924Board.org

MGQ · Joined: 19 Dec 2003 Posts: 53 Location: southwest MI

In preparation for winter I want to grease or replace my heater fan, which of course isn't as easy as it might seem, so I have a few questions.

I am trying to pull the gauge cluster out of the way (oil press. AC knob, clock) and it only gets so far and then won't budge. is there something I am doing wrong? does the A/C knob need to be removed seperatly somehow?

I can't get the cluster pulled back quite far enough to see what it might be hung up on. I can just barely clear the clock housing with the center console then it all gets hung up.

2nd, obviously, I am trying to get at my heater fan, as it makes a huge racket and doesn't blow too much at all. Is there a place where I can get a replacement one? I have a 78 with air, and the fans I have been seeing on Ebay say "not for 78 with a/c" .... Just my luck. any ideas?
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Brown 78 924. 4 speed, AC, Sunroof

MGQ · Joined: 19 Dec 2003 Posts: 53 Location: southwest MI

Upon searching more, apparently I can get to this fan from under the hood?
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Brown 78 924. 4 speed, AC, Sunroof

My924gtc · Joined: 14 Aug 2004 Posts: 1362 Location: 248

That would be correct. Good luck.
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MJ
'81 924 2.0L T
'82 924 2.3L SC/EFI <---online fall '06

Sponsor of the 944 Cup and Super Cup
Sponsor of the "2006 Battle in the Badlands"

Diesel · Joined: 03 Nov 2002 Posts: 1061 Location: Ellington,CT

Of course if you have to replace the motor, it comes out from the inside. Porsche's little joke on us.

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Dan Flanagan--2002 VW Jetta TDI, 83 Mercedes 300D,83 Mercedes Euro-240D

MGQ · Joined: 19 Dec 2003 Posts: 53 Location: southwest MI

Yeah, that is what I don't get. I tried for a while to work the motor out from the top (which as you know is impossible) and I just don't see how it could possibly come out from the bottom. there is a plastic ring that holds the fan in place and it seems wider than the firewall sheetmetal that it sits on., unless it unbolts from the bottom somehow.

anyway, after that I sprayed some slick 50 lube on the top bearing, and put a tube on it and sprayed it down the side of the casing to try to get the bottom one. it seems to be working, I'm going to let it soak for a half hour and repeat.

fan actually blows air now! (tears of joy)

next I'll have to pull my steering wheel for my intermittent wiper error.

Here's a picture of it, (if I get this working it will be like the first real car I've ever had)

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Brown 78 924. 4 speed, AC, Sunroof

CMXXXI · Joined: 05 Nov 2002 Posts: 1939 Location: Vicksburg, MS

I've got a '79 without A/C, and pulled the dash and removed the heater box this past weekend to replace the fan and heater core. If the other year models with the "R2D2" unit are the same (and I suspect they are), it is NOT POSSIBLE to replace the fan without removing the entire heater box. The box is clipped together with 8-10 little metal "C" clips around it's entire body. The clips can't be removed with the box in place.

The factory manuals say you can remove the box with the dashboard in place, but in practical terms, it isn't worth the effort or aggravation. Perhaps it can come out, but putting it back in place (all the dashboard wiring) would be next to impossible.

I've got web server problems, but when I get things sorted out (hopefully tomorrow), I'll post pictures.
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'79 Eurospec 931

MGQ · Joined: 19 Dec 2003 Posts: 53 Location: southwest MI

that would be great, I'd love to see what I'm up against if I ever need to do the whole thing.

I still haven't figured out how to get the center cluster out, but if I don't need to, I just wont worry about it.
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Brown 78 924. 4 speed, AC, Sunroof

CMXXXI · Joined: 05 Nov 2002 Posts: 1939 Location: Vicksburg, MS

I haven't got my photo gallery "cleaned up" for this dashboard project so I can't/won't redirect everyone there yet. But, here are some shots of the work-in-progress. You can see that the heater box takes up a sizeable amount of volume under the dash. The opinion/facts aside about whether or not the heater box can come out with the dash in place aside, according to the manuals, the center console does have to be removed.

If my memory serves me right, there are two phillips head screws at the top corners of the instrument cluster and are the only things holding it in place (again, I don't have A/C, so things may be different). Once the screws are out, it is a matter of "unpopping" the bottom edge where it mates up with the center console that runs along the transmission tunnel.

Click thumbnails for larger images

..

Hopefully I can get everthing back together this coming weekend, to include my refurbished dashboard.
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'79 Eurospec 931

MGQ · Joined: 19 Dec 2003 Posts: 53 Location: southwest MI

Thanks for the pictures, it makes me hope my oil job works.

looking at yours and looking at the other ones on ebay and google image search, I dont' think the top, under hood part of mine is the same.

Yours seems to have a round flap on the top that lifts up by cable, R2D2 look as I guess it's called. My car has a big plastic box with one 11mm bolt holding it to a post that is mounted to the firewall. it is square shaped and there is a flap on one end, pointed towards the battery.

I wish I could post more pictures but my password for my website seems to be lost.
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Brown 78 924. 4 speed, AC, Sunroof

jpab924 · Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:44 am Post subject:

MGQ · Joined: 19 Dec 2003 Posts: 53 Location: southwest MI

that looks more like mine, if you look at it from where they battery would be.
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Brown 78 924. 4 speed, AC, Sunroof

Mike924 · Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Posts: 2601 Location: IoW UK

With regard to getting the little instrument panel out, I found I had to start from the bottom: Remove the radio. Just above that there are two tiny hex-head screws. Remove these and then you can get the next panel off, once you have removed the heater controls. Memory is getting vague here but I think you can then unclip the top panel (having removed the two Phillips-head screws).
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1985 Porsche 924 'Lux', Kalahari Beige (my ex)
1993 Porsche 968 Coupe, Midnight Blue, 6 spd

'There is no substitute for a little grease under your fingernails.' - Chrenan, 924board.org

Sleykin · Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 1:53 pm Post subject:

Don't have to totally remove the 2 hex screws. The panel is slotted.
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Glenn Neff
Medford, OR
87' 924S

Mike924 · Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Posts: 2601 Location: IoW UK

I stand corrected.

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1985 Porsche 924 'Lux', Kalahari Beige (my ex)
1993 Porsche 968 Coupe, Midnight Blue, 6 spd

'There is no substitute for a little grease under your fingernails.' - Chrenan, 924board.org

Sleykin · Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2004 4:53 am Post subject:

Didn't mean it as a correction ... just a tip. I pulled em all the way out first time and they are a bugger to get to ... then discovered they only need to be loosened a few turns.
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Glenn Neff
Medford, OR
87' 924S