Bad luck with blower continues .....

Don't know if you guys remember I had a problem with my blower about a year and a half ago, I bought an almost new blower off of ebay, the seller used to post in the old forum, he bought the blower from his disty, it's got an oil leak from the main housing, he replaced the main gear and re sealed the housing with high temp sealant, guess what now it starts leaking oil again, last time it costs me $ 500 to replace the old one with this one due to the weight of the blower.
Good thing it happens now before busy season, still sucks though.

Hey Dp1 I'm with you on the weight of the blower just change one a while back myself you need a gorilla on one side and an orangutang on the other side too pick it up that's for sure.

When you say "high temp sealant" what did he use?

I have primarily used "Ultra Copper" for most non-sensor equipment and vehicles. That stuff can handle extreme temps and fills gaps better than the red or black rtv stuff.

Did the RTV just shrink from the heat or did the bolts loosen up? I would check the torq on those bolts and lock them down the next time. A cheap way to do that is to take a file and score the threads a little...it will keep it from loosening due to the burrs once torqued down.

The timing does suck though. Can you even reach the blower with an engine hoist or is that not possible? If you can, rent one (often less than $30 for the day) and rip it out.

Good luck with it....the timing sucks and I am going to suspect the repair will also suck. Even the simple jobs turn bad when you are under pressure to get it done.

I do remember that, and it sucks it's now gone bad again.

I would suspect an alignment issue, being this is the second one with the same problem, I think?..........proper alignment is so critical when it comes to blowers living a long life. Could also be a scared shaft on the seal mating surface causing the leak too........but who really knows without seeing it.

Didn't you have Robert at SD, repair/replace it last time?
If so, I would not be going back to him, but rather go to a place I'll suggest in Santa Fe Springs, that specializes in large blower repairs, and had many successful dealings with.

As far as silicone sealant goes, in regards to what Rob above.......... why was it even used? I see no place for it, in blower assembly, unless it's damaged. That's why the factory provides standard paper gaskets to seal the cover mating surfaces. Unless of course the flat mating surfaces had been damaged buy scratching or marring.

New oil seals properly installed should also provide a leak free seal, once again, unless the surfaces are damaged.

I honestly don't know what he used, he said that after he rebuild the damn blower, he installed it in his Aerotech or the other huge machine that he has, can't remember the name, he ran it for a couple weeks with no leaks, I also put in about 1500 hours and it just started leaking now.
I'm so fudging pissed off now, not blaming anyone, just frustrated that it keeps happening to me, if it doesn't cost too much ( 6 grand ) I would've bought a new one already.
Ed, last time my mechanic took the driver seat and passenger seat out and grabbed the blower out without pulling the machine out, he's crazy !
Rob, the distance from the blower to the ceiling of my van is only about 24 inches, no engine hoist can fit in there, I also am not mechanical enough to mess around with issues this caliber.
Dave, I didn't go with Robert last time because they said they need to pull the machine out and I think they quoted me close to a grand for labor only, plus I don't like Walter that much ( I hope he doesn't read cleaning forums, lol )
Please text me that place in Santa Fe spring when you get a chance ? I wonder if they will require the blower to be out of my machine or they will do that as well cause there is no way I can pick that 300+ lbs sucker out of there.

Like I said short guy in back tall guy in front. Chain and pipe on the blower. Pickup and set it on the floor of passenger side floor. Then reverse to install.

DP after rereading your original post, I'm thinking if I'm understanding correctly, and the oil leak is between the main center housing and front cover, due to it being sealed withe silicon, because the gasket that should be there sealing it isn't there?....if so then it's possible it could be repaired by just installing the gasket...not needing to remove the blower from the TM, unless you just can't access it with it in.

This is on the input shaft side of the blower, or is it on the rear cover gear side?

Just cut the damn roof off the van and use the hoist......might be easier.

DP call me and explain it on the phone

milspec6 wrote:Just cut the damn roof off the van and use the hoist......might be easier.

I don't think I have more than 24" of clearance on mine, and it didn't stop me from using my engine hoist.
I'm thinking that's some crap DP was told...........

It only needs to be lifted and inch or so, and then worked out.

Davey Cracker wrote:

milspec6 wrote:Just cut the damn roof off the van and use the hoist......might be easier.

I don't think I have more than 24" of clearance on mine, and it didn't stop me from using my engine hoist.
I'm thinking that's some crap DP was told...........

It only needs to be lifted and inch or so, and then worked out.

Exactly....nail on the head.

Well, I found out where it leaks, from the front cover gasket, not sure if there is gaskets or not, but there is sealant residue, I'm guessing it's the high temp sealant he used ( red color ).
From the way it looks, no way it can be repaired without taking the blower out, no space to work on at all.
I'm fudged

Yup, sadly it sounds like he took a short cut and used hi temp silicon instead of the gasket. Explaining the leak now after a period of time.

Go to the local parts store and get gasket paper and make one using the front plate as a template.

