2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission if you are looking for something to do, clean out your blower motor

[WDixon27]

i've been wanting to pull the blower on my truck and check it for trash as the airflow was a little odd at times, strong one day weak the next, the cage was at least half full of plants and birds a rocks and things, the evap was covered in crap too, there was so much sand and god knows what in the box i couldn't reach to get out, i got after it with the garden hose sprayer to flush it out of the drain hole, it didn't really make it blow cooler if anything it's a couple degrees warmer at full speed rec off at idle (like 43 instead of 40) due to the increased airflow but it's much better in the cab

 

[DonTX]

Give me a clue how big a job it was and what you had to do to find it. My truck has a high speed wobble in the fan when on HI, feels like it got a blob of paper on one side of the blower fan, ever since I got it. Fortunately, it cools well enough on the next to hi position, so I have been avoiding the fix.

 

[WDixon27]

3 8mm bolts all out in the open below the glove box to remove the blower on my 96, not sure what the updated dash trucks look like, i didn't even unplug the blower as the wires were long enough to swing it out of the way the plug was trapped behind the glove box and i didn't feel like fishing for it, i hit it with compressed air but a brush would also get the crap off the blades of the blower, then i felt up inside the evap case to see what kind of dirt was in there (the evap is 6-8 inches to the left of the hole the blower is in) but my meat hook was too big to really get anything out of there so i got after it with the hose, i sprayed around in there in short bursts to avoid overflowing the box and making a mess in the cab and felt around to see if i got the crud

just doing the blower probably takes 5 minutes, whatever other clean up depends on how nasty it is in there but hosing it out doesn't really take long, hit it and let it drain and hit it some more moving around, keep a eye on if the water runs back into the cab from the drain, i extended the tube on mine last summer so it wasn't a problem but the normal evap water can (and did on mine ) run right back in the cab instead of dripping off the drain tube, i found a piece of plastic flex hose that i ran down to the frame with a perfectly sized shrink tube to fit the tube that pokes through the firewall, but anything that hangs lower then the tube so the water drips will work

 

[BigPapa]

I have had good luck taping a 2'-3' piece of 1/2" hose on the end of a shop vac hose. It's small enough to get down into the bottom of the box. Mine was full of pine needles when I bought it and once I got a good size oak leaf in there that made a lot of noise. I'm on my 3rd blower motor and it needs replacing now. Just putting it off.



Scott

 

[JoeBioDiesel]

I did exactly what Scott did. I cleaned lots of crap away from the bottom of the evaporator, hoping to extend it's life. I've only changed a couple of EVAP cores in these trucks but every one I did was rotted at the bottom where it was kept wet by debris. They are a real pain to change, so cleaning it every spring is a painless alternative.

Joe

 

[TWilkening]

The blower motor is in the exact same place on the 98 up trucks. just takes 3 8mm bolts and it's out.

 

[DonTX]

Well, finally got off my butt and pulled the blower motor today, instead of a gum wrapper or such, it was loaded lopsided with leaves! Also assorted trash that was all on one side of the blower cage. I bet that thing runs smooth on high now! Sure was an easy job, thanks guys for letting me know how easy it really was.

There has to be a way to put a screen or something downstream to keep all that trash out of the blower fan, anybody tackled that yet?

 

[BigPapa]

Right from Geno's:



CAB FRESH - FILTER KIT ('94-'02 DODGE)-Dodge Cummins and Ford Power Stroke Diesel Truck Accessories - Geno's Garage



Scott

 

[EricBu12]

I have that kit... works perfectly. . has a filter for dust and such. you buy a replacement pad like every 3 years or so.

 

[ROADWARRIOR]

The Geno's kit must work well. I pulled my blower and it had only one dead June Bug in it and the evaporator looked good.



Dan

 

[DonTX]

Wow, thanks! I never even thought to look at Geno's, that is exactly what I want!

 

[DonTX]

Geno has me one on the way, just in time for an extended trip with the ol Dodge, I will be breathing fresh air without the trash coming into the truck.

I bit of guidance for others, next time you are at your truck, just turn the blower on hi, and if you get anything other than perfectly smooth hi volume blowing, you need to clean the blower fan. In my case, anything other than the highest speed seemed perfectly smooth, on hi it vibrated the whole dash.

 

[WDixon27]

did you check for crap in the evap too? as much stuff that was in the blower on my truck there was probably 3 times the trash in the evaporator

 

[DonTX]

Sure, I cleaned that out too. About 1/8 as much stuff there as in the blower fan. I was able to get a pair of needle nose pliers down in there, and pinch at a time got all but dust. I then put the garden hose in it and watched the rest run out the drain tube. Ran several gallons through it.

 

[DieselDoghouse]

THAT CRAP cost me an evaporator so I can readily understand. I know have plastic window screen fastened to the air plenum with small cable ties (fashionably red) to try to keep from sucking that stuff in—we'll see…

 

[DonTX]

That was my initial thought too, but you may want to do as I did, as pointed out below GENO's sells a handy dandy gadget to filter all that stuff out. I have one on the way to me now! My wife is very sensitive to allergins, and with that darned thing sucking in leaves, bugs, sticks and most anything on the road to sit there and mold, we don't need that (Or any expensive hard to install AC parts replaced either).

THAT CRAP cost me an evaporator so I can readily understand. I know have plastic window screen fastened to the air plenum with small cable ties (fashionably red) to try to keep from sucking that stuff in—we'll see…

 

[CumminsPower98]

Saw this thread and figured why not check it out. My fan had a few leaves in it but not many at all. There was only a small amount of trash in the bottom of the evaporator area. I figured there would be more in there being a '98 with 376k miles. I went ahead and flushed the evaporator with water and air hoses.

 

[RGardner]

My 01 doesn't blow as much air as it should on high and it just makes more noise on max a/c but does not blow as much air. Doesn't seem to be cooling like it should, I am going to see if this could be my problem.

 

[DonTX]

Mine did not move much air on high either, sure made a huge difference there in addition to the noise and vibration gone.

Probably makes a difference where the truck is parked. In my case it was full of small leaves, about 3/8 inch wide, 3/4 long. The truck spent time in Michigan and Florida so must have gotten them there, no such trees grow around these parts.

 

[DonTX]

Gotter dun!

That Geno filter kit is a cute easy to install preventor of trash in the fan or AC compartment. Here is before and after. The bonus is that it filters pollen, smoke etc as well!