From: blnospambergman@earthlink.invalid   
      
   On Tue, 26 Feb 2008 23:23:01 GMT, "LucifinaMae via CarKB.com"   
    wrote:   
      
   >Thanks Bruce...now just a few more q's....         :)   
   >   
   >>  When you replace the resistor, keep an eye on the heater blower   
   >>motor function itself.  If the motor is flaky because of worn brushes   
   >>or bad bearings it'll start fine then quit after running a while.   
   >>   
   >>  The combination of locked-rotor current from the stalled motor and   
   >>no cooling fan airflow blowing over the coils of the resistor pack   
   >>will quickly burn up the new resistor pack.   
   >   
   >Should I just open up the motor and check it while I'm under here?  Seems   
   >like a pain in the butt, but better now than a thousand miles down the road   
   >and having to get at everything again anyway.   
      
     Rank that as "Royal Pain", because once you check or change the   
   brushes and clean & grease the bearings, you have to get the case   
   together and closed again.   
      
     They usually have an obvious trick for keeping the brushes retracted   
   as you put it back together (if you know to look for it), usually   
   involving a strategically placed hole and a length of music wire - or   
   a straightened out paperclip - to hold or "cage" the brushes in the   
   retracted position as you slide the case halves back together.  Once   
   it's together you pull the wire and that releases the brushes.   
      
   >     Besides, it seems like finding   
   >a resistor pack is going to be near impossible...I've already gone to both   
   >wrecking yards in my little town, and all the packs we found were already   
   >broken, so I definitely don't want to burn up the new one, when I finally   
   >find it.  Anybody know of a place to look on-line?   
      
     The heater blower resistor is probably going to be a Dealer Only   
   item, search around for dealers with an online presence that will   
   discount them.  As you've found, they are too popular at junkyards.   
      
     Don't worry /too/ much about killing the new one - just be aware and   
   alert that the motor can stop when it shouldn't, and kill the heater   
   power fast if/when you notice it has stopped.   
      
   >Thanks for the tip about the t-stat....I was just going to go to Napa, but I   
   >guess I'll head to the dealer after all.   
   >   
   >>  Note that sometimes people remove the t-stat to "fix" (mask) another   
   >>problem like a badly clogged radiator or an eroded water pump.   
   >   
   >The radiator was replaced a couple of years ago, but peering inside it looks   
   >like I need to get the whole coolant system flushed instead of just the   
   >heater core like I  was planning, so I guess I'll drive her in to the   
   >professionals for that so they can deal with the coolant...although it   
   >doesn't seem like the proper ratio of water and coolant was used, as there   
   >isn't a really pungent coolant smell when the radiator cap is open. How would   
   >I know if the water pump is eroded?   
      
     I just change the pump on mileage if it hasn't failed of natural   
   causes (seal and/or bearing) by 120K miles.   
      
     On cars with a timing belt, or worse where the timing belt drives   
   the water pump, change the pump every time you change the timing belt.   
   It should go every other, but since you are already right there to do   
   the timing belt that's not the way to bet.   
      
        --<< Bruce >>--   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)