Heat fan blower replacement

[mikeo]

Hello
can anyone offer some basic guide lines for replacing the heater fan motor on a 1980 spider? dash or console removal?
heater core removal?
thanks

[rlux4]

The heater core is an item that gets very different difficulty level feedback. I thought the replacement was a snap, but I've heard other people say it was a bear. You need to remove the entire console. Disconnect the heater core water lines. The heater control valve will be easier to remove after the heater core is out. Remove the heater enclosure/distrbution box, four metal snaps hold it in place. There are two of the three control cables to contend with on it. The heater core just lays in the top of the heater box, so it will come out with it. Then your fan will be exposed for you to work on. I probably don't need to say this, but drain the cooling system first.
Ron

[mdrburchette]

I'm in the middle of doing this job on my 71. There was no need to remove the heater core to replace the motor. You will have to remove the radio console and loosen the center console so you can move it backwards to have enough room to manuever the box out. remove the 4 metal snaps that connect the motor box to the heate core box. You'll have to fish the wires from the heater core box, and I did remove the two nuts on the driver's side for the heater core box mount to pull the wires and connectors through. I didn't have to remove any of the cables, just moved them out of the way to remove the motor box. In order to remove the fan motor, I would tape the wires to longer wires so when reinstalling the new wires you can tape the fish wires to the new motor wires and pull them back through the hole of the box. Remove the two metal snaps that hold the motor in.

[rlux4]

Exactly what she said! I keep forgetting that most of the consoles are two piece, my factory padded console is one piece so the whole thing has to come out to work behind it.
Denise; didn't your heater core want to drop down with the box? But then, my bolts on the heater valve were shot so I didn't trust them to hold it up.
Ron

[mdrburchette]

No, i didn't have a problem with that. In fact, I had to pry it down a little to pull the wires out from under it. I was also suprised and how easily the motor box went back in. The only problem I had was trying to fish the wires through the heate core box so I took an electric drill with a grinding bit and made a place for the wires.

[mikeo]

Thanks very much for the information gang. It was not a very difficult job changing the fan. I removed both the consoles, upper/lower, just to make it easier. I was wondering, My arm rests, and consoles are not cracked or damaged but need some color restoration. Have anyone tried the paint IAP and some others sell?

[So Cal Mark]

vinyl paint works pretty well

[mdrburchette]

I'm not familiar with the paint IAP sells but I was pleased with SEM vinyl dye.