I'm part way through this task, and had come up empty finding how-to advice here on FTE.

The closest thread was this one: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ermittent.html with a few folks advocating using the dealer. One person, pinestar, was on the right track.

When Ford moved the blower motor from mounted on the firewall, accessed from under the hood, to the "new" location under the dash, it made it hard to find good instructions and tips.

Here goes -

Remove the glovebox (3 screws) to help see what you are doing. (This is not 100% required, but seemed to help)

Remove the fuse panel door on the passenger foot well - again for access and to help see.

Move the floor covering and insulation out of your way - you will need every millimeter of clearance.

Locate the blower motor way in the back (near the firewall) under the dash behind the glovebox. It is not the first plastic housing you encounter - it is behind that one. It is circular on the bottom - like a short cylinder looking piece of plastic (housing for the motor).

Remove the electrical connector - this requires squeezing the retainer release (on one side of the connector) and wiggle the connector loose.

Remove the blower motor vent tube - this is a plastic tube about 4 inches long, maybe an inch wide. There are 2 clips that attach it to the motor housing - press them and wiggle the vent tube loose. It mates to another fitting under the dash, but is not secured to that one, so it will be easy to remove once you separate it from the motor housing.

Rotate the motor counter-clockwise, and it should drop free into your hand. The motor will have the hamster-wheel looking fan blade (aka the "wheel") attached.

Flex the "wheel" gently to snake the assembly out from under the dash.


When Rockauto delivers the new one, hopefully the installation will be straightforward. Potential screw ups for assembly are mostly getting it in the wrong orientation, so the vent tube does not line up. I hope to avoid that mistake.

When I had the electrical connector free, I verified that with the ignition on and the fan set on high, that full battery voltage was present at the connectors. This tells me the fan is the culprit in my lack of any air circulation. I had previously swapped relays hoping it was a simple electrical issue.

Hope this detail helps the next guy who needs to do this.

 

The installation went fairly smoothly.

I used the vent tube connection as the orientation guide - I positioned the new motor about 10 or 15 degrees CCW from the desired end position, pushed up and rotated CW until I felt it locking into position. I then used the alignment of the vent tube to find I was about 3 degrees short of my endpoint, and just twisted the whole thing a bit more (I guess the new one seated tighter than the old one had - so it took a bit more "oomph" to get it those last few degrees of rotation.)

I snapped the vent tube and electrical connectors into place, replaced the flooring material and assorted trim I had removed, and I was off and running.

 

Glad to hear that it went well, did you happen to take any pics?

 

No, I did not - but I have the old part and can probably get a few. Good idea!

 

Please take pics. I need to do it on mine. Is yours the dual climate?

 

No, but the motor should be the same. I think the blend door system is different.

 

Some Pics

Single Zone Climate Control



Passenger Side




Glovebox for orientation




Bottom of Glovebox at top of photo - the ductwork seen is NOT the blower motor



Closer to firewall, the blower motor is seen. Electrical connector and cylindrical shape of motor.



Vent tube is on left, electrical connector on right.

 

More pics to show the motor and how the vent tube fits.










The vent tube is removed by squeezing the two clips and pulling straight down.

It has a bit of a dovetail where it meet the motor, and slides over a dowel that is molded into the motor. Here are some close ups to show that.





The vent tube is turned 180 so you see the end that mates to the duct under the dash. See pics above for how it looks when assembled.




Detail of dovetail joint

 

Great thread! I have to do mine soon too. its starting to sqeal once in a while and I have to give it a kick to quiet it down! . Doesn't look too difficult, just a PITA! Don't understand why the Haynes manual says to take it to the dealer. I have the shop manual on CD which pretty much says the same thing as the way you did it. Nice to see the pics so you know exactly what you're dealing with.

Thanks for the informative post!

 

Glad I could help! The board has been good to me, and I try to return the favor!

 

I have a 2004 I was able to get the old one out but I m not sure I'll be able to get the new one in it is so tight . Maybe that's why they recommend the dealer. Any idea what they would charge to reinstall it for me?

 

Peal back flooring material to get to the metal, and flex the "wheel" a bit. Once you have a bit of the wheel in the hole, you have enough clearance to rotate the whole assembly to get everything lined up.

No idea what the dealer charges. Probably book rate on the whole job at some places.

 

<table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="6" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td class="alt2"></td><td nowrap="nowrap">SC_Hoaty Thanks brother for the encouragement I got it in and working.
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I love a story with a happy ending! Glad you got it in!