Fan makes a loud noise like rubbing when heater on - 1984 4x4 manual

[RJMacReady]

Started hearing a loud whining that I thought was someone honking at me, but realized it happens when I have my air or heater on.

The problem is intermittent and goes away when I flip it off and on usually. But I can hear something that sounds like a fan spinning off balance maybe.

Would like to just replace the related systems with new parts, what should I start with?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

From the engine bay side there are 3 screws that hold the blower motor on. There is also a connector and a hose to cool the motor. Pull it out and check the airbox for obstructions (like leaves/mouse nest/dead mice etc. If you find "stuff" you may reassemble and try it again. To get a new pne go to a parts store and ask for a new one. Three screws, a connector and the cooling hose and you are back together.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Started hearing a loud whining that I thought was someone honking at me, but realized it happens when I have my air or heater on.

The problem is intermittent and goes away when I flip it off and on usually. But I can hear something that sounds like a fan spinning off balance maybe.

Would like to just replace the related systems with new parts, what should I start with?

Usually thats a bad bearing in the blower motor.

 

[RJMacReady]

I pulled the blower out. Was easy. Three I want to say 8mm bolts, and the wires and hose. Wires clipped off easy, the hose came out with a gentle tug. Was also easy to re-insert.

There were a bunch of maple tree seeds in there. I cleaned them out but the noise is still happening.

I believe rusty is right about the bearing. You can kind of hear it wobbling in there off balance before it starts to really grind/whine. I think I'll replace the whole thing.

 

[Bgunner]

With the fan out grab the cage and see if you can wiggle it side to side. It is normal for an electric motor to move in and out but should have no side to side movement.

The follow video shows what I mean by side to side movement. This fan is out of my Ranger that was making noise due to the bushings that wore out.

 

[RJMacReady]

I'll give that a try. Here's what it sounds like in the cab for reference:

Noise is at the beginning before I turn it off. Then you can hear some bad wobbling going on there. If I left it running it would start doing the first noise again.

 

[Curious Hound]

I'll give that a try. Here's what it sounds like in the cab for reference:

Noise is at the beginning before I turn it off. Then you can hear some bad wobbling going on there. If I left it running it would start doing the first noise again.

Oh, yeah. Those bearings are dead. I believe these cheap blower motors just use bronze bushings for bearings and, of course nobody aver takes them out and relubricates them. So they just die a slow, miserable death.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

If you have seeds there check the rest of your cowl too, trash building up in the cowl area and plugging the drains is a killer for first gen trucks.

Cowl Cleanout

Original Poster: Difficulty: 2 out of 10 Time to install: Disclaimer: The Ranger Station.com, The Ranger Station.com Staff, nor the original poster are responsible for you doing this modification to your vehicle. By doing this modification and following this how-to you, the installer, take...

www.therangerstation.com

 

[Roert42]

Oh, yeah. Those bearings are dead. I believe these cheap blower motors just use bronze bushings for bearings and, of course nobody aver takes them out and relubricates them. So they just die a slow, miserable death.

I’ve never had one apart, so I don’t know hard this would be. However, it might be worth a try to press out the bushing and replace them with some Oil lite bushings from McMaster. Could double the life span.

 

[Curious Hound]

I’ve never had one apart, so I don’t know hard this would be. However, it might be worth a try to press out the bushing and replace them with some Oil lite bushings from McMaster. Could double the life span.

It might be possible. I just looked at one on my workbench. It appears the motor can is staked together. Not really designed to be disassembled and reassembled. It would be a royal PITA. Not really designed to be relubricated either.

 

[Bgunner]

Oh, yeah. Those bearings are dead. I believe these cheap blower motors just use bronze bushings for bearings and, of course nobody aver takes them out and relubricates them. So they just die a slow, miserable death.

Agreed, that is the same noise mine was making. I had run across this noise many times before and knew what my issue was.

@OP order up a new blower motor and replace it. Don't bother taking it out again till you have the new one since it needs to be replaced but while it is out you will be able to feel the bushings are shot in it by moving the gage side to side.

 

[RJMacReady]

Agreed, that is the same noise mine was making. I had run across this noise many times before and knew what my issue was.

@OP order up a new blower motor and replace it. Don't bother taking it out again till you have the new one since it needs to be replaced but while it is out you will be able to feel the bushings are shot in it by moving the gage side to side.

Definitely going to order a new one today.

Considering replacing the heater core too since it doesn't feel like it puts out very much heat. Does that sounds like a good idea?

 

[RJMacReady]

If you have seeds there check the rest of your cowl too, trash building up in the cowl area and plugging the drains is a killer for first gen trucks.

Cowl Cleanout

Original Poster: Difficulty: 2 out of 10 Time to install: Disclaimer: The Ranger Station.com, The Ranger Station.com Staff, nor the original poster are responsible for you doing this modification to your vehicle. By doing this modification and following this how-to you, the installer, take...

www.therangerstation.com

Gladly but I'm not familiar with what you mean by 'cowl' though. Where's that at?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Gladly but I'm not familiar with what you mean by 'cowl' though. Where's that at?

The grate at the bottom for the windshield behind the hood. There is a big chamber under that for air to flow to the airbox aka the big black plastic thing your blower motor was mounted to, the "cowl" has a drain at each end to drain water.

The huge slots are a design flaw on Ford's part, they eagerly eat leaves and debris which plugs up the drains in that cavity under the grate and rots out the cowl and you can get water in the cab. It is extremely difficult to repair this. Also leaves can migrate into the blower housing which can either plug up the evaporator if you have A/C or come in contact with the blower motor resistor if you don't have A/C (which gets hot) which can light them on fire. I have heard of two trucks on here catching fire because of leaves coming in contact with the resistor.

89+ trucks have a series of roughly 3/16" holes there instead of the big slots.

 

[RJMacReady]

Thanks, I'm gonna take a good look at that then.

When I was first driving her home I turned the air on and a bunch of leaves shot out, which I got a good laugh out of at the time.