Dealing with the infamous fan motor - making high pitch noise. Read about people reaching the motor bushings by drilling rather large holes behind the center console. But has anyone considered drilling small holes on the side of the fan covers, and then straight through the side of the fan? Wouldn't it be possible then to sneak thin oil delivery tube through those holes and then reach between the blades to the bushing?

What material are the fans (impellers) are made from, plastic?

Thoughts?

This is a 1987 240DL. Thanks.

Daryl is correct, if your bearings are so bad that the fan blades rub on the housing or you have reached the point you can see the fan blades (like Art's photo) you should finish the job and replace the blower motor.

However, I have used the method of drilling two holes in the fan housing and injecting oil to the motor bearings. This has postponed the bearing noise for a year or two each time. I know that at some point I will need to replace the blower motor, but there is no harm in delaying the job.

I use a 1/4" O.D copper tube about 12" long with a slight bend on the end for injecting oil. Once the tube is in place, next to the bearing, I use an oil can (with 10 weight oil) and put a couple of squirts into the tube. Then I put the blower on slow speed and used compresed air to blow the oil through the tube into the bearing. I repeat this three of four times for each bearing while adjusting the blower speeds from low to high.

Happy Bricking,
Mike
Laharview Farm
--
1984-244 GL with 212K (the first Brick), 1984-244 GL with 270K (parts), 1985-244 DL with 262K, 1989-244 DL with 110K, 67 Mustang (271 HP 289) with 260K and 62 F-250 4x4 (262 - 6 cylinder) with 72K

Don't quit now! Seeing that you have progressed to the point of removing the end covers from the blower housing (removing the backside hidden clips on each one is the most challenging part of the whole operation, IMO), you may as well spend another hour at the most removing each impeller and then removing the 3 screws holding the motor to the housing. Then pull the motor from the left end. Replace motor with a new one ($35 from FCP Groton), then reassemble. Really not as difficult a job as you might think. Once completed, you will have some peace of mind knowing the blower is going to be maintenance free for as long as you have the vehicle.

sorry, the photo I included is from Art's page, I am just using it to show where I am thinking of drilling. The idea is to have a longish thin drill that would go through the outer plastic housing and through the side of the blades disk. Then the hose would sneak between the blades and hopefully I could hit the axle and bushings with the oil.

The holes are large to be able to see into and aim the oil. They are easily covered with duct tape.

If the bearings are worn to the point of allowing the blade to rub against the housing then you have to replace the motor (or maybe just the bearing if possible).
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb but electronic ignition and M46 trans in Brampton, Ont.

Regarding lubricating the bushings, I tried this, --once--. The fan ran just long enough for me to succumb to the cruel joke I had played on myself. Ha-ha.

I believe those bushings are a variety of what's commonly called "oil lite"*. The original oil charge is included in the (porous) metal of the bushings and is put there via vacuum when the bushings are manufactured. There's no way to really properly lubricate 'em once the original oil is gone. Worse, by the time the "check bushing" squeal/chatter/honk indicator comes on the bushings have lost all notion of original tolerances and are headed downhill fast.

* As in "let's go lite on investing in this motor by cheaping out on the bearings"