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Author Topic: Mk1 Rabbit or Jetta Blower Motor for AC/heater Needed  (Read 4176 times)

Reply #15February 08, 2021, 08:51:53 pm

fatmobile

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Re: Mk1 Rabbit or Jetta Blower Motor for AC/heater Needed
« Reply #15 on: February 08, 2021, 08:51:53 pm »
 I've removed the fan by holding it between my knees and smacking the shaft down through it
 with a punch.
 It's hard to hold a plastic fan firmly without breaking it, but that works for me.

 When putting it back together be very careful to have the brushes back out of the way.
 If they catch the center while you shove it in,
it will move the brush contact area down the shaft and things won't line up.
Tornado red, '91 Golf 4 door,
with a re-ringed, '84 quantum, turbo diesel, MD block

Reply #16February 09, 2021, 09:58:50 am

tbro

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Re: Mk1 Rabbit or Jetta Blower Motor for AC/heater Needed
« Reply #16 on: February 09, 2021, 09:58:50 am »
Great information Fatmobile!  I will try that and hopefully will not break the fan.  Was it originally a press fit or glued?  I stopped trying to press out shaft last time I was going to get to bushings, but stopped after the fan began to deform.

Reply #17February 09, 2021, 09:45:10 pm

ORCoaster

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Re: Mk1 Rabbit or Jetta Blower Motor for AC/heater Needed
« Reply #17 on: February 09, 2021, 09:45:10 pm »
I too support the fan well from below and smack the shaft to drive it off the fan.  I don't think pressing on it makes it let go.  Mr. Hammer does the job though.  Flat punch works best. 

Getting the fan housing apart requires you to tap the staked pieces of metal back to straight lines.  Remove the splayed ends.  Then to get it back together you have spread the ends again.  A small sharp cold chisel seems to work better than a sharp counter punch. 

Best of luck on that.  I have spent a lot of time on a blower motor only to switch it on high and still have it squeal at me.  I bench test now with a 12 car battery before I reinstall. 

Reply #18February 09, 2021, 11:16:36 pm

tbro

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Re: Mk1 Rabbit or Jetta Blower Motor for AC/heater Needed
« Reply #18 on: February 09, 2021, 11:16:36 pm »
OK. I will try your method tomorrow and see if I can get the fan off.  Once off I can reverse the staked
fingers and get to the bushings.  Should be home free from there. Like your tip about testing prior to install.  Will get back to the forum with hopefully good results!  Wish me luck, Tom

Reply #19February 11, 2021, 06:26:30 pm

tbro

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Re: Mk1 Rabbit or Jetta Blower Motor for AC/heater Needed
« Reply #19 on: February 11, 2021, 06:26:30 pm »
Well it took the comments of this forum for me to try the "knee-hold-punch technique" to get the fan removed.  Worked like a charm with no damage.  Once the fan came off, so did the front bearing,felt circular oil pad, retaining clip and thrust washer all together!  All this time I figured a bronze bushing had given up the ghost, but not so.  The play in the front housing was do to the bearing retainer working loose allowing the spherical bearing to slip which in turn allowed the shaft to wobble as it had nothing retaining the position..  Just in case I reversed the bearing on the shaft, cleaned up the inner housing and put it all back together.  If you try this, it helps to use a 5/16" SS bolt (8mm) to overcome the magnetic pull of the shoes riveted to the inside.  That way you can align the bearing and retaining parts into the bearing housing relatively easy.  The retainer has three cut outs 120 degrees apart and must be rotated once inside the housing to secure it.  That is apparently what moved and had nothing to hold the bearing in place.  The rear bearing was good to go so I just lubricated and buttoned everything
up.  Hooked the blower to 12 Volts and it ran smooth with no indication of a problem.  BTW: the front and rear bearing look just like a heim joint you would see on linkages or high end shock absorbers.  Not sure where you would purchase these in metric sizes if needed.  Dodged the bullet on that one.  I hope this helps someone else in the future as new units are not made anymore.
Thanks again to all the contributors to this thread.  Best regards, Tom

Reply #20February 11, 2021, 07:46:19 pm

fatmobile

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Re: Mk1 Rabbit or Jetta Blower Motor for AC/heater Needed
« Reply #20 on: February 11, 2021, 07:46:19 pm »
 The knee hold punch technique, ha.
 Glad it worked.
 I'm not sure what those bushings are called,..
so glad you didn't have to try to buy one.
 
The ones I make work,.. sometimes.
I made some that were too small outer diameter,.. just kind of eyeballed them.
Mine are made from cintered bronze.
 It think the factory ones are cintered steel.

It is nice to hear them purr when you are done.
« Last Edit: February 11, 2021, 07:48:33 pm by fatmobile »
Tornado red, '91 Golf 4 door,
with a re-ringed, '84 quantum, turbo diesel, MD block

 

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