Heater Blower

[mylesw]

Hello,

I recently needed to use the heater blower fan on my 3.8 having not really used it since the car was restored. The blower hardly works on low and on high the blower was very noisy. Given the lack of things to do during lockdown I decided to remove the blower to see if I could improve both the noise and the low speed operation. On removal it has become apparent that the blower cage is from an Austin Healey 3000 (I know this as I have another original healey fan from a car I used to own). The motor has no manufacturer name but does have the numbers 7985901 and 12VF2 on the base and the motor shaft is D shaped.

So the questions I have is 1. Whether the healey fan is an ok mod, or whether I should replace the cage with a repro (the healey cage is steel) and 2. Whether the motor is the correct type for the car, and if not, could be the cause of the super slow speed on the low setting (the resistor is new).

Thoughts?

Thanks

Myles

[cactusman]

Can't help with the correctness or otherwise of the motor and fan. Lots recommend the fiero motor conversion of you can find the fiero motor/fan. However the noise may simply be the motor bearings are dry...and that will slow the motor and means it draws a higher current. This will be even worse on the slow setting as it is simply implemented by adding a resistor in series with the motor. With the std motor on mine I see around 8 or 9 volts at the motor on slow. If your motor tries to draw more current then the voltage across the resistor will rise leaving less for the motor on the slow setting and it will run even slower. The workshop manual gives very little technical detail about the motor or resistance. The 3.8 parts manual list the motor assembly as C17427. It lists the resistance as 'C17428 for heater motor (FHE3103/01)' Mine has a resistance of a bit over 2 ohms. I think after market replacements are around 2.5 ohms.

[MarkRado]

Hi Myles,

would be a good opportunity to do the "Fiero upgrade". This really helps increase airflow:
http://forum.etypeuk.com/viewtopic.php? ... ilit=fiero

I currently have a fan and motor for sale (secondhand, surplus to requirements)
Just drop me a PM

Mark