SeanR

Great write ups guys. This one really needs to be in the archives. Just had one seize on me and this might keep me from buying a new one.

Giovanni

I repaired both fans on my ex 88 3 years ago and on my 89 2 years ago. I used JB weld to glue the housing and the rear cover. I like your idea of using rivets though.

SeanR

I've got mine apart and the bearing in hand. Now I just need to source the bearing and can put it back together. Shouldn't be hard around here. I was ready to trash the fan until a search pulled this up. Taking the motor apart is really easy.

Thanks to Borland and Myles for this. A real money saver. I hope they don't mind if I post it up on RW, using my own pictures of course.

928Myles

Sean,
I couldn't figure out how to get it into the archives (DIY?) when I posted. When I tried it told me I couldn't post there.

I would be more than happy for someone to post it in a more appropriate place eg a moderator?
I'm glad people are finding it useful.

Myles

Hilton

I actually bought 3 of the bearings last week (I have a motor/fan I replaced as its bearing is shot - glad I kept it!).

Thanks Myles and Borland for the pics and write-up, as well as tips on cleaners etc

SeanR

Miles, leaving it here is just fine, it comes up quick on a search. Thanks again.

H2

thanks for a great how-to!

h2

SeanR

Found a local supplier that had the bearings in stock. I'm going to pick up a couple just in case anyone needs some.

Herman K

I'll take 4 and pick them up at OCIC.

Thx

SQLGuy

In case it's needed, ACE hardware, and other places that carry the full line of Hillman hardware, has assorted electric motor brushes. They're really easy to sand, file, or grind down if you can't find a close enough stock size. That's what I did for the brushes in my hot tub's air blower: got the smallest ones bigger than what I needed (too wide), and ground them down. Worked great. Same should work if you need to replace brushes in these fan motors. From what I remember, the brushes were a few dollars each.

Edit: Looks like I'll get to try this out myself. I rebuilt the worse-sounding of the two motors, then compared it to the other one, and found the other one sounded pretty bad too. Pulled the other one apart and found that it's brushes are quite worn: two of them have only about 1/4" left. Rough measurement looks like 6 x 7.5 mm. I'll see tomorrow what Ace has and post pictures of the process and results.

SQLGuy

OK. One set of brushes successfully (at least seems so) replaced.

The Hillman 58291-L brushes (available from many Ace and True Value hardware stores) are a perfect fit. They were $4.40 a piece at my local store. The first problem, though, is that they come from Hillman in packs of 3. The stores sell them each, and they usually only stock one pack. I had to visit two stores to get a full set.

Second thing to note is that the brush connections are soldered AND crimped. You'll have to remove the power connector from the back of the motor so you can get the phenolic board out and get access to the crimped side of the metal eyelets where the connections are made. The Hillman brushes come with springs and contact discs at the ends. I cut off the discs and used the original springs from the motor since the pressure of them was known correct for these holders and commutator. I soldered the end of the braid to make it easier to feed through the slot at the side of the holder and to keep it from unraveling. It took a little while to figure out a good technique to install the new brushes. What I ended up with was:

1. insert the spring in the holder, push it most of the way in, and hold it in place with a small nail through the hole at the top of the holder
2. feed the end of the braid through end of the coil and out through the second or third spring turn and through the slot at the side
3. pull the slack of the braid through the slot
4. push the brush all the way in with a nail or something similar
5. push the end of a short length of wire through the hole to hold the brush recessed in the holder (I used two lengths of hook up wire about 10" long, one per pair of brushes, so that, after putting the armature back, I could pull the loops out and release the brushes)
6. solder the braid back into the eyelet and to the other wires and/or inductors

In this photo you can see what's left of one of my original brushes, a new brush as purchased, a new brush with the disc and spring removed, one of the old springs, and an installed (but not yet soldered) replacement brush in its holder with the end of wire holding it in place.

Cheers,
Paul

Hilton

Great info thanks!

A quick search brings up Hillman's website, which says the brushes are sized: 1/4 x 5/16 x 3/4.

http://wedo.hillmangroup.com/item/pr...rushes/58291-l

Another quick search and it looks like a brush of the same size can be ordered online here:

http://monsterfastener.com/itemview.aspx?itm=CBC-197

Tony

adding to this.

Actually not much more to add, but not all is lost if you wreck the tabs opening the motor case. You can also create your own NEW tabs with a dremel.

It aint pretty but works great!

The case has a 1/8" lip around the entire circumference. I just cut little 1//4 slots on teh outer case then bent them over with a socket extension to "crimp" the case shut again.


My fan is now quieter and draws over an amp less than the other one still on the car.

great write up!

V2Rocket

reviving this excellent thread...
i have gotten the motor case apart and have already replaced the bearing and riveted the plate back on.

however i cannot seem to remove the shaft from the rear bushing with hand strength alone - the shaft is hard to turn even with the case and front bearing removed completely so i am suspecting the bushing is messed up somehow which is why i want to get to it.

any tip/trick/tool to pull the shaft out of the bushing?
my brushes still look like they have 2/3 life left so they are being left alone but i might lightly polish the commutator.

V2Rocket

ok got the back plate off to expose the bushing.
what did you use for bushing lube? motor oil? grease of some kind?