Blower Motor Upgrades?

[Patrick C]

I know that we have easy access to the Siemens PM106 cross-reference blower motor for our cars, but has anyone found an upgraded motor that can be used? Maybe a different squirrel cage? I have a feeling that there have been significant advances in technology in this area since 1981, and I'm curious if there is an easy plug-and-play solution to increase airflow in our cars.

[DMCflux]

I too would be interested in a different squirrel cage.

[Delorean Industries]

I'm sure you could retro fit a unit with a higher cfm rating. Doing a general search of blower motor comes up with the classic design for the most part.

This would work in the proper power rating:
http://www.moog.com/products/air-mov...blowers/amp28/

[Patrick C]

It looks like the common way to upgrade that the C3 Corvette guys use is to put in a spacer and use a C4 Corvette cage which is taller. Unfortunately, I believe those are set up backwards from our motors and spin the opposite direction (fins are pointed wrong on the squirrel cage for use in a DMC).

I see Hervey sells a $40 squirrel cage...I wonder if these fin lengths/widths are any different than ours from the factory?

[David T]

I'm sure you could retro fit a unit with a higher cfm rating. Doing a general search of blower motor comes up with the classic design for the most part.

This would work in the proper power rating:
http://www.moog.com/products/air-mov...blowers/amp28/

What is meant by "upgrading" the blower motor? The CFM it moves is variable with the maximum on speed 4. This is not a random quantity. It is an engineered value. Too much air movement creates more noise, less time in contact with the coils and a lower Delta T. You probably could find a motor that can move the same amount of air with less amperage. Not that big a deal but if it is that important to you to keep the electrical loads low go for it. As for the design of the squirrel cage, not much has changed in the world of physics so that you can improve on the design of the fan.

[LordFly]

It looks like the common way to upgrade that the C3 Corvette guys use is to put in a spacer and use a C4 Corvette cage which is taller. Unfortunately, I believe those are set up backwards from our motors and spin the opposite direction (fins are pointed wrong on the squirrel cage for use in a DMC).

Yeah, it does spin the wrong way, but the motor isn't actually grounded anywhere, since everything in the area is plastic. You can just swap the wires and everything is fine.

[Patrick C]

Yeah, it does spin the wrong way, but the motor isn't actually grounded anywhere, since everything in the area is plastic. You can just swap the wires and everything is fine.

But the fins on the squirrel cage are reversed and would not supply proper airflow if spun the opposite way. That's why I don't believe the C4 Corvette cage is an option for us.

[LordFly]

But the fins on the squirrel cage are reversed and would not supply proper airflow if spun the opposite way. That's why I don't believe the C4 Corvette cage is an option for us.

Oh, sorry, I didn't realize the cage was being swapped as well. On my car, the PO had swapped the motor for the corvette one, but just bolted the original cage on. ...at least I'm fairly sure that's what was done, since when I got the car, the cage spun the wrong way. I didn't really look inside the whole to see if it SHOULD be going that direction or not. Well, if my cage is backwards, 3D printer to the rescue!

[Nicholas R]

Can you 3d print a stock cage with wider fins?!

Dave the question isn't about noise or temp change, it's strictly about increasing the volume of air moving. The resistors that control the speed only adjust the amperage; they don't care how fast the motor is moving. So a more efficient motor would rotate faster at the same amperage.

Also with regard to "Delta T" the temperature change will be greater (cooler) until you over power the AC system (which isn't likely if your system is balanced). It's forced convection. The compressor may just cycle a little faster because heat is being added to the evaporator at a greater rate. But unless you overpower the evaporator to the point that it's remaining the same temperature as the ambient air, you'll be pulling more "cold" from it.

[LordFly]

Can you 3d print a stock cage with wider fins?!

I don't see why not. I've actually been thinking about redesigning it anyways. I don't like the standard squirrel cage design, it just doesn't seem as efficient as it could be. At least to me it doesn't.