1997 Lesabre - Blower case disintegrating?

[2buicks]

Hi Guys! The other day when I was replacing my alternator and battery (previous thread) I noticed that a chunk out of the lower blower motor case was missing. When looking closer at the case I noticed several cracks in the case; appears this rubber case has been dry rotting over the years and is going to start getting worse over time. My A/C man said "oh don't worry about it, labor alone to replace, even if you can still find one, wouldn't be worth replacing!" I have looked at several GM parts outlets and he is correct, the item has been discontinued. I did find that GM Parts Direct shows availability. Your thoughts on replacing? I am thinking about taping the outside cover with foil tape that air conditioning companies use and then spray a sealer over that. The foil tape might be thin and easy enough to work with and might be strong enough to hold the cover together. Have any of you had any problems like this with your Buicks?

Any suggestions you might have will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks - Rick

[Blue Bowtie]

My '95 has the same issue. I covered it with Armstrong 520 (contact adhesive) then thin aluminum sheet. I suppose the foil tape would work almost as well, as long as you can keep it in place. Without the plastic/rubber the insulation blanket there will only act as an air filter and allow underhood air into the system.

[2buicks]

Yes, I remember years ago, the rubber cover over the fan motor came apart. I was able to purchase that cover and replace. Not so bad replacing it, but this larger cover is a whole different story. So far the missing pieces are very low and to the left side, down near the passenger side frame. I think I can use the foil tape, as you can press down on the cracked areas and the crack seems to close. With the tape, I think I can salvage what is left of the cover, and can live with what has already fallen off. I didn't think my Lesabre was unique and that is why I seeked advice from the forum. Your fix sounds very close to my thinking! Thanks for your input and we'll see what others might suggest!

[2buicks]

Just an update; I did manage to clean the blower box and let it dry real good. I applied the foil tape over the areas that had cracks. The thin foil tape was actually easy to cut, apply and form close the cracked areas. I was going to spray paint the foil tape, but I don't think I will even bother with that! I have hopes that this temp fix can hold the rest of the box together, maybe to see me thru for the rest of my ownership! I just wish this box would have been easier to obtain and replace, but it does look like it would be quite a task in replacing!

[DeltaP]

Repair may only be as good as the adhesive on the foil tape. Any chance of using fiberglass?

[Blue Bowtie]

Agreed. It appears the cover is attached such that it would have to be removed from above and below, and only after moving a lot of other items out of the way.

[2buicks]

Originally Posted by DeltaP

Repair may only be as good as the adhesive on the foil tape. Any chance of using fiberglass?

I wish I had the room to fiberglass! Whatever I have done is better than what my A/C man suggested of just not worrying about the box coming apart! I assume this box was intended to have a purpose when GM decided to include it when the car was manufactured!

[CarDude225]

My wife's 95 LeSabre has a really bad case of this. Large chunks of plastic missing. If I think of it I'll try to post pictures. It just occurred to me that maybe this is why the AC performance is pretty bad at a stop. And now that I think of it, my heat performance, which seemed to stop working altogether several years ago. I troubleshooted and exhausted efforts trying to figure that out.

I need to get it covered.

[2buicks]

CarDude - I hear that about the chunks. I think I caught mine in time. My chunks starting at the very bottom. When I discovered what was going on, I saw the remaining cracks in the casing and it appeared you could press in slightly and the cracks closed up. I covered mine with the foil tape and it is still working just fine. I did manage to find one new OEM case and that was with Fast GM parts, not bad in price, but from what my A/C man says, these are a bear to replace! If you call them, ask for Trish, she has been most helpful to me in the past!

Good luck, let us know what you do with yours! - Rick