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- Jan 16, 2011
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sucks without A/C blowing ya'I needed a replacement fan for my work van a couple of months ago....the fan had been erratic, and going slow if at all. I had the compressor cleaned out, new filter thingy installed and re-charged with the new refrigerant. All was going well until this past week when the fan just up and died on me.....right when the sunny weather came back.
I had already purchased a new replacement fan from eBay in USA.....at least what I thought would be suitable. The model of my van wasn't on the list, but eye-balling the pictures, and looking at all the other offerings, I decided to take a punt. Well, it arrived in about two weeks as expected, and looked the part.
The fan I purchased is for a Toyota Tundra 2000-2006 plus several other variants. My van is a 1998 Toyota Hiace - very popular in most countries except USA and Canada for some reason. These vans have proven to be the most reliable workhorses for tradies all over the globe for many years. Mine has just ticked over 300,000 kms, so it has finally been run in...lol
People might laugh thinking I have a stinky old van, but I know this much - I'm probably one of the few customers of my Electrical Supply shop who actually owns their vehicle. Most young bucks go out and buy new Ford Rangers on tick, then get squirmy when work dries up.
Anyhoo...back to my A/C issue. I dismantled the dash on the passenger side, exposed the old fan and removed it. I again eyeballed the new piece, offered it up the hole....and it fit like a glove.....a normal glove not O.J.'s.
I couldn't believe it. Then I switched on the fan and A/C, and was most disappointed with the air flow. I held a piece of paper against the fan outlets and it barely moved on High speed. So I removed the fan and took a look at the impeller.....it was the reverse direction on the vanes. No problem...I'll just switch the impellers around and make it work. Half an hour of bashing and prying I had the old one off. I cleaned the old impeller up with a tooth brush and some bathroom spray cleaner....almost like new again. Installed back into the fan unit and tested on High speed.
Again the disappointed was high, but air speed was low. Feeling bummed out I had another idea. I wasn't going to let this damned fan beat me.
I reached into a box of cables and made up a set of jumper leads to reverse the polarity of the fan motor.
BINGO......high speed A/C was what I remember it being like a few years ago. I sat in the nice cool air for a few minutes enjoying my success....and the savings I had made.
Toyoat New Zealand wanted $950 plus tax for a new fan here - they had one in stock in NZ, so I could have it the next day the guy told me......
The fan I ended up buying was on some sort of run-out special and cost me US$32.92 plus shipping.
Even with the exchange rates, duty & shipping costs, I saved myself around $800
The old fan is chocka full of carbon dust - likely need new brushes and a commutator skim.....like that's going to happen...I'm keen but not that keen.
Some pics of my efforts today. I am looking forward to the drive to and from work now.
View attachment 1637609
hope it's fixed soon
I don't know how I did it as a kid, on the hotrods
1st thing was take off the HP robbing A/C
heat didn't bother me like it does now
I could use a few hot & sunny days here
I'm sick of the cold (or at least the cooler temps) & then constant rain
3 years of this crap, all at dbl normal levels or above
(last year 3 times normal)
no matter what the naysayers claim
Jesus Chrysler enough is enough
