I tried to get my "new" '72 280SEL 4.5 inspected today but was denied a sticker because the heater motor is DOA and it is a state requirement that air comes out of the defroster vents in order to pass

Since the requirement is that air needs to come out, not necessarily warm air, I was thinking of running a duct from the AC to the defroster outlet which I could open and close to allow that air to be forced out. It even feels like there is a small amount of AC coming out of the defroster already but that may just be what leaks out of the AC system behind the dash venting anyway it can. Does anyone know how hard it would be to get some air out of those damn slots so I can pass inspection without replacing the heater fan motor??

I plan on taking the cowl cover off and confirming that the fan motor is not just jammed with a leaf or not getting juice through the switch, but assuming it is the fan itself which is dead I'd like to be able to rig it so at least some air comes out of the defroster vent without the heater motor working...any suggestions would be appreciated!

__________________
Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

Buy a 12 Volt electric fan from Harbor Freight.

__________________
BENZ THERE DONE THAThttp://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...c/progress.gif
15 VW Passat TDI
00 E420
98 E300 DT
97 E420 Donor Car - NEED PARTS? PM ME!
97 S500
97 E300D
86 Holden Jackaroo Turbo D
86 300SDL
(o\|/o)

There are a couple threads somewhere here detailing how to "hack" the heater motor and replace it with something other than OEM. I have already done it and it is probably as easy or easier then plumbing your AC to blow through the defroster outlets. Do a search on heater motor and 108 and useful info may pop up.

When I did mine, went in under the hood cowl, cut access to pull the old DOA motor and replacing it with a fan from a computer store for a CPU. Buttoned and sealed up, you'd never know and the original three position blower switch (already r&r'd by me) works with it fine. Unfortunately, the CPU fan puts out barely more than a squirrel-breath and it was the most pwerful I could find on the shelf. So, amazingly, in my father-in-law's garage recently I spotted an old heater blower of unknown origin/vintage. It works, the squirrel cage will fit in the 108 housing (actually with room to spare, a 4" cage would fit nicely and this is only 3") so I'm gonna redo this soon when I lay the car up to do the subframe mounts.

Hi Doc. Your car is Really nice. Spend some cash and fix it right. I live in Milford NH and I know the wether is crazy some times around here the windows fog up when its hot and when its cold. My blower works but blows what ever temp the surrounding air is. I dont fix it because unlike yours, my car hardly ever runs. I had a littly envy when I heared you could hop right in and drive it here from the carolinas with no problems.Take care of the car and enjoy it for a long time. Pat Mc.

__________________
Pat McCusker
1963 220B

Thanks to all those who replied. At some point I will replace the blower motor and the heater core and control valves, I just wanted to enjoy the car this summer a little before I got to it. To have the job done right by a shop would cost $2000 or more. I'll do it myself but the parts are expensive too. I was hoping to save my $$$ for more critical repairs should those become necessary. I'll probably just do as my mechanic advised and find an inspection station who'll pass it without noticing the blower is not working

__________________
Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

My blower did react to being hit with a screwdriver handle for a while so you might try that. It was the brushes (worn out). I got new brushes and works like a charm. Milt.

__________________
Milterino
76 450 S.E.L.

Do the repair yourself, although its a good 16 hour job first time round. As for parts, you should be able to get those cheap. IN fact what you should do is replace the rubber control levers with the old 1966/67 ones that were hard plastic. The look is virtually the same and you never have to replace the control levers after that, which I always consider a positive selling point. Look around for wrecking yards that have those parts and if you replace the blower change the o-rings in the on/off shaft of the hot water line, as they tend to leak.
As for cutting the firewall or any other part....ouch....that hurts resale if you ever want to sell it, in fact any Merc with major sheet metal removal/cutting I stay away from as I wonder what else has been done.
A 280 SEL is a nice car to keep original. A 220D is a nice car to take to Monster Garage.
Leonard

Thanks...I think if I land up doing it myself I would only use new parts. The 16 hours would only be worse if I had to do it again next year because some junkyard blower motor died after working for a month or two. Of course there is no guarantee that a new motor will last longer but at least I would have done everything in my power to ensure that it would.

