fbekholden.com

Hi all,
Just been stuffing around with an old Smith's heater for the Sputzwagon, I received it with the car when I bought it & since I'm paying my sister a visit in Lithgow ( bloody c-cold!) I though the installation of this item could come in useful!
First thing was to remove the old paint (that someone who will remain nameless..Pete) that was on the normally black outer cover. While I wasted time scraping all the paint off I also gave the car a much deserved oil change, before all the scraping was started I disassembled the core & motor out of the housing.

Now here's the reason for this post....whilst I had the electric motor out I thought it a good idea to check that it worked...(remembering I already had the bonnet open on the car for the oil change)..O hooked up the two wires from the motor onto the terminals and.....nothing! ..maybe have the wires around the wrong way...NOTHING!!! .
So back to the bench & take the electric motor apart to see if it's totally stuffed. After undoing the two small nuts and carefully taking the cover off (you have to be careful here as there are two spacers & washers for the brush mounting plate to hold it off the cover), once this was done (the gut's looked brand new..not bad for a 45-ish year old motor! ) I checked if the brushes were worn out..nope..then check the armature wiring was'nt broken anywhere..no all there..the only thing I could see was that the armature (where it meets the brushes) was very dirty..so I cleaned it with 2000 wet'n'dry and gave it a light polish with Brasso and put it all back together.
Back over to the battery and...SUCCESS!!
Sorry for the rough-arse diagram..I had to draw it from memory

So if any of you blokes have one of these (or even a Warmeride heater,both Australian motors & probably the same) that does'nt seem to work any more take 'em apart & clean 'em up..you might be pleasantly surprised!

Scotty.

Good info Scotty .

Ahhh...Lithgow...both my FB and EKs home town...and strangely neither have ever had a heater fitted... ...ccccold.

your

rough-arse diagram

is 100% better than I could ever do...

Scotty,
Nice diagram (your drawings are better than my photos ). The heater sounds like a Smiths "beehive" heater.

I'm in the process of installing a Warmaride in the FB, taking lots of pictures with the aim to put together an FB/EK Warmaride manual to share on the forum (looking good so far). I've pulled apart a Smiths motor last week, and the guts look like the photos below (is this the same as your beehive one?).




A word of warning though...

On the Warmaride heaters, the fan motor casing may be opened by undoing the two 11/32” nuts/star washers on the casing. Note however that fan motor non-drive end bearing consists of a bronze ball (similar to a ball-valve ball). The bearing is held in the fan motor non-drive end casing by a fibre bushing and a spring-steel castellated washer. The bushing/bearing/washer assembly is held in place by a pressed steel retainer which is staked into the fan motor non-drive end casing. Ideally, the bearing should slip off the fan motor shaft as the two casing halves are separated, and be retained in the fan motor non-drive end casing. However, the heater fan shaft is held on with a 3/32” allen-head grub screw. The grub screw usually leaves a burr on the fan motor shaft. The burr will catch on the bearing, and pull it out of the fan motor non-drive end casing (as per the photograph below). It is very difficult to get back in once removed...I taught myself three new swear words .


It is strongly recommended that before undoing the two 11/32” nuts/star washers on the casing, that the burr be removed by gently filing the fan motor shaft with a fine flat file. If the only reason for servicing the motor is to lubricate the bearing, it is far easier to let a few drops of light machine oil slip down the motor shaft into the bronze ball, rather than opening the motor casing. Do not apply too many drops of oil... although the shaft appears to have a slinger ring (the pulley-like assembly above where Scotty cleaned), the fan motor does not like a bath of oil!

Yeah Harv, your right it's a Smith 'Beehive' heater (I've always called 'em Knights helmet.."t'is but a flesh wound!...I've had worse!"..
Yep, the Warmeride Heater motor is very similar, right down to the 3 engine mount points. Although the Smith's mount plate for the brushes are totally round & the fan is held on with a 'spring split collar' (no grub screw).
Thanks for thr 'REAL' photos..

Scotty.

Sputz, I have come up with a good Idea, why don't you do a cartoon workshop manual for Dummy's, only for the stuff thats not actually in the original manual
Like even so far as little modifications.

Scotty, Have just fitted my Beehive for the Nats and I can tell you it Works!!!
So well that we had to open the windows when we slowed to go through town!
Also I added a Kustom Bullet switch to make it a little different!



Cheers Theo Z...................

The missus was really impressed with that Theo.

Well I've just realized it's been almost 12 months since I started this thread and I've now successfully stuck the bloody heater in the car.
First I had to make mounting brackets (welded to the firewall), these I pre-drilled and welded some tread onto for ease of attaching the heater itself with only two wing nuts.

I have the heater mounted about center of the car and as high to be level with the dash but not bump in the bottom of my CD player (only an issue in my customized dash). {NOTE: I MADE TWO COVERS OUT OF LIGHT GRADE GAL OVER THE DEMISTER OUTLETS as I have to make 'em yet}.

I made two bends in brass tube (bought at Bunnings) to go through the firewall and onto the heater hoses & reducers ( made out of what looks like farm pump attachment in pvc but I've been told that they ARE made for auto heaters in this now!! Go figure?)

All i have to do tomorrow is plumb it all together in the engine bay (now you see why I did'nt open my bonnet at Grey Pride!) I've already joined all the bits together earlier. :Thanks Tony for the in hose on/off switch.



Can't wait to be nice 'n' warm this winter!!

Scotty

I don't think it will be too long before you use it Scotty...it's fffreezing in Sydney today...

Same down here, Stewart!! BRRRRR

Scotty.