dschallock

not sure what this is so I didn't know what category to put it in.

Newly rebuilt olds 350 (250 miles). in a 69 Cutlass S.

Last couple cold mornings when I turn the heater on I notice a high pitch whistle. Not incredibly loud or anything, but I can notice it over the exhaust. When I come to a stop and idle it still makes the sound. It comes and stops. If I turn the heater switch OFF the sound goes away.

Any ideas what this could be and how to fix it?
Thanks,
Dan

MDchanic

Typical heater fan bearing sound.

I don't think I've ever had a GM car that didn't do it at some fan speed or ambient temperature.

Only way I know to fix it is to pull the fan motor and lube the bearings with some sort of spray lube, which will require removing the fender (and the bumper, and the hood...).

Get used to it. It's easier.

- Eric

Lalo442

It is possible to change the heater fan motor without taking the fender and hood off , I recently changed the heater core and fan on my A/C 69 by jacking the car up on the passenger side taking Tire and inner plastic inner fender off and that gives you enough room to change the fan it was actually easier than I thought it would be ....hope this helps .

MDchanic

Hmmm... Never tried to take out the liner without removing the fender.

I've also seen people cut a window through the liner to get to the motor .

- Eric

Lalo442

It's not that bad like I said I was surprised how easy the job went I think I read about it here , someone even said they did it without taking the inner fender off I found it easier to just remove it .
At least for me when I think the job will go easy I always end up bogged down and when I expect it to be a hard one it goes easy .... Like I recently did my upper and lower rear control arms with new Polyurethane bushings even the axle bushings that took me all day and ruined one of the new bushings trying to press it in the axle housing had to order a new set and ended up making my own makeshift press to install them ...

MDchanic

Ha! Yeah. Last time I changed a rear I was a kid - should be no problem, right? 2 shock bolts, 4 rear end link bolts, wheels, backing plates, brake hardware, and brake lines, right? Took me 12 hours, start to finish, and I looked like Frank Zappa on the Joe's Garage cover when I was done. So much for an easy job...

- Eric

Rickman48

I've made them last awhile by drilling a 1/8" hole next to the tip of the blower motor, and using some spray duralube or WD-40!
Use a crayon or wax to seal the hole!
Worked for me!!

dschallock

great tips and ideas all.. Thanks!
-Dan

Bluevista

Take the bumper fender and hood off to get to the blower motor?
If you don't want to cut a a hole you do but not required with plastic inner fenders, Lalo got it.
The service procedure was to take tin snips and cut steel inner fenders to get access to the blower motor, there were marks on them for the cut or measurements in the service manual. You cut three sides or a circle and left a section for a hinge and folded it out of the way to get to the motor, then when finished pushed it back in and sealed the cut.
Why go to to all that trouble to oil the motor when new motors are one of the the cheapest of those type things you can get for a car and find it at just about any parts store in town?

Lalo442

Oh yea I forgot to mention on my 69 the inner fender wells are plastic and flexible enough to pull out through the wheel opening with the tire off not sure on other years .....Here are a some pics with the inner fender removed when I changed the heater core and blower motor, I had the tire back on while waiting for parts to arrive

dschallock

does anyone have any pictures of the hole you can drill to spray lube in for the blower motor?
-Dan

Rickman48

At the very tip, in the center, there's a raised area which looks like a nipple.
It houses the bearing, and leaves room for the shaft, which is a little longer.
I drilled a 1/8" hole, about 3/8" from the highest point - you'll feel when you're through.
Wipe clean, lubricate, wipe with a cleaner, and seal with wax - keeps the dirt out!

BlackGold

Before you attack the blower motor, make sure the high-pitched whine isn't a vacuum leak. The control head in your dask uses a vacuum source and switches it to several other lines to manipulate the vents. You could have a vacuum leak in the control head or one of the vacuum hoses or one of the vacuum motors which is only activated when the controls are in certain positions. And yes, I've heard vacuum leaks whine before.