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Re: Fan control questions

PostPosted: Sun Oct 07, 2018 10:57 pm
by pharriso
That looks similar to the spares I have, can you post the Smiths numbers & will check when I return home tomorrow.

Re: Fan control questions

PostPosted: Sun Oct 07, 2018 11:33 pm
by The Veg
http://gglotus.org/ggpart/ggpart.htm lists the motors as different in the Plus 2 and Plus 2S, although I would think that they'd be interchangeable as it's probably the same heater.

2- FHM4442/08
2S- FHM5352/05

The 2-seat Elan items are listed as:

Up to 4/68- FHM 5332/02
4/68 on- FHM 5352/05

Re: Fan control questions

PostPosted: Mon Oct 08, 2018 12:54 pm
by Bigbaldybloke
Looks similar to the lotus radiator fan motor. Several people selling them.

Re: Fan control questions

PostPosted: Mon Nov 12, 2018 3:25 am
by The Veg
Update on my adventures with the motor:

It's definitely not the same as the radiator fan motor, which looks similar but is longer and narrower.

In searching for a replacement, I asked Ken at Dave Bean if anything was available. He said no, but that one other car used the same motor, and he knew a guy in San Diego who has a few motors, and that he'd get back with me after asking that guy if he may put me in touch with him. Turns out the other car is the Cortina Mk II, and the guy sold me a fan motor for what seemed like a reasonable price.

After some cleaning it up, I tested the motor by itself at first then installed in the heater and found it to be good and strong, moved a decent amount of air- so then I tried to re-install the heater. Key word, tried. For some reason I couldn't get the heater to go quite all the way in. I pulled it away to check for something obstructing things, and noticed a scratch-mark on the end of the motor housing, which seemed to correspond to the location of a screw that comes into the space the motor occupies. Was this motor a different size?

Out the motor came for some comparison. Here's what I found:

img_20181111_165642.jpg and


The black motor at top is the bad original one, the grey motor at bottom is the Cortina Mk II motor. Very similar, but as you can see, it is longer overall. Also the mounting flange is about 1/8" closer to the output-end, and the distance from the flange to the 'hump' at the end is almost a half inch longer. I'm guessing that the extra size makes it more powerful than the original motor, and since this motor works so well, I'm thinking there's got to be way to make it fit. I'm already working on some ideas. First, that screw that interfered can be relocated as it only holds a little mounting clip. After that, maybe with some spacers and extra weatherstripping I can back the heater off slightly. I hope it works, because this business with the motor has put me a few weeks behind where I wanted to be with getting the dashboard back in. Wish me luck!

Re: Fan control questions

PostPosted: Mon Nov 12, 2018 11:55 am
by Craven
You are looking at difference between two motor types. Larger of the two is an older design which has a wound field, and not polarity sensitive. Smaller has a permanent magnet field and is polarity sensitive, ie rotation is + - connection dependent, should be on the label.
IIRC someone on this site noted a difference in speed/performance of the two, I have interchanged the two but I prefer the later type as it is far lighter to be ?hung? in various locations.
FWIW

Re: Fan control questions

PostPosted: Mon Nov 12, 2018 3:36 pm
by The Veg
Interesting. No label on either one. I didn't notice the weight difference either, so I'm not worried about it. If I can make this one work then I'll run with it for the time being, and at my leisure look into a more modern replacement that can go in next time the dash is out.

Re: Fan control questions

PostPosted: Mon Nov 12, 2018 3:56 pm
by 69S4
The Veg wrote: If I can make this one work then I'll run with it for the time being, and at my leisure look into a more modern replacement that can go in next time the dash is out.



Are there any 'modern' substitutions that fit without pain? My (S4) heater motor has been noisy for some time and needs either 'attention' or replacement next time the dash is removed. I'd always assumed it would be another of the same if they were available but if there's something better ...

