Topic: C3 questions
in Forum: C3 General Discussion
Already a Member?
Click Here to Login
Not yet a Member?
Click Here to Register for Free!
Former Member
Send PM
San Antonio, TX - USA
Joined: 9/8/2003
Posts: 117
Vette(s): 1973 Corvette Roadster
Elkhart Green, 300hp 4-spd // 2003 Millinium Yellow Coupe
Hello all,
New to the site, first time corvette owner. Today I bought a 73 roadster, drove it from Austin to San Antonio....still can't get the smile off my face !!
On to the questions:
1) The AC was just charged, blows cold, but not very hard...bad blower?, if so where can i get one and whats a rough cost?
2)I feel heat from the engine that seems to be coming in from under the dash. Any ideas on what I should look for? According to the temp gauge, it was running about 185 to 195 degrees.
Thanks
Rick
New to the site, first time corvette owner. Today I bought a 73 roadster, drove it from Austin to San Antonio....still can't get the smile off my face !!
On to the questions:
1) The AC was just charged, blows cold, but not very hard...bad blower?, if so where can i get one and whats a rough cost?
2)I feel heat from the engine that seems to be coming in from under the dash. Any ideas on what I should look for? According to the temp gauge, it was running about 185 to 195 degrees.
Thanks
Rick
SPONSOR AD:: (Our Sponsors help support C3VR)
Former Member
Send PM
Wayne, NJ - USA
Joined: 5/31/2002
Posts: 973
Vette(s): White 1975 L48 Stingray 129,000 Miles, daily driver.
The blower, if bad, should cost about 20$ used. If that. tell them you have a Chevy Truck from 73. Or take your old one with you and don't tell them. If they know its a Vette they'll nail you, but anybody needing a blower for GM from the 60s 70s and early 80s got the same thing where I worked. If they came back it was not because the part didn't fit, but more because it was called a "Junk Yard" for a reason.
185-195 is about normal from what I've heard and so is the heat. Its gonna be like that. I replaced the headers on mine and it was like night and day difference. Approx 30 degrees cooler. Old headers were paper thin and rusted through in many places though.
Scot
185-195 is about normal from what I've heard and so is the heat. Its gonna be like that. I replaced the headers on mine and it was like night and day difference. Approx 30 degrees cooler. Old headers were paper thin and rusted through in many places though.
Scot
Replace the seals in the ducts so you don't lose the cold air before it gets to you. Make sure the cold air isn't blowing into th engine compartment. With the engine off, turn the blower on high and feel around the box for air blowing out places it souldn't and reseal those places. I bought a new blower motor from auto parts store for about $20.
That is pretty normal operating temp for your car.
You could put a shutoff valve in the heater hose so hot water isn't running thruogh the heater core unless you need it.
|UPDATED|9/13/2003 11:43:17 AM|/UPDATED|
That is pretty normal operating temp for your car.
You could put a shutoff valve in the heater hose so hot water isn't running thruogh the heater core unless you need it.
|UPDATED|9/13/2003 11:43:17 AM|/UPDATED|
Brian - NCM Lifetime Member
73 coupe L48, Flat-top pistons, Performer RPM Heads, Crane Cam and roller rockers, Holley 650 vac sec. Performer intake,
3.55 gear BTO 200-4R trans,
Leather seats, Seatbelt Plus 3point seatbelts, Pioneer CD player
Magnaflow Exhuast System
Dewitt radiator and dual electric fans
Borgeson Steering box

Former Member
Send PM
DOWNINGTOWN, PA - USA
Joined: 11/24/2001
Posts: 962
Vette(s): 1969 Monza Red Black Conv / Black Vinal hardtop
454/480 Tremec 5 Speed 308 Posi.Black Leather Interior, PS, PW, Air cond., tilt/tele,AM/FM Cass.-5 Pack CD, Hurst Shifter, side pipes
2004 Yellow convertible with black top and black interior
You say the AC does not blow hard. Can we make the assumption that it does actually 'blow' and not just drift out of the vents? If it blows but not hard on the high position of the blower swith, there is a 'balast' resistor out in the engine compartment that could well be blown out. If it is, the three low speeds work but you get no real air movement from high speed. Make sure every time you move the blower swith, the air moves faster.
Limited Member
Send PM
Overland Park, KS - USA
Joined: 7/9/2003
Posts: 916
Vette(s): 1973 Orange Metallic Coupe (orig owner), L82, 4 spd (WR), PS, (A/C & PW (I installed from wrecked 73)), leather, AM/FM Stereo, ran with '65 FI unit earlier & will again some day.
2023 Accelerate Yellow HTC Stingray
Also along the line that "glenns" mentioned, there is also a relay that bypasses the speed control resistors on HIGH speed. Since it carries a lot of current, the contacts tend to arc and burn when the relay opens and eventually get to the point where they will no longer conduct any current and then no HIGH blower speed. This was common on a lot of GM cars of that era. I replaced several over the years. Hope this helps.
1973 L-82 4 spd
Former Member
Send PM
San Antonio, TX - USA
Joined: 9/8/2003
Posts: 117
Vette(s): 1973 Corvette Roadster
Elkhart Green, 300hp 4-spd // 2003 Millinium Yellow Coupe
Thanks for the response's,
My electrical problem was the alternator, been to busy playing with the car to check my heat problem yet. The folks at corvette america know me by first name now....
Rick