__________________
Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

Sorry for my comment doc. If its that big a job stick a fan on the dash board for the summer and fix it next winter if your garage is heated. You know I've been to alot if inspection stations around here over the years and never had one check my blower. Just curious if every thing else passed. Pat.

__________________
Pat McCusker
1963 220B

You should have befriended an inspection guy.....who could overlook something so minor.

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

well, I do not intend to sell my cherry 108 for any price, so resale value is meaningless. wut is important is a fully functional, awesomely cool kick-ass ride like no other. i'm tellin' ya, if you want function, look under the cowl!! it is not a firewall cut BTW. if you want a museum piece, do the 16 hr job and be happy.

I paid mega $ to restore a becker mexico rather than trash my pristine dash with a current bizgidget stereo, so I do have a modicum of appreciation for the vintage and OEM. I just think carrying things this far for originality is goofy if you want to drive the car.

Inspections in NH have become much more strict in the past few months it seems. Now they have a computer system so if you fail at one station you can't just go to another and roll the dice again. The guy who failed me is a friend who I have known for 10 years, but he also knows that he can't afford to lose his license to inspect cars so I don't blame him for being strict. He knows I won't ask him to repair it and frankly I don't think he would even want to do it if I did so he has nothing to gain by failing it other than going by the book and keeping in the state's good graces.

The only other thing noted on the inspection was a missing exhaust hanger (donut) which I have a spare for and will pop on this weekend.

I had my 560SL inspected today and they found one brake hose which had rubbed down to the braided steel line and also a stripped bolt on the front suspension cradle which was causing some excessive play in the front end during the "grab and pull" test on the wheels. The other three brake hoses were just begining to dry-rot on their rubber as well. Since I was going to flush the braking system anyway I ordered all 4 hoses and will replace them all as they are original and 17 years old. The stripped bolt and nut are now on order from MB for $8 and I'll replace them too. In my mind the inspection is pretty good and if all techs are as thorough as mine the roads would be a lot safer, but, I am sure most are not though.

__________________
Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

I confirmed today that the heater blower is DOA by checking it through the cowl. There's power at the leads when the switch is turned "on" but the motor will not turn under its own power, just spins when you turn it with a finger. I tried whacking it with a small hammer and sprayed it with "deoxit" on the off chance that it would free up a stuck brush or clean a cruddy commutator but that didn't work.

I am considering putting a 120mm (4.75") "boxer" fan inside the cowl directly over the existing fan cutout for now, so I can get my inspection sticker and in the fall tackling the "proper" job which for me will include having the heater core repaired as it has been bypassed by one of the PO's, no doubt because it was leaking and they didn't want to spend the $2000 to have it fixed.

Does anyone who has done the "exterior fan" know if a 120mm fan will fit in there?

Here's the one I am looking at, it is the strongest fan I have found:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6778101762

Anyone think I would have trouble laying this one over that hole?

__________________
Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

Even if it doesnt fit exactly, it'd probably be easy enough to fabricae a shroud out of aluminum to fit it in there

__________________
Current:
2021 Charger Scat Pack Widebody "Sinabee"
2018 Durango R/T

Previous:
1972 280SE 4.5
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited "Hefe", 1992 Jeep Cherokee Laredo "Jeepy", 2006 Charger R/T "Hemi"
1999 Chrysler 300M - RIP @ 221k

I was just concerned it might be too big. My first choice would be to simply lay it over the opening where the existing fan is mounted and use some sealant/adhesive around the edge to hold it in place. I should have measured while I had it apart but didn't because I was in a hurry to get the car put back together...anyway, I will give it a shot as this fan looks to be pretty powerful at 130 CFM.

__________________
Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz