Advise on removing interior fan 280i please

[mrzigazaga]

As the title says...while the dash is out i may as well upgrade the fan and matrix but not sure how they come out...?


Cheers

[Adrian@]

Mark, there is a bracket half way up the housing (two screws) on the passenger side and the housing slides onto the end of the motor snail (mounted separately), it is different if you have a twin fan version. I have a housing and matrix sat here ..it has a set of screws joining it at the centre line and it separates. So as to separate, the lever arm has a thread locked system that is in my picture and the bracket is off to the left. A@

Edited by Adrian@ on Wednesday 17th December 09:36

[mrzigazaga]

Adrian@ said:

Mark, there is a bracket half way up the housing (two screws) on the passenger side and the housing slides onto the end of the motor snail (mounted separately), it is different if you have a twin fan version. I have a housing and matrix sat here ..it has a set of screws joining it at the centre line and it separates. So as to separate, the lever arm has a thread locked system that is in my picture and the bracket is off to the left. A@

Edited by Adrian@ on Wednesday 17th December 09:36

Ahhh awesome...thank you Adrian you are a star, may well be interesting in the matrix if mine is shot although no signs of water ingress...yet...i plan to replace the fan motor if possible and associated pipes...

Many thanks

Mark

[Wedg1e]

I think the first time I read about anyone dismantling a wedge heater, the two halves were glassed together down the middle joint, so the owner had had to put a hacksaw through it to separate.
Then there was mutterings about some foam seal on the hinged flap that had deteriorated so the air essentially went wherever it wanted regardless of the flap position (might have some relevance to mine come to think of it).

[mrzigazaga]

Wedg1e said:

I think the first time I read about anyone dismantling a wedge heater, the two halves were glassed together down the middle joint, so the owner had had to put a hacksaw through it to separate.
Then there was mutterings about some foam seal on the hinged flap that had deteriorated so the air essentially went wherever it wanted regardless of the flap position (might have some relevance to mine come to think of it).

Thanks...mine does look glassed together that is why i asked ..and as you say the foam has seen better days so maybe replace with some closed cell foam instead..the matrix does not leak so could leave it..i would like to get the fan sorted though as that is pants...it is like someone breathing on the windscreen...

[Adrian@]

I have just looked at my spare box...two screws held it together and some sort of sealant around the joint. I have used a blade to cut through the joint, undone the lever nut and the matrix was sealed into the box with HD scrim foam, to stop the dilution of any air bypassing the core. The rubber lip seal on the flap was a new 'thing' for me (I had not seen that on earlier TVR boxes). A@

[Wedg1e]

I remember when I had the Esprit alongside the 390 for a couple of years, the Esprit's heater had twin fans that looked like the same Lucas type as TVR used - it did exactly what you'd expect a heater/blower to do. Mind you the fan motors were visible in the front boot so ate less into the under-dash space.
Was it in Oliver W's autobiography where it was mentioned that TVR did originally use twin motors but then deleted one, probably for cost-cutting?
The 390 only has one, I'm sure my Tasmin (chassis 36) only had one, and a bicycle pump moved more air...

Edited by Wedg1e on Thursday 18th December 13:37

[Adrian@]

Yes, to being twin Smiths fans on the early cars, within the mould of the one I have here it shows it, but then not having been cut out...then, I have not seen a twin system on a car though. A@

[taz turbo]

My first Tasmin DH (5205) had twin (asthmatic) fans.


Chris.

[De Tomaso]

Did they fit the very same heater unit to ALL wedges or are there variations on the theme?

[mrzigazaga]

De Tomaso said:

Did they fit the very same heater unit to ALL wedges or are there variations on the theme?

Hi Phil

I do recall the 350i being different..

[De Tomaso]

OK .

I think I'll going to take the plunge on an aftermarket unit with the correct numberr of outlets and most powerful motor/s.

[mrzigazaga]

De Tomaso said:

OK .

I think I'll going to take the plunge on an aftermarket unit with the correct numberr of outlets and most powerful motor/s.

A good move...I am hoping to change the motor and hoses and make sure the connections are good and the housing is sealed..

[Adrian@]

Hi Mark, I would be prepared for changing the fan motor hamster wheel ...as such the hard plastic housing can have the motor installed from either side, but the hamster wheel blades as such are not directional. Mine was wrong, it thrashed at the air rather than pumped the air. I have never been able to swap the hamster wheels from one motor to another without breaking them, so I swapped an M series yellow bladed motor in and now works better than ever. (Just info mine is a SEAC 4 dial dash set-up in a 280DH). I installed new inner cables to help the levers work correctly. Ashley-Hinton sells all the fan parts. A@

Edited by Adrian@ on Saturday 20th December 16:03

[erik350i]

In my 1987 350i there was very little warm air coming from the heater . The air was guided by flaps, one for up to the window or down to the footwell and one for flow through the matrix or not. Because the matrix was covering only half of the air box most air passed by unheated, mainly to the two vents in front of the dashboard.

Ten years or so ago I removed the whole heater assembly and replaced the heater matrix with a bigger one, covering the complete box, so all the air is now passing through the matrix, and I mounted a flow valve in the incoming water hose connected to the heater control with a bicycle brake cable.
Lots of work but resulting in loads of very warm air, also through the two dashboard air vents wich is very nice on chilly evenings with the roof down.