Hey guys,

What exactly is the purpose of this blower in the engine bay? My situation is I don't have hoses attached. I've been running my car without it hooked up.

I read that a couple of threads that you don't necessarily need it. You can cap off the hole on the driver side (mine is currently open). As it is right now, after I run her a little while, she smokes out of it a bit until she cools.

Thanks,
Jason

I believe it's for the heater/defroster. I live where its usually warn, so I removed the heater stuff to have more room for my twin carb set-up.

Here in the Netherlands, at the bi-yearly mandatory tech test from our DMV, we need it. We need something to blow on the windscreen, so if we take that blower out, we need to put something else back to do that task. There are tricks and tips to overcome this (in case they spot it all all), but easier is that it is in place.

it is to supplement the heat volume blown into the cabin on the 914-4 especially at idle.

I took mine out a long time ago. I get plenty of heat / defrost downshifting, and it helps "unclutter" the engine bay. Plus, they're actually pretty anemic.

You can also cover the J-Tubes with 1 1/2 inch rubber hose caps like you find at your big box hardware store so heat doesn't leak into engine bay.

It’s a single speed fan actuated by the handle with the red knob between the seats.

Also, regarding the defroster, the engine itself will blow warm air up to the front - assuming everything else is hooked up and working, but as George says, engine speed impacts volume. The fresh air fan adds air volume, too, but unheated, of course.

Thanks guys! That gives me options to play with.

It's most useful at low rpm's in cool or cool/damp weather. 6's didn't have one. If your heat exchangers are in good shape and you keep your engine speed above 3k you don't need it and will have plenty of heat.

The blower adds air into the heat exchangers. so it does get heated before heading into the cabin.
if your J-tube is uncapped the air from the big fan housing on front of the engine will escape into the engine compartment instead of going into the passenger compartment.

You should NOT get smoke out of the J-tube. and if you cap it and the rest of your heater parts are hooked up correctly that smoke will travel into the driver/passenger area.

There may be oil in your heat exchangers causing the smoke or Worse there is an internal leak in the HE's and exhaust gasses will travel into the passenger compartment.

Very BAD.

Yea, the six didn't have one. So, to get hot air into the cabin, you just drive it a gear lower!