source for clayton 7.1 blower (not draft) motor

[4mla1fn]

well, looks like the blower on the back of this circa 1983 clayton 7.1 furnace is about dead. and it's 16 degrees outside. anyone have any ideas of how to go about finding a replacement. i've called around to HVAC and some woodstove places in the area (zip: 21078) but no luck. i've thought about a motor rebuild, but figure that could take several days, which i'd rather avoid. thanks.

 

[Fred61]

Grainger is usually the best source for replacement fans. They may be able to cross reverence the part numbers.

 

[4mla1fn]

thanks very much. y'know, grainger.com was the first place i checked but no knowing about blowers/motors etc, i thought maybe hvac or wood stove place might be a surer source. not so. i also called us stove. they wanted $380 + overnight shipping ($$$). (their part # is 69160 for future reference.) i then called grainger on your recommendation. got a really helpful rep (miguel); i sent him pics and specs; he got tech support on the line also (jim). they found a motor, mounting bracket, and they recommended adding a capacitor, so that'll be an upgrade of sorts. total $180. i'll pick it up in town this afternoon. we should be back to normal by this evening if all works out. (i'll post grainger part numbers once it's all working.) thanks again.

 

[Fred61]

Hopefully this will have a happy ending tomorrow. Glad to help!

 

[4mla1fn]

following up...the install went smoothly last evening and the house was toasty shortly afterwards.

for posterity, here's what i ordered (grainger part numbers) and relevant notes:

motor: 4KA43 (a.o. smith 322P490)
motor mounting bracket: 2mey5
run capacitor: 2mdv6
capacitor mount: 2mev1

the motor mounting bracket, though spec'd for a 5" motor, which the 4KA43 is, was too large by about 1/4". following a grainger rep's advice, i put two wraps of an old bicycle inner tube around the motor (making sure not to block the airflow holes) and it cinched down very nicely.

i also double-checked with a grainger tech that i correctly understood how to wire the motor for CCW rotation (when viewed from the lead side/back of the motor). the motor came configured for CW (yellow and orange crimped together) so i cut that connection, shorted yellow with brown and put orange to the cap. (see motor label pic below.)

i also picked up some female spade connectors at home depot. i already had a crimping tool. the job is a piece of cake. since the wires are all separate, it makes for kind of a messy installation. i'm going to look for some loom to neaten thing up a bit. now i just need to remember the next time i have to mess with the motor (for whatever reason) to ensure the cap is discharged.

 

[fespo]

Great post! my motor went out tonight and your post came up as the second one when searching for a new motor. Thanks for all the info Fespo

 

[4mla1fn]

sweet! i hope your DIY will go as smoothly as mine did.

 

[fespo]

Your post said about upgrading with a capacitor. Is that all prewired

 

[4mla1fn]

no, the run capacitor is a separate component. instructions were included about how to wire it up to the motor.

 

[fespo]

4mla1fn THANK YOU Green house is back up and running. In a pinch I had a Christmas inflatable that was tore, remove the blower and stuck that in the cold air return. It was not the best but did the Job for almost 48 hours

 

[4mla1fn]

+1. very resourceful!