Cadillac Heater

[Steve Rinaldo]

I have some questions on 1937 60 series heater. I bought this at Hershey and was told by the guys in CLC Tent that it was the correct heater. It is a 2 front door type with a 2 wire motor. The warm air goes out the back not the front. Changing polarity of the wires does not effect which direction the fan rotates. Here goes:

1. Is this the correct unit for this car?
2. Should the air blow out through the front over the heater core or the back?
3. Most DC motors will spin in the opposite direction when the leads are reversed, what gives?
4. If the air should come out the front over the core and the fan only spins one direction, I think the fan is installed backwards. Agree?

Thanks, Steve

[Steve Passmore]

I'll help if I can Steve.  I guess if the guys in the tent said its correct then it should be. The correct heaters in 37 are not reversible motors. To get heat to de-frost you have to shut the doors and force air up the screen ducts and yes, the air should be blown out forward over the core.  Something else must be wrong as even if you reversed the fan it would not alter anything, the blades would still point the same way, think about it.    You have to change the rotation of the blades to get the air moving in a different direction so something must be wrong with the motor?  There is only one shaft so the motor can't be fitted back to front unless someone has fitted the wrong motor at some time?

[Steve Rinaldo]

Thanks

[John Washburn CLC 1067 Sadly deceased.]

Both Steve's,


On my 37 LaSalle the heater unit motor with the two doors that says Cadillac works in both directions. One the motor turns to push the heat into the car. The other is to push the heat to the defroster/ front windows. The key is the switch which will turn the motor one way then when you turn the switch it will reverse the rotation. The switch also has a light to show when it is on.

Sorry but that is the way it works. The problem is finding the switch.

I can post what the switch looks like if you would like.

It works well in my 37 LaSalle so don't tell me it is not reversible.


The Johnny

[Steve Rinaldo]

I photo of the both the front and back would be great. Thanks

[DaveZ]

I too have a 37. Same heater as described. it works buy changing the polarity of the motor. The shaft has two fans on it. One for the heater and one for the defroster. The heater fan is a prop type and the defroster is of the squirrel case. They are set in pitch the opposite direction. By changing the polarity of the motor it changes the direction the motor turns in turn having defrost or heat. Has variable speed positions too. The problem, as mentioned, is finding the switch.  The motor will have four wires coming out of it. two to the brushes and two to the fields. Power is to the switch common post which has two resistors on each side connecting to the brushes, i think if I remember. That leaves three posts left. One field and one for each brush. The other field wire would go to ground.  My switch is no good because the wire off the resistor on one side has broken off. If I cant find a new one I may try to fix it. This is all from memory so....