pdxmotorhead
11-21-2014, 10:43 PM
Well after not finding any shop to do my ac/blower motor for any kind of normal price.
I did it.
So I'm cutting it short the individual steps for getting the fan out of the car are all detailed elsewhere..
A stubby nut driver with a torx bit for the blower housing screws is mandatory.
I removed the blower motor, and using the kit from Pelican I replaced the brushes. Re-installed. and life it good.
The brush replacement is pretty straight forward.
Flashback: Optional step order a whole new fan, get the wrong one from 3 different sources. Find out all the parts catalogs at the autoparts stores list the standard E36 fan as fitting the TI (Not even close) and that the dealer and a couple goofy internet sights are the only source, with the dealer being nearly 500 bucks, the other internet sources being 299 to 400..
1. Each brush is held in by some little folds of metal, they have to be bent outward to release the little springs that will elude you and go straight under the car or tool box or into the grass in your front yard.. Or if your having one of those days all of the above, note, hand tool repair places that fix electric drills electric saws etc carry a lot of similar springs. The little metal fingers are delicate be nice to them when you bend them out and only bend them until you can get the brush to come out.
2. Once the springs are out the brushes slide right out. use a small clipper to clip the wire close to the brush, the extra wire makes it easier to solder later.
3. The new brushes arrive 8x10 mm with a fingernail sanding stick that you use to take 2mm off the side that makes the most sense as you look at how they fit in the holder. I used a clipboard as a flat surface and taking 2 stokes at a time flipping the brush end to end till the brush was the correct dimension. The carbon cuts off easily so test the fit often it will slide in smooth and easy as soon as it fits. You then need to carefully sand the end of the brush opposite the wire to match sort of the angle of the brush to the armature, it will fit itself eventually but a head start will make the brushes wear in smoother.. This is not in the instructions with the brushes but it also makes getting the springs back in later easier.
4. Put the brushes in the carriers, insert the springs, a paperclip works to hold the spring in while you carefully bend the littel tabs back down to hold the bushes in. Once in you should be able to tug the wire on the brush gently and the brush should slide up and return on its own to the armature. (the wire rides in the slot towards the non fan end of the motor. )
5. You have to solder the leads of the new brushes to the base of the wires from the old brushes that you left attached when you cut the old brushes loose, once soldered you can trim off the excess old wire. make sure the wires float in there without touching any thing and only use enough solder to anchor the wire don't let it tin the whole wire the wire is a soft braid that needs to be flexible so the brush can move.
6. I ran the fan with a jumper cable for a few minutes before I re-installed it, wanted the brushes to seat and make sure it was happy. Then put it back in.
7. Kill a chicken to curse the engineer that decided the 318ti needed its own fan assembly instead of sharing the standard E36 assembly that's 300 dollars cheaper than the TI specific unit..
Cheers
I did it.
So I'm cutting it short the individual steps for getting the fan out of the car are all detailed elsewhere..
A stubby nut driver with a torx bit for the blower housing screws is mandatory.
I removed the blower motor, and using the kit from Pelican I replaced the brushes. Re-installed. and life it good.
The brush replacement is pretty straight forward.
Flashback: Optional step order a whole new fan, get the wrong one from 3 different sources. Find out all the parts catalogs at the autoparts stores list the standard E36 fan as fitting the TI (Not even close) and that the dealer and a couple goofy internet sights are the only source, with the dealer being nearly 500 bucks, the other internet sources being 299 to 400..
1. Each brush is held in by some little folds of metal, they have to be bent outward to release the little springs that will elude you and go straight under the car or tool box or into the grass in your front yard.. Or if your having one of those days all of the above, note, hand tool repair places that fix electric drills electric saws etc carry a lot of similar springs. The little metal fingers are delicate be nice to them when you bend them out and only bend them until you can get the brush to come out.
2. Once the springs are out the brushes slide right out. use a small clipper to clip the wire close to the brush, the extra wire makes it easier to solder later.
3. The new brushes arrive 8x10 mm with a fingernail sanding stick that you use to take 2mm off the side that makes the most sense as you look at how they fit in the holder. I used a clipboard as a flat surface and taking 2 stokes at a time flipping the brush end to end till the brush was the correct dimension. The carbon cuts off easily so test the fit often it will slide in smooth and easy as soon as it fits. You then need to carefully sand the end of the brush opposite the wire to match sort of the angle of the brush to the armature, it will fit itself eventually but a head start will make the brushes wear in smoother.. This is not in the instructions with the brushes but it also makes getting the springs back in later easier.
4. Put the brushes in the carriers, insert the springs, a paperclip works to hold the spring in while you carefully bend the littel tabs back down to hold the bushes in. Once in you should be able to tug the wire on the brush gently and the brush should slide up and return on its own to the armature. (the wire rides in the slot towards the non fan end of the motor. )
5. You have to solder the leads of the new brushes to the base of the wires from the old brushes that you left attached when you cut the old brushes loose, once soldered you can trim off the excess old wire. make sure the wires float in there without touching any thing and only use enough solder to anchor the wire don't let it tin the whole wire the wire is a soft braid that needs to be flexible so the brush can move.
6. I ran the fan with a jumper cable for a few minutes before I re-installed it, wanted the brushes to seat and make sure it was happy. Then put it back in.
7. Kill a chicken to curse the engineer that decided the 318ti needed its own fan assembly instead of sharing the standard E36 assembly that's 300 dollars cheaper than the TI specific unit..
Cheers