Early and Late Blower Motors

[thehackmechanic]

Just when I think I know something about these cars...

So I've been rebuilding my heater box. While I was in there, I checked out the blower motor, and it was stiff, with a little detent in the motion, as if the bearing has a bad spot. I read up on the use of the Porsche heater motor, part number 0130007081. I bought one for $52, but then you have to deal with the fact that it has no fan on it. I sourced six small aluminum fans (they're cheap) trying to find the best one. I was all set to put it together, photograph it, write about solving the electric motor and fan problem once and for freaking all, and...

The new fan motor is the wrong size for my heater box. It's too small. It doesn't sit firmly in its little plastic cage.

I compared it to the old one, and sure enough, it's visibly smaller. Pics are attached. The original one is 2.33", the new one 2". There are other physical differences. The old one has two round indented posts on the side, 180 degrees apart, whereas the new one has four holes in the side. The old one doesn't have the red plastic assembly holding the electrical tabs that wraps around the back like the new one.

I've read references to early and late heater boxes but didn't pay any attention to it because I didn't think it affected anything I was doing. Now, searching, I find a few references to early and late heater motors, but nothing definitive. My car is an early '72tii with the three-speed rotary fan switch to the left of the instrument cluster. Does the larger early motor always correlate with this, and does the smaller motor correlate with the move of the fan speed switch to the right-hand slider like on my '73?

The main take-away message is that that nice solution of using a $52 Porsche blower motor doesn't apply if you if you have the older, larger fan motor.

[mfbanres]

Rob,

The later motors come with a plastic girdle that makes it the correct size to fit in the blower cage. You may want to try to find one with the girdle.

Also, you CAN press off the old fan carefully and reuse it on the new motor. I've done it. From an earlier post:

Just finished this project myself. I cut a mouse pad to size to replace the rotted foam on the flaps, and JB Weld to fix cracks; some were reinforced with a piece of plastic cut to size (who is ever going to notice?). Jim's suggestion of weather stripping came in handy as well.

The motor did not work when removed. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I carefully removed the fan, disassembled, cleaned with WD40, hooked it up to a test battery, and viola! Removing the fan was tricky. I separated the plastic piece holding the fan which gave me room to use a small wheel puller fitted with a allen socket and pressed it off. There is a small notch that fits into the fan.....I cleaned the notch, and fitted the plastic bit in reverse order so I could reuse the small ring orginally on the bottom. A touch of epoxy, and it spins like new.

Cheers,

Michael

73 tii 2764445

[BillWilliams]

Here is the link that talks about the differences between the late and early boxes.

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,57/page,viewtopic/t,316775/start,9/postdays,0/postorder,asc/highlight,/sid,eed0dbb76ee559e734a4290822b009f7/

[thehackmechanic]

Girdle? Ok, I see it in some of the photos, but I didn't realize it was an adapter for old versus new. Is there a part number for this? Mine didn't come with it. I ordered it from autohausaz.

[thehackmechanic]

Ok, looks like the one with the "girdle" on it is a different part number, 0130007002. Crap!

[jgerock]

Penske parts shows (2) different blower motors, one for the early cars (NLA of course) and a later unit. Note the overlapping application between 3/71 and 4/72.

08 64111351488 BLOWER UNIT (03/66 to 04/72) 1.23 1 NA

08 64111356500 BLOWER UNIT (03/71 to 07/77) 1.05 1 $298.05

I'm going to try and revive my crusty, non-working 69 fan.

Protective cover cap

My box has (2) resistor springs and of course the smaller diameter core tubes

Replacement Bosch fan used in my 73 tii heater box

[thehackmechanic]

Thanks Jim. That one has the sleeve (girdle) on it. I've found no source for just the sleeve. Looks like I'll see if I can return the one I bought without the sleeve (Porsche part number 0130007081) and get the one with the sleeve (Porsche part number 0130007002). Best price I can find is BMAPARTS.com, $73.

It's rather surprising that, now that I know, searching here on the faq, the early one without the sleeve (0130007081) is referenced in quite a number of threads, but no one appears to have posted anything regarding the later one with the sleeve (0130007002). One thread that references 0130007081 without the sleeve actually shows 0130007002 with the sleeve.

