kell said:
I have 1986 Suburban with a bad heater blower. I was thinking about
getting a cheap 12 volt muffin fan. allelectronics has this for $3:
Nidec Beta V™ TA350DC, Model M35291-35. 12 Vdc, 2.3 Amps. 150 CFM,
6,000 RPM, 57 bBA ball bearing fan. 92mm square x 38mm thick. Plastic
frame and impeller. Removed from used equipment, good condition. Four
leads, 10" long. UL, CE, TUV
Would it be powerful enough or do I have to look for something better
Re:
The propeller type muffin fan won't be able to deliver the airflow
necessary for proper operation of the heating/cooling system. The 150
cfm is almost certainly the open frame rating; ie fan not installed in
any sort of duct-work. The "squirrel cage" blower that is installed in
your Suburban is much more robust in terms of air delivery capability
in combination with the duct-work of the vehicle. Besides; how would
you install a muffin fan in the vehicle venitlation system?
Try checking the fan power leads for continuity; if you get continuity
then the brushes may be good and a bearing may be siezed. If no
continuity, even when the motor shaft is rotated, then the brushes may
be worn out or they may be clogged up with dust (I had this happen on
old Ford LTD I owned years ago; cleaned out the crap and it ran good as
new.) If the shaft is hard to turn by hand, then usually you can just
lube the bearings to get things going again. Those motors don't
typically wipe out the bearings; they simply don't have the torque.
But the original lube does dry up and turn to a gummy soap-type
substance over the years and that alone can seize the shaft. Use some
penetrating oil on the bearings to break them loose, then apply a
heavier lube to the bearings before reinstallation.
Dan Akers