Which blower motor should I get?

[L1011tristar17]

The blower motor on my car hasn't worked for the last few days at any speed. I followed my electrical book and determined that the blower motor itself is defective and needs to be replaced. I've looked on Rockauto and noticed that the blower motors are all different: some have the wheel and some don't, and some of them say that they have a special electrical connector. What part have you guys bought as a replacement?

Also related to that, I'll need a new connector because mine was all frayed and melted. Since I am getting the blower motor new I'll probably only need the other side of the connector. If I am unlucky finding one at a junkyard, does anyone have one in reasonable shape that they would be willing to part with?

[L1011tristar17]

Right now I might buy this one: http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/more...598&cc=1188693 ($25.99)

there is also a Motorcraft unit, but it's $39.89, and seems to require a $40 connector/adapter. The TYC unit has a lifetime warranty, so is it worth buying?

[gadget73]

Sounds like a fair deal if you don't need the adapter. Lifetime warranty should count for something.

[L1011tristar17]

Is it just me, or was the adapter for the original motor an oval shape? The pictures for this one looks different:

[sly]

I had to get the pigtail too for mine since it melted on me, but it was different than the stock one anyhow (on my 88 at least).

[L1011tristar17]

Where did you buy the pigtail from? I can't seem to find any reasonably-priced ones online.

[87gtVIC]

If you are lucky it is just a bad connection under the hood. Happens to me from time to time.

[sly]

I got the pigtail from rockauto. yeah... it's not cheap. Highly annoying.

[L1011tristar17]

No way am I paying $40 for a new pigtail. The product advertises an "OE-exact connector" but the blower motor is compatible with multiple Ford vehicles. I might just check the junkyard and see if there are any Fords with the same connector.

[sly]

you also might have to swap the wires in your own pigtail to make it work. I remember having to do that with mine as I wired it up to match my old harness and then had to switch the wires in the harness since the blower was spinning backwards. IIRC, both harnesses will fit, but the newer one is the press down to remove type while the old one is the lift over type.

[L1011tristar17]

I found out today at the junkyard that the connector from '95-'97 Panthers will fit the new blower motor. I did notice that the wires on the '95-'97 cars are a little beefier than on the '89. They're probably only one size bigger at most. How should I go about swapping them? Will I have to swap over all of the blower motor wiring?

[L1011tristar17]

I was thinking using step-down crimp connectors, but I was wondering if there would be any benefit to swapping in as much of the larger wire as I can.

[gadget73]

You'd get more by running it on a relay off the battery to take the load out of the stock wiring. 86vickylx has a writeup on here somewhere about how to make that work.

[sly]

swapping the wires... meaning polarity... + and - wires to the motor. The newer harness is backwards from the older one. So if wiring in the harness from a newer car, just solder them in reverse. (stripe to solid)
Maybe wire-nut it first to make sure and then solder it.

[L1011tristar17]

I found the diagrams for the relay mod, and I think I might as well go with that. Does the relay have any sort of connection to the thermal blower lockout switch?