DEFROSTER FAN ASSEMBLY REMOVAL

[RHO]

Neither the service manual or the parts book provided me enough information on removal of the firewall-mounted defroster fan assembly. Apparently a previous owner of my parts car had difficulty as well, as it was cut/ripped out.
I have the 3-bolts removed from the outside firewall "ring" black containing the fan motor and I have the inside metal cover off exposing the fan blades and the tubes/coil associated with the defroster unit.
However, obviously unable to get the defroster either way through the firewall. See no more nuts or bolts to remove. Tried holding onto the fan blades and took the center small nut off but that didn't seem to help. My guess would be the cylindrical motor assembly should be pulled off/out from the outside, but I see no way of going either in or out? What's the secret I'm missing?

[Roscomacaw]

hoses removed, those 3 "bolts" you mentioned (nuts really) and the whole mess should come loose from the inside.
Now - that black, gooey gasket/liner that fits between the unit and the firewall can be like hardened glue after 50 years, so it might take some persuasion to let go![}]

Miscreant at large.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President 2-dr
1955 President State
1951 Champion Biz cpe
1963 Daytona project FS

[JDP]

I must be getting forgetful, but I thought you just removed the hoses and nuts on the firewall side and pulled the whole assembly out from under the dash.

Studebaker On The Net http://stude.com
64 GT Hawk
64 R2 4 speed Challenger
63 R2 4 speed GT Hawk
53 Street rod

[60Lark]

The 3-nuts and the 2-hoses come off from the engine bay side and the defroster assembly is removed from under the dash the bolts that the nuts come off of are actually studs attached to the defroster assembly mounting plate and as Mr.Biggs stated there is a black gasket that is/was sort of like tar paper that might be bonded to the firewall. Depending upon which car you are dealing with the glove box liner may have to be removed to gain access to the defroster assembly.

Studebaker Fever
60 Lark
51 Champion
Phil

[RHO]

Will get back to it tonight, but on the outside of the firewall surrounding the cylindrical motor is that big "round" flange that is an integral part of the motor; gasket and inside insulation are out and glove box already removed. I have the flange on the outside and another on the inside and can't move either way through the hole in the firewall. If no forward progress this evening, I'll try to take a couple photos. When I got the motor/flange portion separated from the firewall about an inch or so there appeared to be two phillips head screws on the inside, but no access to them not even with a right angle device.

[Buddy1944]

I remove the defroster assembly from my '54 & my '55 and had to pry both loose from the inside of the firewall. The old rubber or foam gasket was like glue. Both came off without damage...

Buddy...'54 Champion 2dr

[Blue 15G]

I just did the defroster motor replacement recently on my '54. You can remove the defroster motor and blower as an assembly from inside the car, after removing the nuts on the outer firewall side. No need to disconnect the water hoses going to the heating ring with fins; there was enough room on mine to squeeze the motor assembly out past it.

[N8N]

RHO, if I am interpreting your question correctly, it sounds like someone has added an extra plate on the engine compartment side of the whole assembly. I don't know *why* they would do this; the only explanation that makes sense is that some ham-handed previous owner cut/mangled/whatever the holes that retain the blower so they made a little "sandwich" with a plate from another motor assembly to hold the blower in place. If you have access to the squirrel cage, it should be retained by an allen head set screw. If you pull the squirrel cage off (warning- exercise in frustration, it's likely stuck to the shaft) you should have access to everything you need to remove this mess.

I see welding in your future...

If you can post digipix of what you're looking at, maybe we can better advise you as to what you need to do...

nate

--
55 Commander Starlight
62 Daytona hardtop

http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

[RHO]

Yes, the plate on the outside that appears to be unseparable from the motor. I'll have at it again this evening, take a couple pictures. This IS a car someone tried to convert to 12 volts....I need to check it, maybe this motor is 12 volts.

[N8N]

If it is 12V drop me a line; I have a 6V motor that might be good. I think I had to steal the brush springs out of it though so no warranty expressed or implied.

The motor should have "12V" stamped in it if it is a later motor. If it has nothing, there's a good shot it is 6V.

nate

--
55 Commander Starlight
62 Daytona hardtop

http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

[RHO]

OK, I looked at my '55 Commander and then assumed the President defroster would be the same (wasn't the case on my '55 President parts car but that's another story. So indeed the motor is a Delco 13.5 motor. Was unable to get the assembly separated other than with a pry bar and a chisel as there were two hidden set screws that I only found after one side was pryed away enough to reveal them...actually one was already loose. With that, it all came off.
Thanks for the help. I've seemingly taken backward steps the last couple days now having some cross feed between my two turn signal indicators and finding the horn wire through the steering column in two pieces.