Damn, I hate being the first.

[jgerock]

Couldn't you just swap the plastic "girdle" from another dead fan onto your new motor?

[thehackmechanic]

Sure, but I don't have one to swap over.

It looks like the origin of the girdle, in both BMW and Porsche worlds, is so Bosch could make one motor and use it for both the early (large, so replacement needs girdle) and late (small, no girdle needed) applications.

I think it's likely that in the thread here on the FAQ where the part number seems to be originally posted,

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,0/page,viewtopic/t,339944/highlight,/sid,98932cf203b9607b637eda02bc515fd5/

the poster had one with a girdle (which was probably the car's second fan), it failed, and he bought the 0130007081 part and swapped over the girdle.

[jgerock]

Marshall Lytle and I had a couple crusty boxes from the cars we parted out. I sold one to another FAQ'r and another one was so bad we tossed it. Wish I'd known about those pieces.

I thought I kept my old non-working fan from the tii, but I cannot find it. I do have a complete spare box from another 69 - will look tomorrow to see if it has the girdle.

[Mike Self]

If your old fan motor is dead, dead, dead and can't be revived, simply saw through the armature between the fan and motor housing, the tap the shaft through the fan hub. Place the hub/shaft on top of a 3/8 drive deepwell socket and use a hammer & punch to knock the shaft out. BTW, if the brush holders are still good on your junk motor, save 'em. Many motors are scrapped due to melted brush housings that can't be bought separately.

Be sure and note exactly where the fan is situated on the shaft so when installed it won't hit the heater housing.

Side note: when you use the term "girdle" in the postings above, you're referring to the ribbed rubber tube that slips over the motor housing, correct?

cheers

mike

[thehackmechanic]

Mike, yes, by "girdle" I'm referring to the rubber sleeve that fits around the later-style 2" diameter motor and makes it the same size as the older-style 2.33" diameter motor.

My original motor isn't dead, just has a rough spot in the bearing that won't seem to lube out. I don't want to try to pull the fan off. I like using these circumstances to research things, research what I consider to be a good solution, photograph it, and post it. I'm near doing that with the motor and a variety of inexpensive aftermarket 5 1/2" aluminum fans.

I've done ahead and ordered the 0130007002 motor with the sleeve on it. I'll probably sell my 0130007081 here on the FAQ once the project is done.

[thehackmechanic]

Mike, yes, by "girdle" I'm referring to the rubber sleeve that fits around the later-style 2" diameter motor and makes it the same size as the older-style 2.33" diameter motor.

Thanks for the detailed info on pulling the fan off. My original motor isn't dead, just has a rough spot in the bearing that won't seem to lube out. I don't want to try to pull the fan off. I like using these circumstances to research things, figure out what I consider to be a good solution, photograph it, and post it. I'm near doing that with the new motor and a variety of inexpensive aftermarket 5 1/2" aluminum fans. I've gone through five or six of them. Fortunately they're dirt cheap.

I've done ahead and ordered the 0130007002 motor with the sleeve on it. I'll probably sell my sleeveless 0130007081 motor here on the FAQ once the project is done.

[jgerock]

OK - I'm batting zero on the "girdle", but I found that my spare heater box has a 2-speed fan and different style of motor and motor mount clips than my "second series" 69 one with 3 speed blower (both boxes still have the early core).

Spare crusty box. The fan motor has BOSCH GERMANY in the base near the fan.

Note the terminal locations side-by-side and the different style of clips that hold the motor to the plastic cage. The protective plastic cap for the motor crumbled when I started taking apart the heater box.

Unscientific measuring method - roughly 2.375"diameter

Clips

Box shroud

Two speed resistor board

Wiring outside the box

This is the 3-speed box from my May 69 2002. This one also has a large diameter motor.

[jgerock]

Just curious...

I noticed the heater fan from this 2000CS Coupe (picture from Jason Gipson's PBucket album) looks very close to the motor in my spare early box.

Note the terminals are close together and there is what appears to be the same plastic cap.