heater fan removal guidance

[mattrosersv]

I believe the fan is causing a short and blowing fuses. It pops the fuse when turned to speed setting 3 (old style vauxhall 3 speed switch).

Removed all the gubbins, pipes etc and left with a sealed up panel on the left that meets with the floor and far end of the footwell. I have cut away all sealent broken out rivets, but can't shift panel. Behind the panel i can see a metal box assumed to be the fan box,it is stuck fast and I can't see any fastenings

I therefore assume I have to remove the heater matrix box from above the fan in order to release the fan below it. This would appear to be attached by a few self tapers and I assume a load of sealent as it is stuck in pretty solidly.

Before I go nuts with levers/dremels/hammers I thought I would just see if someone in the collective had a more elegent process for fan removal since the search did not come up with much apart from the suggestion that it is a b1tch of a job!

Cheers,

Matt

[peaktorque]

mattrosersv said:

I believe the fan is causing a short and blowing fuses. It pops the fuse when turned to speed setting 3 (old style vauxhall 3 speed switch).

Removed all the gubbins, pipes etc and left with a sealed up panel on the left that meets with the floor and far end of the footwell. I have cut away all sealant broken out rivets, but can't shift panel. Behind the panel i can see a metal box assumed to be the fan box,it is stuck fast and I can't see any fastenings

I therefore assume I have to remove the heater matrix box from above the fan in order to release the fan below it. This would appear to be attached by a few self tapers and I assume a load of sealent as it is stuck in pretty solidly.

Before I go nuts with levers/dremels/hammers I thought I would just see if someone in the collective had a more elegent process for fan removal since the search did not come up with much apart from the suggestion that it is a b1tch of a job!

Cheers,

Matt

It is a pig of a job

The fan is secured to the panel so the whole lot has to come out as one.

I had mine out at the beginning of the year and found the motor seized.

The panel you describe, on mine was held in with a few rivets and alot of sealant. There are no fixings other than what you can access with the heater box in place IIRC, but there is sealant all around the perimeter of the panel. I didn't have to remove the heater matrix or box luckily, but I did loosen the heater pipes mounting plate so that I could move the steel pipes a bit in the rubber tubes (the bds are in the way). Just work your way around the panel until you have freed off as much sealant as possible, then pull the bottom of the panel towards you and this should break the sealant at the top. There is a bit of a technique to getting the fan and panel out, but it can be done!

Good luck!

James.

Edited by peaktorque on Tuesday 17th August 20:45

[mattrosersv]

Thanks PeakTorque.

For others reading this in the future, the rivets are well hidden and once all were drilled out I needed to apply significant force at the top to remove the fan motor and cover so much force that I figured I would have to break it out ( I Levered it out with a screwdriver against fan motor). Motor and outer cover are attached at the top and come out as one as per PeakTorque description).

Motor ran after I pulled it out without blowing fuse, but with a bearing squeal. i sprayed a load of grease over the bearings and it runs OK, but really want to replace motor at this point.

Does anyone know what the Bosch motor is off? I am going to take it to my friendly auto parts guy tomorrow to see if I can source a replacement.

Cheers,

Matt

[peaktorque]

Refitting it is even better

I think Clever Trevor has them in stock, or maybe Racing Green. But you will possibly pay over the odds from these places.

I soaked mine in WD40 every day for a week whilst it was layng about the house (like you do ) and it still runs fine. Baring in mind that it had seized solid too.

The cause of mine seizing was a leaky side repeater allowing rain water to get drawn into the motor......

[Major Fallout]

Sorry to drag an old thread up, but where is the motor?

I an see the black box with the matrix in, whereabouts in there is the motor?

Also where does it get the air from?

[Sardonicus]

mattrosersv said:

Thanks PeakTorque.

For others reading this in the future, the rivets are well hidden and once all were drilled out I needed to apply significant force at the top to remove the fan motor and cover so much force that I figured I would have to break it out ( I Levered it out with a screwdriver against fan motor). Motor and outer cover are attached at the top and come out as one as per PeakTorque description).

Motor ran after I pulled it out without blowing fuse, but with a bearing squeal. i sprayed a load of grease over the bearings and it runs OK, but really want to replace motor at this point.

Does anyone know what the Bosch motor is off? I am going to take it to my friendly auto parts guy tomorrow to see if I can source a replacement.

Cheers,

Matt

If there is no play in the bearings and both brushes appear to have plenty of length/life still I would be putting that back in again just give the bearings a shot of spray grease/motorcycle chain lube.

[Twistygit]

Pass footwell on the left in the wing

[peaktorque]

Major Fallout said:

Sorry to drag an old thread up, but where is the motor?

I an see the black box with the matrix in, whereabouts in there is the motor?

Also where does it get the air from?

The motor is to the left of the battery (battery needs removing) inside the N/S wing and is attached to the back of a removable panel - which at first glance doesn't look like its removable

The air is drawn from the front of the wing.

[Major Fallout]

Ah ha! So its not in the black box at the top?

Thanks that has saved my back and a few hours head scratching.

[SILICONEKID340HP]

This might help .


http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=2...

[mattrosersv]

I put mine back in after greasing up and it went again so had to go through the pain of removal once more. From memory I paid about 115 quid from an online vauxhall parts place. At the time none of the usual tvr parts places had stock. I don't know for sure if the same blower motor was fitted to all Chimaeras.. My 96 car had a different dash swith than later cars iirc.

To find it look to the left hand side of the passenger footwell (having removed battey and pulled carpet back) and you will see three wires with a connector on sticking out the sde., this is the blower connector. The wires pass throught the rear most section of the panel that you need to remove. Prepare for fibreglass rash and don't be afraid to get angry with it.

Cut around the sealent and lever edges with screw driver then jam your hand in as far as you can over the top and yank it out with force. Mine was well stuck in and took some effort.

Matt

[Quietlybonkers]

My 99 fan switch just rotates, doesn't have three positions.

[mjjrV8S]

Picking up this old thread. I have a heater leak but not ready to do a matrix out/refurb. Can i bypass the in and out feeds for the water and save the job for another time? Will that effect the cooling system flowsor water volumes and effectiveness?

[Steve_D]

Yes you can bypass either in the footwell or in the engine bay but in either position I would include a slight restriction to flow otherwise you could have issues with the thermostat not opening when it should.

Steve

[TVR NZ]

My 2000 chimaera smells of mice (stale musty pishy smell) from the heater. I guess there's been rodents in the heater intake in the frnt left wing? The fans runs without noise so no nest in the blower?
I need to find and clean the air intake for the heater. Anyone got advice please?

[Belle427]

I dont think there is an air intake from memory although there is a hole in the compartment, the fan itself is a real pig of a job to remove so id try not to do that if possible.
Someone may remember my memory is sketchy.
Some images here.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[s p a c e m a n]

I too have a fuzzy memory but I can remember pulling the side repeater out of the wing to get a better look at part of the fan so I'd start there. Any other access to any of the voids around the motor will require pulling the bit of fiberglass off in the footwell that the fan mounts to. All of the ducting to the vents are obvious under the dash.