'63 LeSabre with factory a/c - higher output blower motor?

[JonW]

The factory a/c on my '63 LeSabre wagon is cold now, but there isn't a lot of air coming out the vents. The difference between low, medium and high speeds on the fan is noticeable, so all 3 speeds are working, but I sure would like more volume, especially with all the real estate I need to cool in a wagon. Is there a way to retro-fit a blower motor with more volume?

[joe_padavano]

The more likely problem is that you need to clean the leaves, mouse nest, and other debris out of the evaporator core.

[8E45E]

Ensure your evaporator coils are clean, along with all the ductwork.   It could have had a refrigerant leak at one time, with compressor oil coating the coil and inside ducts, which gum up and collect dirt, which builds up over time.

 

Craig

[joe_padavano]

Expect to see something like this.

 

[rocketraider]

Pretty sure passenger fender will have to come off to get at it too. Know for sure it does on Olds and Pontiac. You might get by with removing the fender well liner.

[Str8-8-Dave]

Fitting a higher power blower may also be a dangerous move.  Your blower speeds are controlled by a resistor mounted on the evaporator case that are calibrated for the current load of the design intent blower motor.  Wiring and switches, along with the resistor all will work harder if a higher performance motor that draws more than design current.  I vote for getting the cover off the evaporator case and cleaning that out first.  You might save yourself some work by either finding or creating an upstream inspection opening in the case before committing to taking half the car apart to get the evap case apart.  Even a 1/2" hole and a bore scope might work, you just have to make sure you are upstream of the evaporator core which will be on the blower side.  The blower resistor will also be upstream and removing it would make an ideal inspection access.  Just don't run the blower with the resistor out of the case or you will fry it.  It relies on cooling from the blower.  

[rocketraider]

I guess I should expand a little on fender removal.

 

Factory air conditioned 1962-64 GM B and C body cars like OP's Le Sabre installed the evaporator in the cowl air ductwork, low down in the area between passenger front fender wheel opening and door. The way it's mounted, at minimum the fender well liner has to come out for evaporator removal/replacement.

 

What I would try, before removing all that, is to remove the passenger side interior kick panel and vacuum door which should expose the evaporator. Then spray some A/C coil cleaner into it. Let it set per directions and then use low pressure compressed air or plain water to backflush the accumulation off the inlet side of the evaporator core.

 

Advisable to clean out any drains on the cowl air ducts before starting. I think GM had started using "air-flush" rockers by then, in which airflow from cowl duct cleaned debris out of the rockers. Running as hard a water spray as your garden hose can muster down the cowl screen should flush out any accumulation. If not, dig the stuff out the drains till water flows.

 

After back flushing the evaporator, rinse the cowl ducts out again. May take a couple tries. That coil cleaner is a strong chemical detergent and the evaporator is aluminum, so use caution or you may end up replacing the evaporator anyway. Might be worth a try to water flush it first.

 

Be prepared for some mess inside the car.

[Bill Stoneberg]

I found working on my 60 Electra that I only had 8 volts going to the blower motor on high. You may want to check that. 

[Larry Schramm]

I would try to get a boroscope and look down in the case to see what is going on before I started doing too much work.  I think you might be able to put it through the resistor hole for a starter.

[PONTIAC1953]

7 hours ago, rocketraider said:

I guess I should expand a little on fender removal.

 

Factory air conditioned 1962-64 GM B and C body cars like OP's Le Sabre installed the evaporator in the cowl air ductwork, low down in the area between passenger front fender wheel opening and door. The way it's mounted, at minimum the fender well liner has to come out for evaporator removal/replacement.

 

What I would try, before removing all that, is to remove the passenger side interior kick panel and vacuum door which should expose the evaporator. Then spray some A/C coil cleaner into it. Let it set per directions and then use low pressure compressed air or plain water to backflush the accumulation off the inlet side of the evaporator core.

 

Advisable to clean out any drains on the cowl air ducts before starting. I think GM had started using "air-flush" rockers by then, in which airflow from cowl duct cleaned debris out of the rockers. Running as hard a water spray as your garden hose can muster down the cowl screen should flush out any accumulation. If not, dig the stuff out the drains till water flows.

 

After back flushing the evaporator, rinse the cowl ducts out again. May take a couple tries. That coil cleaner is a strong chemical detergent and the evaporator is aluminum, so use caution or you may end up replacing the evaporator anyway. Might be worth a try to water flush it first.

 

Be prepared for some mess inside the car.

my hat off to the design of the 1954 Pontiac factory Air Conditioning blower duct going to the evaporator assembly mounted in the right front inner fender panel, there's a removeable metal screen to filter the incoming air of leaves and air borne road debris, you only have to remove 5 or 6 screws from the access lid and pull the screen straight down, back flush the screen, let it dry and re install it, later that year Pontiac advise that the screen can be relocated to the blower motor inlet in the radiator support and service the screen there when needed.

Edited June 13, 2021 by pontiac1953 (see edit history)

[rocketraider]

You know Charles- my guess is someone did a time study on how long that operation took on the assembly line, then compared it to how many times dealers actually serviced it. Then decided they could save a couple minutes on the line and let the dealers and independent garages worry about it.

 

Did later designs incorporate screens at the cowl inlet as 63-4 Oldsmobiles did?

[Str8-8-Dave]

Interestingly Ford did a HVAC package on their full size cars where the blower was trapped behind the wheel liner.  Apparently the dealers had to service a few of them and figured out exactly what size and where to cut a hole in the liner to get the blower motor out without tearing the right front side of the car apart.  Later lines appeared on the inner fender and a patch was released to cover the hole after it was cut...

[Studeous]

Greetings. Recall in my youth working in a general line repair shop, a number of 60’s GM cars with a “C” shaped 

evaporotomy cut in the right front fender liner. Or was it a blowerotomy? In any case it was a component of the hvac system. I did not approve of the practice…but I was young at the time.