4" bilge blower repairs

[comodave]

The PO just cut the wire to the 4" blower on my F32. I put power to it today and it is making quite a racket. Sounds like a bearing maybe. Has anyone worked on these or should I just buy a new one. This one looks like it is made out of very heavy material, nothing like you would get in a new one. Any suggestions? I do not see any name or model number on it.

[lawyerdave71]

I have the same set up. My big one just died.

I am replacing it with smaller one as there is a small one there already.

I have never ever seen those big motors in marine catalogs or on marine sites.

[mikeandanne]

Looks like our set- up as well----- wondered about the sound,ours sounds like a jet on take- off--- maybe that is normal--- looks like a fairly substantial unit though--- Mike

[Commissionpoint]

The brushes are available for these motors, and they do need to be changed from time to time. There are also oil ports on them to keep them spinning nice and quietly. Really not too much to go wrong here. Long lasting and reliable setup. The 'small' motor Dave mentioned is the head vent, not the bilge blower, and that is why its a smaller motor. Use the proper one if you need to replace the one(s) in your bilges. If you aren't moving the proper amount of air (CFM), you are basically fooling yourself into thinking you have removed dangerous fumes.

4 inch Jabsco flex mounts are available. In case someone does need a replacement.

http://www.go2marine.com/category/12290 ... gines.html

[Scorpion07]

Where are the oil ports? Mine seem to be completely sealed. I'm sure a shot of oil would do wonders.
BTW the smaller unit is the forward blower in the engine bay on my F32. 1 small (150 cfm) forward and 2 large (250 cfm) aft.

[comodave]

I removed the blower today. It is a Sutton Manufacturing Corp. blower. I found a phone number on the web, but it was too late to call today. There is a label that was next to the hull. I do not think that it is the brushes, but rather a bearing problem. When I spin it by hand, it feels like a worn bearing. There are no oil ports on mine. The link posted above for the flex blower is for a 120 volt AC blower. This one is 12 volts. I am going to take it home to Tucson and have the motor rebuilt.

[comodave]

My mistake about the flex mount blower. They have them in both 12 and 120 volts, I just did not scroll down far enough to see the 12 volt ones.

[Scorpion07]

I'm contemplating using the Rule inline pumps myself. Have you thought about them? they wont bolt right in but they should be a fairly simple mod. Wondering if anyone has any suggestions good or bad?
The part I find interesting about them is their low amp draw at the same (stated) cfm output to the jabsco. And at a fifth the price.

[gitchisum]

My blower sounds like an M1A1 tank at full throttle. My plan is to replace with Inline.

Found al the parts I need for conversion online and have ordered. I have an F-26, so not sure what other models would require.

[Commissionpoint]

There are no oil ports on mine..........

..........I am going to take it home to Tucson and have the motor rebuilt.

There should be at least a stamp in the housing with an arrow for oil if theres not a port. Might have to look closely.


Good plan. I was going to suggest a good electric motor rebuilder, but didn't know if things had gotten that far for you.

[captainmaniac]

Had one of mine go bad a few years back and asked the marina service guys to fix. It was faulting or shorting and blowing fuses. The service guys just inserted an Attwood blower in front of mine. Not an optimal solution in my opinion because the Attwood had to blow through all the guts of the original blower (and I like to keep things original, so really would have preferred the original blower to be fixed/rebuilt).

SO, I did a bit of research. PAR makes a blower that looks a lot like the original, but I have no idea if it is the same size or fits the same bolt holes (through the hull). I ended up pulling my original blower and gutting it (yanked the 'cage') so there would be no restriction to airflow or for the Attwood to do its job. Basically turned my original blower into a pipe fitting.

[prowlersfish]

I did the same with a inline blower .


If you send yours out for repair make dam sure they know its for use in a flammable environment .

[bigralph]

Quick question - I replaced my missing port side 3" blower yesterday. The 4" original on stbd still works. The original port was missing. I oriented the in-line blower to suck and now I have both port and stbd sucking from bilge. Was just wondering if the smaller fan, the port one I replaced, should acutally be a blower, pushing fresh air into the bilge.
Thanks.

[gitchisum]

Fresh air shoud be drawn in from vents while blowers are exhausting existing air from the compartment. I am not aware of any need for blowers to be used in supplying fresh air.

[lawyerdave71]

I fixed my big motor . . . . . . . I whacked it and now it works. Knock on wood!!!!