unfortunately, in this case the
outboard bearing is also deep within the bowels of the blower housing within the
ventilation plenum.

The oil impregnated bronze sleeve bearings of the Vanagon might succumb to
the grit which is constantly streaming through the motor before than the service
loading has taken its toll.  Once dirt has clogged the pores of the bearing
material, I doubt if it can be flushed away effectively without removing the
sleeves and putting them through some manner of deep cleaning process.

Blower motor replacement in a 240 Volvo makes the Vanagon job seem like
child's play.  Because of the configuration of a 240's blower assembly, some clever
and desperate soul came up with a technique which allows the bearings to be
lubricated from outside the housing.  This method involves drilling 2 pairs of
holes about 1/2" in diameter, spaced about 1" apart with each pair in line
with each of the two bearings.  One hole of the pair is to provide light and a
line of sight to the bearing while the other is used for a long oiling spout.
It is not the easiest thing to do, but once innumerable sighting angles are
eliminated, it is doable.  After the bearings are lubricated, the holes are
plugged and all is well with the world . . . for a couple of weeks.

The first time I faced a squeaking 240 blower motor, I lubricated it as
described.  It quieted right down and worked well until one bitchin' day when the
weather conditions required it to work full tilt boogy for an extended period.
Then it queefed out completely.  I had to use my girlfriend's thong to keep
wiping off the windshield enough to see where I was going.  OK, that's not
true, but, once a sweetie did hand over her panties so that I could clean the
slush-encrusted windshield of an MGB when the windshield wipers stopped working.

One more thing: if the idiot who once suggested misting oil through the
outside air intake in order to lubricate the blower motor chimes in on this
discussion, I will personally don a pair of snowshoes and track him down through the
wilds of Canada.

George