ACE Services wrote:Go to the local parts store and get gasket paper and make one using the front plate as a template.

That would have been a great plan for the guy that used silicone instead.

But now his half a$$ed job needs to be fixed, and hopefully it doesn't require the blower being removed like DP is thinking because of lack of room.  
DP why don't you take it back to that guy and have him do it right?,,,,,,or did you buy it like that?

The guy is in Kentucky Dave, it would cost me more in shipping both ways, not to mention removing the damn thing, I called around today for some estimates, Empire quoted me around 5 - 6 hours to get it done ( pulling the machine out ), so depending on your schedule if you're still willing to help me out, it will be an all day job for us though, that's for sure, I'm not even sure if I want to mess around with this, do you ?

Sounds like a good old fashioned barn raising to me. The Amish would build a barn, but the rest of use gather up a bunch of unskilled buds, order pizza, crack open a few beers, and half-ass their way to completion.

It's the American way, now get out there and git 'r done.

The Amish or German baptist are an amzing , serving people.
Friend of mine in the HT/AC biz had an old unit that was in the basement but needed to come out to do a heaving clean and maintaince. But the stairway was to narrow to bring it up and out. A phone call was made, 15 minutes later a half dozen brothers(German baptist) show up and litteraly cut up the walls and bring the heavy unit outside. After it was cleaned, tuned, returned downstairs and installed; they proceed to put the walls and demos back together.
If only America could re establish its glory as in yester years?

Good luck with what ever you do to fix the problem. Been there.

Thank you ! Dave has always tried to make himself available in helping me with some equipment issues, the problem is myself, I can't seems to have confidence in myself to fix certain problems, I'm much better now in fixing most things I wouldn't even think to touch a few years back, mainly due to his encouragement, and I'm sure he can tackle this with my "not much" help, but part of me just don't feel right taking his one whole day where he can make money instead of helping me out, I'm babbling all over the place, lol.
The point is I just don't want to be anyone's burden, I think it's the way I was raised.

milspec6 wrote:Sounds like a good old fashioned barn raising to me.  The Amish would build a barn, but the rest of use gather up a bunch of unskilled buds, order pizza, crack open a few beers, and half-ass their way to completion.

It's the American way, now get out there and git 'r done.

LOL Funny as that may be, I'm afraid it's the truth!

dp1 wrote:The guy is in Kentucky Dave, it would cost me more in shipping both ways, not to mention removing the damn thing, I called around today for some estimates, Empire quoted me around 5 - 6 hours to get it done ( pulling the machine out ), so depending on your schedule if you're still willing to help me out, it will be an all day job for us though, that's for sure, I'm not even sure if I want to mess around with this, do you ?

DP Honestly, I do not have a problem helping a friend out..............you have done it for me several times, and we both know I OU big time..........especially after the last big church job you helped me with. after all you guys did 90% of the work, and I made the money


I'm really not totally sure, but am pretty sure it IS in my realm of capabilities to fix it, but I'm going to have to look at it for sure, DP.........are you going to be down this way at all next week, so I could check it out?

You know even if the blower does need to come out, I have the engine hoist, that I'm sure it could be used to work it out.

Let me look at it, and let's go from there, Bud....

dp1 wrote:Thank you ! Dave has always tried to make himself available in helping me with some equipment issues, the problem is myself, I can't seems to have confidence in myself to fix certain problems, I'm much better now in fixing most things I wouldn't even think to touch a few years back, mainly due to his encouragement, and I'm sure he can tackle this with my "not much" help, but part of me just don't feel right taking his one whole day where he can make money instead of helping me out, I'm babbling all over the place, lol.
The point is I just don't want to be anyone's burden, I think it's the way I was raised.

Awwww That part I highlighted in red, brings a tear to my eye.

But seriously, it wouldn't be a burden to help you, Man.

I' haven't been super busy lately, so I'm sure would could make it work one day, where I wasn't missing out on anything............so don't even sweat that!

One of the things that I learned decades ago is this:

It is easier to work on machinery that belongs to someone else rather than your own stuff. It takes the doubt and worry out of it and that is often all that you need to tackle jobs that would seem over your head at first.

You can handle this Dp, all you need is another person there to take over the project and remove your negative doubts. After that, things will click and you will be able to get back on the road.....and be ready for that kind of repair again when someone else needs that same help.

Deep breath and jump right in there.

milspec6 wrote:One of the things that I learned decades ago is this:

It is easier to work on machinery that belongs to someone else rather than your own stuff.  It takes the doubt and worry out of it and that is often all that you need to tackle jobs that would seem over your head at first.

You can handle this Dp, all you need is another person there to take over the project and remove your negative doubts.  After that, things will click and you will be able to get back on the road.....and be ready for that kind of repair again when someone else needs that same help.

Deep breath and jump right in there.

I agree with that, no doubt.

But I think it's always easy for us that are mechanically inclined to think everyone can do it with some help............I'm not saying DP can't, but I've seen others that just don't get it.