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Rank: Old Wrench Regular
Groups: Old Wrench Member
Joined: 8/29/2008
Posts: 327
Points: 981
Location: Central Maryland
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The blower motor resistor in my 1998 Buick Regal LS needs to be replaced. It has 3 screws holding it in place. It faces down and is between the blower motor and the firewall in the passenger foot well. I got the screw off closest to the blower motor, but the other two are behind the electrical connectors and blocked by the insulation on the firewall. It does not appear that I can get the insulation off easily, and it doesn't compress well. Any suggestions on how to remove the back screws? I used a 7/32" socket on the front screw, but the sockets don't fit on the back screws. It doesn't look like there is room for a 7/32" wrench, either. Unless it's a special offset wrench that I don't own. The blower still has 3 speeds, so the car isn't stuck in the driveway.
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Rank: Old Wrench Long Time Member
Groups: Founding Member
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Joined: 8/27/2008
Posts: 641
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Location: Dust Bowl of Oklahoma
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I'm afraid I can't be of much help on this one as this repair on that particular car is not one I'm familiar with at all.
It seems like I got into a similar situation a few years back (not a Buick, maybe a Ford) and several screws were covered by wire connectors and whatnot, which led to a few cuts and much irritation. For the life of me, I can't remember what I did to access those screws, only that it was a royal aggravation.
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Rank: Old Wrench Regular
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Joined: 8/29/2008
Posts: 327
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Location: Central Maryland
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I have a second socket set that isn't a ratchet. I'll try that. I also tried pulling it off the back screws with vice grips, but that didn't work. The new one has slots rather than holes. If the old one does too, I'll just back the screws off enough to get the old one out and then slide the new one in. I've seen deep offset box wrenches on line from Matco, Snap-On and a couple others. No auto or other tool stores near me carry an item like this. I'll buy one on line if Plans D and E don't work.
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Rank: Old Wrench Long Time Member
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Location: Dust Bowl of Oklahoma
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For what it's worth, I've got 3 large tool boxes and 2 large drawers in one of them is full of homemade tool contraptions that I've made over the years for this or that when a regular tool of some sort just won't cut it. Kind of amazing how they run a screw down the assembly line and build a complete car around it, huh? 
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Rank: Old Wrench Regular
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Location: marion, ohio
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Isn't it better that than to finish putting everything back together and finding out you have about 30 screws more than when you started? :P
 
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Rank: Old Wrench Junior Member
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Joined: 8/28/2008
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Location: Wash. DC
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Maybe you can simply mount the new resistor nearby. Strap it in place with something heat resistant like picture frame wire.
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Rank: Old Wrench Regular
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Joined: 8/29/2008
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Location: Central Maryland
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Circuitsmith wrote:Maybe you can simply mount the new resistor nearby. Strap it in place with something heat resistant like picture frame wire. I guess that I can at least try it out without mounting it to make sure it works. I'm going to try the socket with the bar wrench instead of the ratchet as soon as the car gets home today. If that doesn't work, I'm going to order the Ford ignition tool that Tester suggested on CT. I will probably try to pull it off with the vice grips again, too.
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Rank: Old Wrench Regular
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Location: Central Maryland
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The problem is solved. I used a bar wrench in an old 1/4" socket set to loosen one of the screws and then pulled the old unit out with vice grips. Next I unscrewed both rear screws a little. I slid the new blower resistor over these screws. I'm not going to tighten them. The front screw was easy to get back in. So, now the car has 5 blower speeds instead of 4 (including off).
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