Heater blower TE21

I get no real airflow into the car from the heater. When I pull the duct feeding the heater core from the blower I get air flow though to be honnest its' not what I would call a gale. Are there any known problems with fouling the heater core or the direction of flow dampers that lead to no flow? I am thinking of changing out the blower core assembly for an old Austin healey Sprite one I have which from experience puts up a higher flow Posted by haysx0 17/09/2014 09:03:08

Steve   This may be a result of your polarity switch, swap the leads and see what happens also check the mesh on the blower is not blocked by 50 years of flies and leaves.The polarity switch will also affect the Kenlowe rotation and the coil efficiency. The wipers should be ok but check the operation with the arms removed.Make sure the +ve battery  terminal cannot earth ,mine did despite the proper clamp being in place, nearly lost the car as the thing slid along and earthed on the wiper cable.The ammeter leads are very hard to switch unless you have very dextrous/strong fingers also provided the clock has not burned out you might be able to revive it by switching the leads tho the body will now be live so be careful. Posted by Peter Martin 17/09/2014 10:09:12

Steve,  If you can feel a "breeze" then the polarity is not an issue as it is pushing air through. (A piece of paper over the end of the duct will prove whether it is sucking or pushing). Peter is right with respect to blockage of the mesh and there is also the likelihood of dust and dirt fouling the actual heater matrix. I ended up replacing the actual blower with a later version of the same size resulting in a dramatic improvement. All in all the time has come to pull the unit apart and to thoroughly clean it and perhaps replace any seals that may result in air seeping out. The internals are robust but with respect to the unit in my earlier TA21 the long rubber strip seals attached to the internal air direction flaps had long perished. In essence they no longer directed the air flow. Now that the tap has a new seal along with an overhaul of the rest of the unit means that the heater works well. That said the temperatures in Melbourne are mild as compared to the UK.  If you keep the same blower motor then you really need to strip it, clean it (and the commutator) and re-lubricate the bearings. ( Check that the carbon brushes are still OK.) If it is serviceable after this the motor should be quiet and perhaps a little stronger. It is worth replacing the motor wiring pigtail (if fitted) as this will have deteriorated over the years and is not normally included with a wiring loom update. It is also wise to use a multimeter and check the actual voltage at the motor. Any significant voltage drop due to old wiring or poor connectors will result in an appreciable lowering of the motor's rpm and therefore effectiveness.  Richard Melbourne Posted by RichardWallach 17/09/2014 11:14:57

Thanks to Peter and richard for their replies. I think a strip of the blower and of the heater matrix is indicated. I wilkl let you know how I get on. Richard when you replaced your blower where did you get the replacement? As far as the polarity switch goes the kenlow is running the right way round and the wipoer motor is fine. If the coil is running weaker it does not show as she starts easily and runs cleanly. The ammeter wiring swap sounds like a job for my wife. the clock I will pull out and bench test / clean. Do either of you know where physically the interior light feed apirs off from the feed to the cigar lighter? Regards Steve H Posted by haysx0 18/09/2014 12:39:47

Steve  The interior lights ,the horn relay and the the cigar lighter are fed from the same fuse all 3 wires wires are brown/green , the lights return wires to the dash switch are brown/black as are the wires to the courtesy switches.  I suggest you get hold of a handbook where the wiring diagram reveals how it should be. Posted by Peter Martin 19/09/2014 14:47:10

Steve,  It was mere luck that I found a "stronger' replacement motor that fitted precisely. I am not sure as to its source. Re your coil, correct orientation is important as you want the spark to jump from the centre electrode to the block and not the other way round. Posted by RichardWallach 20/09/2014 02:28:38