'97 Bonneville Heater Blower Motor

[markr]

This is a question for anyone that has replaced the heater blower motor. Is there enough clearance for the old unit to come up out of the firewall in between the engine (and new unit to go back in) or is there another trick to it?

[sonoma_zr2]

Just enough room if you wiggle and twist (the blower motor mostly). Some people remove the strut brace, just make sure you don't move the car till it is back and tightened down.

[PLAGUE PHANTOM]

All i had to do was remove the strut tower brace and it came out like butter

[markr]

This is a question for anyone that has replaced the heater blower motor. Is there enough clearance for the old unit to come up out of the firewall in between the engine (and new unit to go back in) or is there another trick to it?

Completed this job today and would just like to add that the fuel line bracket (also holds a couple of electrical connections) needed to be removed to make enough room. Two nuts hold this on and are easily accessible. Fuel lines are in a clip that pulls off of the bracket. Once these are off and the bracket it loose, pull it off and lay it down on the valve cover. The rest is easy. Plenty of access to remove the old motor and install the new! I did also remove the strut bar.

[bill buttermore]

Sorry I did not see this thread earlier, but glad you got it changed out okay. The following post copied from an earlier thread is added here to help those searching this subject in the future:

Remove and Replace Blower Motor 1995 SLE

Check for bad motor by unplugging connector on motor and setting controls for high speed fan.
Connect test light across terminals to see if power is getting to the motor.
If power is getting to motor, and motor is not working properly (e.g., requires whacking to get it to work), it's almost certainly bad. So....

1. remove strut brace (13 mm x 4 nuts or bolts)
2. remove engine cover (remove oil fill tube front and unsnap rear)
3. unclip O2 sensor connector and fuel lines connector from rear bracket (needle nose pliers)
4. remove rear bracket from rear cylinder head (13 mm x 2 nuts)
5. remove rubber cooling tube (heat with hair dryer if cold to prevent cracking)
6. remove bolts attaching motor (7 mm x 5)
7. remove insulating cover from motor (if your car has one)
8. gently move fuel lines out of the way and pull motor up and out
9. carefully remove rubber gasket from old motor; install on new motor
10. remove foam gasket from electrical connector, install on new motor

11. reverse to install; adding dielectric grease to electrical connector
12. enjoy hot air if winter or cold air if summer

Others have advised pushing the car forward in park and blocking the rear wheels. That rocks the engine forward providing clearance to remove the motor without steps 1-4.