Re: Fan control questions

PostPosted: Mon Nov 12, 2018 9:44 pm
by crypto
Regarding fan motor, I had the same problem but was unable find a the direct modern replacement. But I found a very silent 12Volt motor. The diameter of the new motor was about half of the original one and the manufacture of 2 discs was required. One that attaches to the black case.
img_20151206_134312-1024.jpg and

Attached inside are stand-offs that holds the second (inside) disc where the motor is attached to. Most modern motors have attachment holes in the front face where the axle stands out.
img_20151206_134458-1024.jpg and

the axle of the new motor was metrical and a ring was necessary to "fill" the gap between shaft diameter and inside hole of fan-blade.

Re: Fan control questions

PostPosted: Mon Nov 12, 2018 11:39 pm
by 1owner69Elan
My fan blower motor was completely shot on my 69 S4. Rusted out and not salvageable.

As a bit of a " shot in the dark" I eventually found a 12v 2-speed motor of the same diameter, similar length, and 1/4" shaft. I wired this directly into my fan switch, no resistor circuit needed. It took a little fiddling to get the motor fitted. I ended up just using three small L-shaped brackets with a hose clamp around them to hold the motor in the proper position. Unfortunately, it appears that I took no pictures of this modification.

Anyway, a modern, 2-speed blower motor that fits my 69 S4 Elan:

blower-motor.jpg and


Blows much stronger than what I recall of the original that quit many decades ago.

Re: Fan control questions

PostPosted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 2:59 pm
by USA64
https://www.thhs.co.uk/transport-heatin ... m1210-3925
I bought this. It fits and seems to work; tested with the original resistor and got two speeds. Have reassembled the heater box no problem but I have not reinstalled the box. I'm doing a nut and bolt rebuild and there is no interior as yet.

Re: Fan control questions

PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2018 1:34 am
by The Veg
Interesting suggestions; thanks guys! Of course those suggestions came right after I got the heater back in with the too-long motor, but I may we'll pick up one of those new motors so I'll have it to hand next time the dash comes out. The idea of using some screw-spacers and extra foam sealing to make the heater's mounting accommodate the longer motor seems to have worked- and the heater is only 1/2 inch farther from the firewall than its original position, so I expect no problems with the dashboard going back in.

Re: Fan control questions

PostPosted: Thu Nov 22, 2018 6:45 pm
by The Veg
Looks like I outsmarted myself. During a trial-fit of the dashboard I found that the spacers on the heater aren't going to work. The switches and wiring and such on the dashboard seem to need every last bit of clearance they can get from the heater. Heater out AGAIN, and it looks like I'll be ordering one of the motors above.

Re: Fan control questions

PostPosted: Thu Nov 22, 2018 7:10 pm
by pharriso
The Veg wrote:Looks like I outsmarted myself. During a trial-fit of the dashboard I found that the spacers on the heater aren't going to work. The switches and wiring and such on the dashboard seem to need every last bit of clearance they can get from the heater. Heater out AGAIN, and it looks like I'll be ordering one of the motors above.


Hang on... I have originals... send me OD, length & layout of the original & I'm sure I have something...

You can e-mail me pph <at> lionheartsolutions.com with pictures etc.

Re: Fan control questions

PostPosted: Fri Nov 23, 2018 2:33 pm
by pharriso
Info sent... here's my collection:
img_9569.jpg and

Re: Fan control questions

PostPosted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 6:20 am
by The Veg
Update:

I ordered the modern motor that 1owner69Elan suggested, as I want maximum reliability so I don't have to go in after it again. The idea of two speeds with no resistor (simplify and add lightness!) was appealing too.

That said, the lack of mounting flange on that motor did pose a challenge. There are two carriage-bolts through the motor, which oddly enough do not hold it together as on the old motors, as the housing halves seem to be welded together. I got some longer bolts and attached an improvised mount to them, but then since that's only two mounting points and I didn't want the mounting to flex, I made up some angle-brackets and clamped those as 1O69E suggested he had done with his.

I'm pleased with the result but was too tired to test-fit it in the car tonight (yes I was doing this work as 2019 arrived), so tomorrow will bring the moment of Truth- but I feel optimistic.