Larryvan
09-11-2019, 03:35 PM
I am the (original) owner of a 1984 Toyota Van Wagon LE. It's still a daily driver, and everything on it still works well, with 156k on the odometer. Over the years, I have done all routine (and some not so routine!) maintenance myself. A developing problem, though is with the front heater/air conditioner blower. The symptoms all point to the blower needing to be replaced - not atypical for a van of this vintage and mileage. I do have the Toyota factory maintenance manual (bought when I got the Van in January 1984), which is one of the least useful auto publications I've ever seen. There's all kinds of detailed info on rebuilding the transmission and engine, but when it comes to some items (heater/ac blower, and windshield-wiper motor, for example), they might as well not be on the van. There's no information in any Toyota publications I am aware of that have anything regarding accessing the blower. I have pored over the postings on this forum, and have found some information and images showing how some have accessed the blower. Thanks to the design of ac-equipped vans, a structural crossmember is directly in the way of pulling the motor and fan from under the dash by removing the three bolts holding it to the housing.
A. One posting and photos showed the right side of that crossmember unbolted and pulled back far enough to remove the blower from the inside.
B. Another one described removing the right front headlight and associated bezel to allow access to unbolt and remove the squirrel cage fan from the blower shaft, so there's then enough clearance to remove the blower motor from the blower housing. ( leaving the fan inside the blower housing, to be rebolted to the blower shaft when it is replaced).
Either seem incredibly painful! For example, it seems that A. (above) might well require removing the entire dash - yuck! As for B. (above) , if the fan doesn't have a hard stop for positioning it back onto the blower (motor) shaft, that would well involve a lot of trial and error to get the fan back onto the shaft to keep it from rubbing on the inside of the blower housing - more yuck!
All this is an attempt to find the easiest way to do what should be a very simply job, but most certainly is not. The designers for this and other such unreasonably work-intensive
arrangements on the van should have to replace one themselves (and using the "instructions" (arf, arf!) in the factory manual). So, after my tale of woe, has anyone any
further suggestions than those already posted? My grateful "thanks" for anyone that can provide further information!
A. One posting and photos showed the right side of that crossmember unbolted and pulled back far enough to remove the blower from the inside.
B. Another one described removing the right front headlight and associated bezel to allow access to unbolt and remove the squirrel cage fan from the blower shaft, so there's then enough clearance to remove the blower motor from the blower housing. ( leaving the fan inside the blower housing, to be rebolted to the blower shaft when it is replaced).
Either seem incredibly painful! For example, it seems that A. (above) might well require removing the entire dash - yuck! As for B. (above) , if the fan doesn't have a hard stop for positioning it back onto the blower (motor) shaft, that would well involve a lot of trial and error to get the fan back onto the shaft to keep it from rubbing on the inside of the blower housing - more yuck!
All this is an attempt to find the easiest way to do what should be a very simply job, but most certainly is not. The designers for this and other such unreasonably work-intensive
arrangements on the van should have to replace one themselves (and using the "instructions" (arf, arf!) in the factory manual). So, after my tale of woe, has anyone any
further suggestions than those already posted? My grateful "thanks" for anyone that can provide further information!