Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2010 17:14:15 -0500
Reply-To: David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject: Re: Blower motor anatomy
In-Reply-To: <4d06851d.1d4de50a.273a.3d35@mx.google.com>
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At 03:41 PM 12/13/2010, Edward Maglott wrote:
>Very good photos and description.
Thank you.
>Thanks for doing that. I recall
>Karl Mullendore described a method to lube the motor while it's in
>the van.
It's now semi-officially called the "Mullendore Port." I favor a
modified version where you make a second hole to look through.
> I guess this would just get the bearing on the rear non
>impeller-end.
Yes.
> Is that the end that needs more attention because it
>gets so dirty?
Yes.
> How beneficial do you think Karl's remote oiling
>technique would be?
It's a stopgap and it wouldn't help a frozen motor, but for a squeaky
one it can certainly help a good deal. I used Tri-Flow with its
application tube, but there's a brand of light oil called Supco MO-98
zoom spout turbine oil that's fairly easy to find in New England -- I
just bought a bottle from local appliance parts store. It has a
spout that extends to nine inches, might be enough to reach the
bearing directly.
My squeak got better immediately, and it took a couple months of
time-to-time use before it vanished entirely at lowest speed. It's
been good over a winter and summer, which means I've put off pulling
the dash until it's too cold to want to do it; so if it starts to
squeak this winter it will get another shot to tide it over until
spring. You won't see pictures of how to remove the motor from a
Bosch blower until then, 'cause on Millee's I'd already sawn the
motor apart before I remembered the photos. Which is how I found
out that the Meyle isn't put together the same way. I fixed it but I
broke the end off a tooth of a brand-new carbide roughing end mill
when it hit the magnet. So it cost me $27 to fix Millee's $79 blower
that I broke by not listening to my educated hands when they told me
there was too much force and not enough movement. I guess spread out
over the list that's $30 worth of education.
It's a nuisance to do, but I'd say the results are excellent. And on
a Meyle blower there's not much else you can do even with it out,
without rigging up a puller for the impeller which clearly Meyle did
not contemplate removing. It also doesn't matter much on a Meyle
blower because even if you take it out there's no felt ring to hold
an oil supply.
A yearly squirt on a good blower would likely keep it good
forever. All the squeaky/stuck motors I've seen have had practically
unworn brushes and no serious problem at the other end, and after
freeing up and lubing have worked for years with no trouble.
With regard to the Meyle blowers -- they're decently made, certain
amount of molding flash on the impeller that cleans off without much
trouble. The motor looks well made but they didn't work as hard on
the bearings as Bosch did, and they didn't provide sealing washers at
the outboard end of the shaft. If starting from scratch as I am with
Sally, I think capping the end and sealing the side as much as
convenient would be the way to go even though that would nullify the
Mullendore Port.
Yours,
David
