Cruisair Blower Just Hums

[bobk]

The blower on the salon AC unit quit I think (1981 220V 16000 BTU). I had it off overnight, and this morning it just hummed and got warm when I turned it on. Last night all seemed OK. I do not have a manual for it and don't see a way to oil the bearings. Getting it out is going to be a PITA thanks to the nice TV cabinet that I built on the back wall of the salon, so I'd like to try any suggestions before tearing the cabinet and wall apart.

Bob

 

[Beckytek]

Wish I had a nice easy solution for you Bob but it sounds like the motor is bound up. Looks like you'll have to bite the bullet and dig it out. Ron

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Can you cut a strategic access hole to service it and replace with some trim?
FWIW... no one ever mentioned it here before, but the preffered lube is 3 in 1 oil. It lubes and also has a slight solvent effect that loosens varnish from the old oil and dirt. Its like a 1w oil. ws

 

[krush]

does 3 in 1 still come in those metal cans? I didn't know you could still buy that stuff....I thought it stopped getting made before my time LOL

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Still around kid! AND its still in a metal made in USA! When ya start at that power plant, ask the electricians what they use on space heater blowers etc... ws

 

[krush]

I know it's the preferred stuff....I think it may even say motor oil on the can.

 

[bobk]

Thanks guys. The blower motor is directly behind the return air grill, and I decided last night that I can probably open the return air hole and cover it with an oversized grill and get access. There is a chair in front of the unit so no big deal.

Re three-in-One, it is great stuff, but I don't see anywhere to apply it. I actually have an oiler bottle with a telescoping thin tygon tube that pulls out of it to reach hard to get to places.

Bob

 

[MikeP]

Most of these type motors are not designed to be oiled externally - that is, there is no oil hole. If you get the motor out you MAY be able to oil the upper bronze bushing or ballbearing assy, whichever it has. But the lower bushing will probably be contained inside the motor so it will probably have to be disassembled to get any lubricant in there.

But it is POSSIBLE that it has an oil hole on both ends so check carefully before you actually disassemble it. I doubt it, though, because if it was designed to be oiled periodically, there would be instructions in the manual on how to do that.

If you lube it, I would suggest that 3 in 1 is much too light for this purpose. Most motors of this type that are designed to be oiled by the user - like continuous duty furnace blower motors - recommend a couple drops of 20 wt oil annually. I use use 5W30 synthetic (auto) engine oil for this and many other general oiling purposes.

Good Luck!

 

[Top Shelf]

I went through this several months ago. There's probably a thread on it. Net, net, after many days and nights of dorking around and oiling and pb blasting, drilling lube holes in the blower housing, wicking oil down a McDonalds straw, etc, etc. I could get it running and it would last one day. The next day it would be bound up again. I could spin it up by hand and it would run until the thermostat shut it down. Then it was stuck.....

Ended up replacing the whole evaporator.......

Thx.

 

[captddis]

I just went through this on my EBO16C under my bridge.
I just got back from a 3 week cruise, Halfway into the cruise my salon AC blower motor that never made a peep, let out a couple eeks then bound up.
I could not sleep so at 3:03 AM, I tore into it and got it out and on to the dock. The club bathrooms had a bright light in front of the doors so I worked on the motor there. It freed up and spun like new, so I figured what the heck, I'll try it. Put it back together and it worked fine and was done by 6:30 am. I left for Captiva with salon AC working. I knew that it would fail again so the next morning I had a friend pick up the new blower assy fron Cruisair and he offered to drive it down, if I would buy him dessert at the Bubble Room. Deal. The old motor worked fine for 5 days then it eeked and bound up again and I put the new unit in. Vacation saved!
Don't waste the time on the old motor , it will fail again and if no one is around the motor can catch fire.