[EldoRedo91]

Gentlemen:

Thank you all for replying. I consulted the service manual, which indeed confirms that you DO have to detach what the manual refers to as the "fan," which I'm guessing is the spinning plastic cage? Here are the instructions:

Disconnect battery
Remove cross-tower brace
Remove cowl relay center bracket, position out of the way
Disconnect electrical connector and cooling hose
Remove MAP sensor mounting bracket, set aside
Tilt blower motor in case and detach fan from motor
Remove motor from case
Remove fan from case

Install is just those directions in reverse.

I do remember now what the problem becomes: the cage is held on inside at the bottom with either a nut or a screw. I've forgotten which and the engine is too hot to tilt out the motor right now to look. The problem is, it tilts out at such an awkward angle that it was very difficult to get either a socket (if its a nut) or a screwdriver (if its a screw) to loosen the damn thing.

Back then I think I was just trying to see whether I could lubricate it somehow to stop the noise it was making (which, BTW, is why I want to replace it). I shopped a bit online but I think the ones I found said they did not include the cage!

I think I'll unbolt it and see whether I can just destroy the cage somehow, then get a replacement that comes with the cage, since "re-assembly" starting with two separate components presumably should be easier.

Here's a photo -- I'm not sure what/where the MAP sensor mounting bracket is.