BigWhiteGTP

Is there a way to make the Ac blow harder? Like a bigger, more powerful blow motor or something? I've noticed that my GF's '99 Cutlass has some nice Blow to it, but the Firebirds is more like her 'normal'. The AC system is healthy in the Firebird.

Someone give me some pointers. Thanks.

DENN_SHAH

iTrader: (1)

if i remember right, even new the thirdgens didn't have the hardest blowing A/Cs around.

check your vent doors, make sure they are moving all the way in both directions & are sealing good. does the blower motor sound like it is spinning up good? do all the speeds on the switch work? clean the blower cage on the blower motor.

if your blower motor is working good & all your vents work right & seal good, you probably have a dirty evaporator core.
as you know, when an A/C system is working the evap creates condensation. with the evap wet, any dirty in the incoming air sticks to it, over time the evap gets a buildup on it which reduces
your air flow more & more. there are only 2 ways to really remove the dirt, both of which your have to pull the evap core out.

#1, once you pull the core out, you get some stuff called condenser coil cleaner, it is a pretty strong acid which when sprayed on the core & then the core is lightly sprayed with some water, it will foam up & push the dirt out, when properly done the core comes out looking like new. the down side to cleaning an old core is the acid removes some of surface of the aluminum core, if ANY of the coil cleaner is left on the core, it will continue to eat away at the core until it starts leaking.

#2, replace the evap core with a new 1.

if you decide to clean the old core, do not use the enviro cleaner, it sucks.

do not get any of the cleaner in your eyes, use eye protection, wear old cloths, wear some disposable gloves, wash it off your skin if you get any on you. use lots of water to rinse off the core, don't use a pressure washer, it will bend the coils, a water hose with a plain sprayer is fine.
do not get any cleaner or water inside the core, be certain the holes where the A/C lines hook to the core are completely capped
off.

BigWhiteGTP

I am really sick of doing AC work, so I have no patience with it. Will doing this procedure mean I will have to have it recharged.....again? Also, how hard is it to get to the evaporator core? Where is it?

Thanks for the reply, btw.

DENN_SHAH

iTrader: (1)

to pull the evap core, yes, you will have to drain the refrigerant from the system, then evac it & recharge it once the core is back in.
seems like i read on here somewhere that someone replaced their evap core in about 3 or 4 hours or so, not including the evacuation & recharge.

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

I replaced the blower motor in my 85 and was surprised at how much harder the air blew--hey, the old motor was 20 years old.

JamesC

Sonar_un

I've replaced blower motors in both of my thirdgens. It help a little bit, but I believe the true way to get all the blower pressure back is to clean out the coil.

3 - 4 hours? Thats not that bad really. I have been dreading the job. I have found a post somewhere that talks about removing the coil without having to remove bolts from the inside of the car. If that is the case, then it shouldn't be too difficult.

BigWhiteGTP

Well, my car system has been recharged 4 times now. If it goes again, then I will replace the evap core.

Now I have 2 other questions:

1) replacing blower motor, what makes it fail in the 1st place, and do I have to recharge the system after removal and install of a new one?

2) What about a smaller compressor pulley? Would it help at idle if it's spinning faster to keep the air cool or does that have to do with stagnant air not passing over the intake to the Ac system?

James C. could you describe how your ac system was working before and after a new blower motor was installed? My car is a 1991 (technically a '90) so it's at least 15 years old. maybe my motor is getting weak and slipping too?

Also, I found a strip of foam in the passenger side vent and it was oily and brittle. Do you think there is more in the passage to that vent? And also, why would there be this oil on it? It was kinda brown.

DENN_SHAH

iTrader: (1)

Sonar_un, that may have been the post i read where it took 3~4 hours, other wise its probably a good 6+ hours of work.


BigWhiteGTP, using the blower motor makes it go out,... in use the bushings & brushes wear, the more wear the more drag it has which causes it to turn slower.
you don't do anything to the refrigerant part of the system when replacing the blower, so no worries there.

a smaller pulley on the compressor may help some at idle, a pusher fan in front of the condenser would probably help alot more than a pulley would.
back when my car still had the factory fan ran off of the water pump with a heavy duty truck clutch on it, with 1 pusher fan in front of the condenser i dropped the high side pressure by 20~40 PSI depending on how hot the temp was during the day. vent temps dropped 5~10 degrees. the second pusher fan made little difference, only about 5 PSI on the high side & showed no change in vent temps.

its possible there is more loose foam in the evap housing. part of what the foam is made from is petroleum products, the oil is the foam returning back to its natural state.

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

I'm guessing, of course, but I'd suggest that the volume of air pushed by the new motor was double--or nearly--that of the 20-year-old motor. Yesterday, here in Kansas, the temp was 98 and my wife had to turn down the blower speed. No doubt, the A/C temp had something to do with that as well. I recently swapped to GM dual electrics so that may have had an effect as well.

JamesC

BigWhiteGTP

Thanks alot Denn_Shah And James C.

Where can I get a pusher fan and how hard is the install?

And James, what is "dual electrics"?

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

GM fans. The car's running cooler in all respects, especially at idle with the air con fired up. Check the following link:

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=309711

JamesC

DENN_SHAH

iTrader: (1)

jegs, summit, autozone & most other parts houses have them. by changing how it is wired up to spin the motor in the opposite direction, most universal fans are designed to be mounted either as a puller fan, engine side of the radiator, or a pusher fan, in front of the radiator.
when mounted as a pusher, the fan blade usually needs to be removed & turned around on the fan motor.

i recommend a fan with blades like this 1,
http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerc...68&prmenbr=361
they are quieter than the straight bladed fans & work very good.

mounting depends on what you have around & how much room you have in front of the condenser.
the nylon ties that come with most universal fans are pushed through the radiator or condenser are junk & they suck, throw them away.
what works good & has everything needed to mount it up is,
http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerc...14&prmenbr=361
& then click on view of the 771-103 or 771-104 mounting kits.


JamesC, nice job on the dual fans

bk2life

good info.. boosting an old dead thread

mikeceli

iTrader: (2)

In my experience, ANY product w/ "Enviro" in the name, usually doesn't work.

84 1LE

iTrader: (9)

Since its has been dug up.
Ive thought of putting the cooling fan motor inplace of the blower unit.

oil pan 4

iTrader: (1)

Lets face it the A/C in the in the third gen F-body sucks.
The only way to stay cool is to think out side the box. As in take the box light it on fire and start over from scratch.
I wanted to cool off a little and came up with this:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...g-32417-4.html
It also doubles as my tig torch cooler.

Vanilla Ice

OP sold this car ten years ago.

oil pan 4

iTrader: (1)

But all 3rd gens still have crudy A/C.