My electrical problem was the alternator, been to busy playing with the car to check my heat problem yet. The folks at corvette america know me by first name now....
Rick

Former Member
Send PM
BRADENTON, FL - USA
Joined: 8/4/2002
Posts: 669
Vette(s): 1972 convertible 350 auto trans, delux int, air, ps, pb, t/t wheel, pw, 79,000 org miles Rare one year only color
as for the blower not blowing very hard, mine does the same and i have been doing some reaseach into that. seems the early blowers i beleive to 76-run at 800 rpm and the later ones run 1100 rpm. also the later ones have a deeper squire cage with more blades on them but because of the additional depth, a spacer needs to be made to use the later more powerful blowers. this is one of my pet projects for the future ....how to get the HP blower (or should we call it the LS6 blower) under the stock cover with any mods to the housing or a funny looking 2 inch spacer.
don't quote me on the exact year or rpms

|IMG|http://www.c3vr.com/member_uploads/1301_1400/1333/br80.jpg |/IMG|
There is a guy on corvetteforum.com that did it a while ago. I can't remeber how thick the spacer was (I think it was 1/2") but it was just a ring. The ID was the same size as the current hole and he used longer screws to mount it in the same holes.
Brian - NCM Lifetime Member
73 coupe L48, Flat-top pistons, Performer RPM Heads, Crane Cam and roller rockers, Holley 650 vac sec. Performer intake,
3.55 gear BTO 200-4R trans,
Leather seats, Seatbelt Plus 3point seatbelts, Pioneer CD player
Magnaflow Exhuast System
Dewitt radiator and dual electric fans
Borgeson Steering box

Former Member
Send PM
DOWNINGTOWN, PA - USA
Joined: 11/24/2001
Posts: 962
Vette(s): 1969 Monza Red Black Conv / Black Vinal hardtop
454/480 Tremec 5 Speed 308 Posi.Black Leather Interior, PS, PW, Air cond., tilt/tele,AM/FM Cass.-5 Pack CD, Hurst Shifter, side pipes
2004 Yellow convertible with black top and black interior
I remember reading an article in either Vette or Corvette Fever that talked about replacing a C3 squirl cage with a C4 cage to get better air flow but I don't remember it mentioning adding a spacer.
The article had to have been over a year ago.
There should be a very noticable difference in both the force of the air and the sound of the air when an air conditioned early C3 goes to high speed on the fourth position of the fan switch. ( at least there is in my '69 )
The article had to have been over a year ago.
There should be a very noticable difference in both the force of the air and the sound of the air when an air conditioned early C3 goes to high speed on the fourth position of the fan switch. ( at least there is in my '69 )
Rick:
I have had the same issues with my 1969 A/C system. The original blower motor was replaced with a newer motor that is not "correct". However, in asking around, I found out that this is a common problem related to either the balast resistor or the relay for the blower motor.
Only A/C cars have four fan speeds. Mine seems to put out the same volume of air on settings 1-3 and just a little more on setting 4. You can easily see the resistor on top of the blower housing and the relay is on a bracket right on the front of the same housing.
I got a lot of excellent info on this from Glenns on this forum. If you have an AIM, look at pages 343 and 347. According to Glenns, the problem is most likely the relay.
Good luck!
Jim
I have had the same issues with my 1969 A/C system. The original blower motor was replaced with a newer motor that is not "correct". However, in asking around, I found out that this is a common problem related to either the balast resistor or the relay for the blower motor.
Only A/C cars have four fan speeds. Mine seems to put out the same volume of air on settings 1-3 and just a little more on setting 4. You can easily see the resistor on top of the blower housing and the relay is on a bracket right on the front of the same housing.
I got a lot of excellent info on this from Glenns on this forum. If you have an AIM, look at pages 343 and 347. According to Glenns, the problem is most likely the relay.
Good luck!
Jim
in Forum: C3 General Discussion
SPONSOR AD: (Our Sponsors help support C3VR)