This subject was partially covered in another post about Old Blue not starting, but since this is a new topic, I started a new thread
The HVAC blower motor must be replaced. Screams bloody murder if you turn the fan on. I looked at Steve VW's post on his '86 Regal and thought it would be a breeze. Well, Steve's is different. Fortunately, I was able to look behind the glove box without taking the glove box out and there is no blower motor to be seen. I see the plastic plenum and lots of HVAC hoses going into it at various places but nothing that looks like a blower motor. I looked all through the "Search" posts on the subject but found nothing that would answer the question. Has anyone replaced the blower motor on a 85 Regal? It is apparently different than the '86. My 85 dash does not have the wrap around design if this makes any difference. Is the blower motor perhaps hidden inside the plenum? Any help will be appreciated. It's a little tight in there with an arthritic '76 year old back.
Jim
Jim

Yes, the fan is in the plenum. But, you should see an irregular shaped flange, and the motor, on the rear of the plenum. I am surprised yours is not almost exactly like Steve' (or even the Breakaway I had). Doesn't really seem like a new topic to me

Steve's clearly shows the motor. Mine shows nothing in that area that even remotely looks like a protruding motor. It is completely different than Steve's. When my back is better, I'll try to wedge under there and see where it is. But in the meantime, has anybody else done this?
Jim

I'm befuddled about that. would have thought for sure they would be about the same. sorry about your back. Leaning over to reach in there and do the project was hard on my back.

It's not the original plenum. The one that is in there was made by ARA Manufacturing, a now defunct manufacturer of HVAC stuff for GM pickups and trucks. I've got the S/N of the unit and the unit number but that will probably do me no good since the company is now out of business. It was installed in '96 by a company in Kansas City, Kansas named ACME Air and they are still in business. Will call them Monday morning. In meantime, will jump the blower motor and from the sound will be able to at least locate the general area in the plenum where it is located. I think what we have here is the bird cage part is inside the plenum and a very small motor on the outside that operates it. I see something about the size of a solenoid sticking out of the plenum.

Jim, your luck is not good this time. It appears that prior to 1986, there was no factory AC, just ARA custom install, etc.

From 86 to 89 the "factory air" that was installed was still made by ARA but not the same as yours...

From 89 on they were another supplier (ARA was out of business)

This is from the 97 GM Motorhome Guide (BTW available on the Barthmobile CD)



Good luck finding your stuff.

Have Barth, will travel... soon!

Steve, thanks so much. The good news is that what's in there is what has always been in there. The ARA unit # is 0507907. The ARA s/n is 893214. The date on the label glued to the plenum is 6/95. I have no records of what might have happened then. The PO bought it in '97 and kept good records but not much before then. If anyone can find these part numbers I would appreciate it. I looked on the Internet but did not have any success. Then again, I'm not the best at using that source. The sticker on the unit said ACME Radiator in Kansas City, Kansas and from what I can find, they are still in business. Looks like ACME Radiator may have several locations.
In the meantime, I guess the best approach is to trace the wire from the fuse block to the fan switch and then to the blower motor. I'll at least know where it is located then. It sounds like it is just right of center behind the HVAC controls but that is just a guess. Still hoping somebody out there has an 85 Regal that has done this.
Jim

quote:

Originally posted by Jim and Tere:
It's not the original plenum. The one that is in there was made by ARA Manufacturing, a now defunct manufacturer of HVAC stuff for GM pickups and trucks.I think what we have here is?????

worth your consideration?

http://nostalgicac.com/heater-defrost-system.html

Well, as it turns out, it is the original plenum/HVAC unit. I have the original build sheet and it calls for an ARA 893214 HVAC unit. I don't know if Barth sent it to ACME in Indiana, or installed it in the Barth factory in Milford. Either way, they were built in Kansas City, KS by ACME using ARA components--or something like that. So the unit in the '85 Regal came out of the factory that way. Now if I can just locate the blower motor.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim and Tere:
Well, as it turns out, it is the original plenum/HVAC unit. Now if I can just locate the blower motor.

Is this close???

>>>>>>http://www.patentgenius.com/patent/4022599.html

Simple instructions follow!!

>>>>>Referring back to the blower housing cover 28, it is basically rectangular shaped with the air louvers 26 being located on three sides and an opening in wall 60 on the fourth side for connecting with duct chamber 66. The top exterior portion ofthe blower housing cover 28 may contain suitable recesses 30 for holding cups or other items.

The duct assembly 34 which receives the air discharged from the blower wheel 56 has a slight incline shown by bottom wall 70. The incline of bottom wall 70 corresponds to the incline of the transmission tunnel. Above bottom wall 70 on the upperexterior portion of duct assembly 34 is located the controls including off/on switch 42 and thermostat 40. The off/on switch 42 which is connected to the electrical system (not shown) of the automobile 10 controls the operation of the air conditionerincluding the blower motor 58 and the compressor 14. The thermostat 40, which may be of any suitable type, is used to control operation of the compressor 14, and may also control operation of the blower motor 58 depending upon the particular electricaldesign desired. Forward of the control portion, and still above bottom wall 70, is located a depression 38 that may be used to hold small items in the same manner as an upper depression on a conventional console.

Forward of bottom wall 70 is located incline wall 72 which angles upward at an even greater angle than bottom wall 70, again following the curvature of the transmission tunnel. The lower top portion 74 of the duct assembly 34 follows bottom wall70 at a slightly increasing angle to increase the depth of the duct assembly 34. Likewise, duct top 76 follows incline wall 72, but at a greater angle, again increasing the depth of the duct assembly 34 prior to reaching evaporator case 36. Atevaporator case 36 the return air moves substantially horizontally through the evaporator coil 44. The cross sectional area of the duct assembly 34 is approximately constant from the lower portion thereof until it terminates at evaporator case 36. Theside walls 88 and 90 of the duct assembly 34 extend outwardly from the top to the bottom thereby resulting in the duct top 74 being narrower than bottom wall 70.<<<<<

quote: Well, as it turns out, it is the original plenum/HVAC unit. Now if I can just locate the blower motor. :unquote


Or this???

AC and Heater parts for ACME, ARA, Evans, Frigi cool, SCS Friggette, and Victory RV units

http://acmeairparts.com/rvacheaterparts.php

Now those instructions--that's funny But I did talk to the guy in Kansas City. He bought all the spare parts that were available when ARA and ACME went out of business. I told him the ARA unit number and he said any drawings etc were long gone and he had never seen a plenum where the motor was not somewhere near the passenger(right) side of the plenum. Haven't felt like messing with it today. Cold and snowing.

quote:

http://www.patentgenius.com/patent/4022599.html

Did you look through the access door above your headlamps and grill?

quote:

Did you look through the access door above your headlamps and grill?

Not sure what you mean. I've looked all around the area behind the radiator grill door. The hot water hoses for the heater core go into a box tucked way up to the left but there's nothing that looks like a blower motor up there. If there was you couldn't get it out anyway.

I understand