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

[RGardner]

Cleaned mine out yesterday and it made a world of difference in both air and cooling. Now time to get the filter kit from Geno's to try to slow down the accumulation of stuff in the blower motor and on the evaporator.

 

[DonTX]

Atta boy! It was my hope that this thread would encourage others to do this simple free bit of maintenance that makes so much difference.

 

[BJonesUSA]

Pulled my blower off tonight... it was pretty clean, just one little leaf on the fan... but the bottom of the evaporator was a different story! All kinds of soggy crap down in there... and I think that the drain is either partially or completely plugged b/c the carpet in the footwell was soaked... guess I'll have to get the water hose and air after it tomorrow after work. Any suggestions on making sure that the drain is actually draining... or improve the function of it?

 

[DonTX]

The debris in the bottom of the box was totally dry in mine. I picked out all the stuff I could with needle nose pliers, then got the garden hose and ran some water into the housing, looking to see if it was coming out the drain tube. As expected, since the gook was dry, the drain worked perfectly. I just ran water thru the system and out the drain, it washed all the little crap out on the ground. I would assume that if yours had soggy stuff down there, then the drain hose is clogged.

 

[WDixon27]

could be clogged or the water could be running back into the cab from the drain, the drain nipple only pokes a little bit though the firewall and the water can run right back into the hole that the nipple pokes though, i found a piece of tube that fit over the nipple and extended it down to the frame (doesn't need to do more then point down a little so it's forced to drip off but the frame gave me a place to zip tie it) i've been dealing to this on volvos for years so i was aquanted with the problem when i got the truck

Pulled my blower off tonight... it was pretty clean, just one little leaf on the fan... but the bottom of the evaporator was a different story! All kinds of soggy crap down in there... and I think that the drain is either partially or completely plugged b/c the carpet in the footwell was soaked... guess I'll have to get the water hose and air after it tomorrow after work. Any suggestions on making sure that the drain is actually draining... or improve the function of it?

 

[fest3er]

I think I installed Geno's cab fresh filter at about 10K miles. I think I finally installed the spare filter I bought at the same time, after 8 years or so. The blower has always worked well and smoothly. Only once did the recirc door 'freeze' on fresh air (recently at Clay City), and it eventually returned to normal. And only once did the evap freeze up (on a cold, wet, humid winter day), stopping most air flow. Turning the heat way up and turning on recirc thawed it out. (Yes, I run the A/C year round; I like a consistent atmosphere inside. )

A few times in recent years, I've spritzed a mild bleach solution into the recirc opening with the fan on high. The odor of mold was getting to be a bit much. The mild bleach solution pert near took care of it. For better cleaning, I'd take it apart (as described above in this thread), use strong bleach, then flush it out with plain water.

The activated carbon part of the filter (the black part, obviously) works wonders in removing organics (fuel, exhaust, other vapors) from the air. I can drive through a swamp and not smell much of the outdoors; on my motorbike, the fragrances are almost overwhelming.

Whatever they cost, Geno's cab fresh filters are well worth every penny, but only *after* you've cleaned out the air handling system.

N

 

[Mundgyver]

I would be careful with the bleach, tends to rot out aluminum cores and metal brackets if not completely rinsed out

 

[Wiredawg]

Filters and Annual Flush

Fellow Rammers:



I've had the filters on my 02 since I bought it and I clamped 2' heater hose to the A/C drain. Once a year, I turn the hose up, pour about a quart of mixture of hot water and liquid Fabreze in it. I drive with A/C on for about 30 minutes and drain it out. This cleans and disinfects the unit.



Wiredawg

 

[DonTX]

Brought this thread to the front since someone had a question about it.

 

[SRath]

Great thread!

I've had problems with getting a face-full of pulverized glass dust when I turn my fan on ever since a deer came straight through my windshield at 70 mph last fall. I've never seen a windshield explode into such fine dust and sharp-edged slivers like that before. That stuff is EVERYWHERE still, even inside my instrument panel lens and gauges. A large amount of it went down the defroster ducts.



Sounds like it should be easier to clean that out than I thought. The body shop that got paid to replace the windshield and clean that stuff ALL up (especially the air ducts & blower box) just did a really lousy quick vacuuming of the seats and floor (among other non-performance of what they said they'd do... ).

 

[FLynes]

Caveat to all this..... that 8mm bolt that sits by the firewall is F U N to loosen and tighten. All kidding aside, I had a little bit of junk in mine, but nothing to get excited about. Pretty surprising for almost 106,000 miles. The evap box was moist, but no surprise there, since I run the A/C constantly. Thanks for the tip on this subject. Sometime in the future I may run a hose in there and flush it out, but this time was more to satisfy curiosity than anything else. My A/C blows ice cold, so no worries.

 

[DonTX]

If you are double jointed, you can reach in thru the blower motor hole and reach the bottom of the AC coil to feel around in there. Mine was bone dry also, I think because the drain was open and I run the AC all the time down here.

Caveat to all this..... that 8mm bolt that sits by the firewall is F U N to loosen and tighten. All kidding aside, I had a little bit of junk in mine, but nothing to get excited about. Pretty surprising for almost 106,000 miles. The evap box was moist, but no surprise there, since I run the A/C constantly. Thanks for the tip on this subject. Sometime in the future I may run a hose in there and flush it out, but this time was more to satisfy curiosity than anything else. My A/C blows ice cold, so no worries.

 

[FLynes]

Ummmmm, Don there's a problem..... your Ft Bliss sticker is blue :-laf

 

[DonTX]

Are you suggesting I might be an officer?

Ummmmm, Don there's a problem..... your Ft Bliss sticker is blue :-laf

 

[FLynes]

Well an officer with an idea would be a first... ... . :-laf



Seriously, though, thanks for the thread and the pix. I'll order my filters from Geno's today.

 

[DonTX]

I have a good friend that just bought a place in San Angelo, got to get up there to see him soon.

 

[FLynes]

It's a really nice town... . the only place I've ever been stationed where civilians bend over backwards to be nice to military folk. I've never seen that anywhere else. When I was here in 1996, I decided that I wanted to come back one day..... finally got my wish, thanks to Branch. I retire in a little over three years, and Brooke and I are 99% sure that we're going to plant our roots here. If you come up here, pay us a visit; I've always got beer on hand for a fellow TDR'r. We're staying in our Airstream (decided this was the best way to become debt-free), out at the Goodfellow Rec Camp... . can't miss the Dually and the Silver Twinkie.

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

Where is the drain hose located? I got the motor out and there wasn't much crap on the fins of the blower but I can feel some dirt and crap down inside by the evaporator. I want to flush it out in hopes I can get a little more airflow out my vents and hopefully kill the slight mildew smell I get in the summer. I am a tad reluctant to go sticking water in places, as one might imagine.

 

[CumminsPower98]

The drain sticks out of the firewall on the passenger side. I haven't noticed any problems from my flush job and that was quite some time ago now.

 

[WDixon27]

short black plastic tube poking through the firewall, its a little bit of a pain to spot at first, its a foot or so up from the frame rail