280zedxt Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Good day all. Not sure if i read this here on hybrid or not, but i have pictures I found reference to a different blower motor upgrade for our beloved s30's Using the motor from a 1999 kia sportage (and yes it comes with the fan cage/hamster wheel, if bought new) and very minor trimming to the metal motor housing, It fits with no rubbing, also unlike the original, it flush mounts to the housing so no spacers and you can reuse the original screws. I'm not taking credit, just sharing something i stumbled across on the web, which i did myself and now i'm sharing. And yes I it moves lots of air Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtnickel Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Good day all. Not sure if i read this here on hybrid or not, but i have pictures I found reference to a different blower motor upgrade for our beloved s30's Using the motor from a 1999 kia sportage (and yes it comes with the fan cage/hamster wheel, if bought new) and very minor trimming to the metal motor housing, It fits with no rubbing, also unlike the original, it flush mounts to the housing so no spacers and you can reuse the original screws. I'm not taking credit, just sharing something i stumbled across on the web, which i did myself and now i'm sharing. And yes I it moves lots of air I don't know much about these swaps, but how thick is the stock fan spacer. Just so you know, it's pretty critical that the clearance between the cage and the bottom of the fan box is not too large. I'd say you want it under 1/4". The fan needs to draw air in and throw it down the outlet. If there is too big a gap it will be sucking it self. Tough to explain, but just curious as to the stock spacer width as in your first picture there is a 1" depth difference from flanges to bottom of cage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bvolken Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 I did the swap using the Honda blower motor. I strongly recommend it. Lots of photos and step-by-step. Honda blower motor swap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgsheen Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 ... but just curious as to the stock spacer width as in your first picture there is a 1" depth difference from flanges to bottom of cage. The Kia "squirrel cage" fits the blower box well when you remove the stock spacers - no rubbing anywhere. As you can see, It's also quite a bit larger and has more fins than either the stock fan OR the Honda fan. (that's why I chose it initially... While at the P-N-P years ago, I had a Honda blower in my hand (looked kinda wimpy to me...) and came across the Kia (it's also not just the Sportage that uses this blower) - there was just no comparison between the two blowers. The only downside is the modification to the blower box to get the larger cage through the hole. It moves a lot of air - definately a huge improvement over stock. If the S30 vent configuration wasn't so stupid, it would blow you out of the cabin. As it stands it overcomes many weaknesses of the ventilation design through sheer force... Don't forget to seal up the spaces between vent parts with new foam strips and check the hoses & tubing for leaks behind the dash - get all that air blowing out the vents not lost behind the dash! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S30 SPL Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 @cgsheen- do you have a/c in your car? I have a/c and the additional airflow would be perfect to actually keep the cabin cool in warmer weather. The vent temps are low, just not enough air flow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgsheen Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 (edited) @cgsheen- do you have a/c in your car? I have a/c and the additional airflow would be perfect to actually keep the cabin cool in warmer weather. The vent temps are low, just not enough air flow. Since that day in 2009 when I put this car back on the road! This IS Arizona after all... I was lucky that this frame had factory A/C - the interior stuff was all here & all I had to find was engine bay parts to get it working. The stock fan always sucked and the squirrel cage plastic only lasted a few seasons before the thing cracked and came apart. Best thing that ever happened - made me go look for a replacement... edit: Besides this, be sure to check the grommets in your firewall - seal up all the ways hot engine bay and/or outside air can penetrate the interior. (shift boot, weatherstrip, etc.) You always want some cabin air exchange, but after all these years most Z's "leak" way more than they need to... Edited March 26, 2015 by cgsheen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S30 SPL Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 @cgsheen THank you! I also have a factory A/C equipped model, it's not bad on decent days if I am moving and have a window cracked just a little to get more air moving inside. But this is LA, where we have plenty of stop and go.Cabin leaks aren't too bad, the transmitted heat from the tunnel, floor, windows and roof are a problem. Time to do this upgrade! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hansonsaid Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 my 280z was already upgraded with the honda blower, but the larger kia blower is significantly better at moving air. if anyone is considering an upgrade from stock i highly suggest going straight to the kia unit, it's a better fan at a more affordable price(i picked one up on ebay brand new for half the cost of a used honda one). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mizle Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 This is some great information. Looks like ill be picking up one of these Kia blowers soon! Thanks for the writeup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zifulotto Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Hi, did anybody ever change only the vent cage with another more effectiv or nows a compatible? I have also a 280 motor blowing weak. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purgatory Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 (edited) The pictures are dead. Can someone please reload them? Edited April 17, 2018 by Purgatory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomoHawk Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 This is interesting... There are lots of KIAs in the junkyards (duh...) so these should be easier to find than the 1988-91 Civics. BUT.... if you want to order one that's new, you need to know which model of Sportage, such as LX, EX... Autoparts store kids only know what their computer will show- IF they know what to put into the computer entry screen in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nullbound Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 There's another thread on this topic where the pics still work: http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/120932-blower-motor-upgrade-kia-sportage/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomoHawk Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 I looked at an Optima fan while looking for Sportages. It "looked" similar to the Datsun fan, IIRC, but you'd have to take it out to see for sure. Anyway, the mounting holes from the KIA fan (mine is from a 2007 Sportage) were not the same, but I think you just need to egg-out the holes slightly to make it work. Otherwise, the fan assembly was larger than the Datsun one, about an inch in overall diameter. How much of the fan box can you grind away? You gotta take the glovebox out to have enough room back there. BTW- While you're behind the glove box, I'd suggest you pull off all those firewall connector and treat the terminals to a good dose of Deoxit 100... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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