Heater/AC Fan Fix

The old metal squirrel cage fans in the heater box on the 60-66 Chevy/GMC trucks only last so long.

The fans consist of a steel squirrel cage assembly that is crimped to a cast zinc hub. After years of service the mechanical joint between the two fails and allows the squirrel to spin independently from the hub. No only does this reduce the fan's efficiency to nothing, but it really makes a racket!

I recently experienced such a failure in my Deluxe Heater system and was not in the mood to remove the motor and replace the squirrel cage with a more modern metal or plastic unit that is currently available from our parts suppliers. Instead, I chose to do a quick repair on my original one.

On the Deluxe Heater system it is easy to remove the top with the heater core still in place to access the top of the fan. (Click on picture to make them larger)

I drilled two 1/8" holes opposite each other on the outer edge of the hub through the hub and the squirrel cage assembly to accommodate 1/8" x 1/4" long pop rivets.

This took care of the problem, at least for now, cost me nothing, and used up only about a half hour of my time.

Repair made in 2011 so time will tell if it lasts forever. The fix will get a good workout since the same fan gets used all summer long for the A/C as well as in the wintertime for the heater.

Update: it's close to the end of 2020 and repair is working perfectly. The truck get used daily and the A/C gets a lot of use....not a garage queen at all!