S2 Heater Box Refurb' - upgrade or keep original?

inca · Post by **inca** » Wed Jan 30, 2013 8:48 pm

Hi

I'm looking to replace the matrix and motor whilst refurbishing the heater box. Please does anyone have any experience on using the upgrade kits as advertised online at Holden Vintage -

http://www.holden.co.uk/displayproduct. ... de=080.794

I've read on the forum details of motor upgrades using Grainger or Fiero to get better airflow though it sounds that these parts need to be shipped from US and folks appear to be doing this on S! models where the airflow on the original kit is poor.

Alternatively I could keep original and get direct replacements from SNG B - as my fan has never worked since owning the car I'm not sure how good the standard original kit is for the S2?

Any advice / recommendation would be most appreciated.

Many thanks

Mark

Post by **Heuer** » Wed Jan 30, 2013 9:21 pm

The Fiero upgrade works superbly although getting the bits shipped to the UK is a bit of a chore (I used Bongo). If you are not in a rush it is probably worth doing because the original (S1, S2 and S3) is dismal. There are three factors to consider - the motor speed, the fan design and the airbox - and these have been discussed in detail in the upgrades thread. Personally I would not bother with anything other than the Fiero but in all my travels I rarely have the need to switch on the blower motor.

inca · Post by **inca** » Wed Jan 30, 2013 10:24 pm

Many thanks for your advice. I'll have a look on ebay! Regards

rolando38 · Post by **rolando38** » Sun Nov 15, 2015 5:46 pm

hello
I have dismanteled my heater fan motor as it was not operating

no surprise when I saw that there was 5mm of Californian desert dust on the bottom, and that fan was turning by hand but with considerable squeaks

my question is how to open the motor as I've unbolted the transversal axle, but the thing does not open

Are the 2 halves sealed for life or are they just rusted ?

Post by **Heuer** » Sun Nov 15, 2015 5:50 pm

Undo the two nuts and the bolts should come out allowing you to (gently) pull the casing apart. Take care as the commutator brushes are spring loaded and although they are attached by wires, the springs themselves can pop out.

rolando38 · Post by **rolando38** » Sun Nov 15, 2015 5:53 pm

Thanks Heuer
I'll try to pry out the 2 halves with a small screwdriver, but I have had no success so far; I'll use WD40 it might help

Post by **Heuer** » Sun Nov 15, 2015 6:06 pm

Hold the top half of the case and tap the shaft gently with a mallet. The fan wheel is original Delaney Gallay which can be restored with the help of the dishwasher, when you wife is not looking obviously

rolando38 · Post by **rolando38** » Sun Nov 15, 2015 6:41 pm

success !!

thanks to your realtime top tips Heuer I managed to open the Pandora box

I wwas expecting a bearing but no such device, only a cage in which a ball on the axle is prisoner
not sure it will ever work again, but I'll do my best ..
thanks again for your help

Post by **Heuer** » Sun Nov 15, 2015 6:49 pm

It looks OK to me - when they fail the windings are visibly burnt. Give it a good clean with switch cleaner. Put the shaft into the chuck of a drill and let it spin whilst you gently hold a piece of fine emery paper on the copper commutator to remove pitting and scratches. Looks like the top bearing is stuck to the shaft - it should sit under the split washer in the top half of the case. Use a dap of Lithium grease in the bearings. Case can be polished on a wire wheel and repainted. Will be interested to know if there are any markings or numbers on the case.

rolando38 · Post by **rolando38** » Sun Nov 15, 2015 7:41 pm

thanks, this work will be for tomorrow evening after work
What I had taken for a all is in fact the bearing...
there was a label indicating rotation direction, I'll have a look for other markings

rolando38 · Post by **rolando38** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 6:28 pm

here is the rotor after cleaning on the drill, with sandpaper for the collector and a metal brush for the pile of steel blades

as for the bearing, it's not moving by hand, are you sure this is a bearing ? should I remove it with an extractor ?
or is the bearing below the metal ball ?

Post by **Heuer** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 6:43 pm

I suggest you check both halves of the case. Each will have a phosphor bronze bearing. I can see the lower shaft is nice and polished from the bearing but the upper part seems to be rotating on the part with the 'flat' which would not be good engineering. Offer up the shaft to the bearing and see how it fits/turns - it may be the 'ball' runs on the slotted washer.

Tbob · Post by **Tbob** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 10:46 pm

Fiero motors are easy to find, but not one with the cage fan attached.

Will the cage from the Jag heater fit the shaft of the Fiero replacement motor?

rolando38 · Post by **rolando38** » Wed Nov 18, 2015 5:40 am

Pontiac Fieros are very scarce over here in Europe, I don't think it was officially imported in France, and I want to keep the Jag as close as possible to the original
I will have to let it rest for a while as I'm leaving on travel for a few days

paulsco · Post by **paulsco** » Wed Nov 18, 2015 4:50 pm

Hi Rolando,

Yes that is the bearing; it was stuck to the shaft on mine too. You will need to clean up the shaft to remove it. I think I wrapped it in a cloth and twisted it off with mole grips.
To fit the bearing back in the housing, you will need to remove that spring retainer, which is held in by metal tabs around the edge of the circumference of the housing. I used a small wood chisel to cut through the tabs and eased it out with a screwdriver. I bent it a little, but carefully straightened it with a pair of pliers. I found it impossible to try to get the bearing back in to the spring retainer by just lifting the tabs.

There is a felt pad under the retainer; presumably oiled to lubricate the bearing.

Paul

rolando38 · Post by **rolando38** » Wed Nov 18, 2015 10:02 pm

thanks Paul !
to make sure I understand correctly (english is not my mother language): is the "ball" normally rotating around the shaft with an internal non visible bearing and this "ball" is fixed within the spring retainer, or is the ball fixed to the shaft and then the whole assembly rotates in the spring retainer ?

PeterCrespin · Post by **PeterCrespin** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 2:48 am

rolando38 wrote:thanks Paul !
to make sure I understand correctly (english is not my mother language): is the "ball" normally rotating around the shaft with an internal non visible bearing and this "ball" is fixed within the spring retainer, or is the ball fixed to the shaft and then the whole assembly rotates in the spring retainer ?

Yes to the first, no to the second. The ball is a self-aligning spherical bush and stays in the casing, held by the clip, while the spindle rotates within the bush. The spindle has probably rusted inside and the bush is now stuck.

rolando38 · Post by **rolando38** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 4:53 am

understood ! thanks Peter
I'm going to extract the bush and hopefully de-rust the spindle,

rolando38 · Post by **rolando38** » Mon Nov 23, 2015 7:35 pm

after one full night dipping in a tube filled with WD40, there was still no possibility to turn the "bearing" ; therefore I decided to pull it off
and there it is... hard to see evidence of a spindle
I will let it dip another night in D40; can the spindle be expelled from the brass ball ?

paulsco · Post by **paulsco** » Mon Nov 23, 2015 9:31 pm

Hi Rolando,

As far as I know, the brass/bronze?? ball IS the bearing; what you see is probably the remnants of the steel from the shaft.

Paul

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S2 Heater Box Refurb' - upgrade or keep original?

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