Panasonic FFV3700297S Motor

I used this Panasonic replacement motor to repair my Panasonic model FB-08VQ3 bathroom fan. As others have pointed out, using this replacement motor for this model requires two modifications: (1) The wiring harness connector that comes with the newt motor does NOT match the one in this model fan; one needs to cut the connector off the new motor and splice in the connector from the old motor, and (2) On the shaft of the new motor washers need to be added to prevent the cage from rubbing on the housing. For me the hardest part was figuring out how to disassemble the old fan so I could take the innards out. This needs to be done to remove and replace the motor. Amazon does not permit external links in reviews, so I STRONGLY urge people to find and download the service manual for their model of Panasonic fan needing a new motor. Although the service manual was still somewhat confusing (because it has no pictures, only schematic diagrams) the additional information I gleaned there was enough to let me get the job done. Here is a description of the steps I took, in order: 0. Close the toilet lid, close the sink stopper, and remove or cover any waste baskets or other objects into which a screw could possibly fall from the ceiling and get lost. 1. Remove the grill by pulling down on two opposite edges, exposing two wire spring clips. Pinch each of the spring clips in turn between your thumb and forefinger as high up as possible so that the spring clips can be pulled away from the ceiling. 2. You will now see a black plastic shroud covering the ceiling opening, except in the middle, where you can see a circular opening with the fan cage inside the opening. Open the electrical connector access door by pulling on what the service manual calls a “claw” (I don’t know why, it doesn’t look like a claw at all!). Behind this access door, you will see the electrical connector and you may also see a thumbscrew holding the shroud to the fan housing. In my case, the installer did not install the thumbscrew. The shroud is held in place by four Phillips head screws. These screws are deep inside four visible holes. In my case, even after removing the screws, it was not easy to pull the shroud down because the opening in the ceiling was just a little bit too small, and the shroud was stuck against the ceiling gypsum board. It took me a bit to work the shrouding out of the hole. 3. The electrical connector clips in place. This connector can be a bit tricky to work loose. I knew that it was a matter of finding the right place to push so that the connector clip could clear the catch. 4. There are three machine screws that hold the entire fan assembly in place. Remove these screws, being careful when removing the final screw to support the somewhat heavy fan assembly. In my case, the fan exhaust housing built into the fan assembly was stuck to the fan housing and I had to pull hard to get it loose. 5. Take the fan assembly to a work bench or table. Turn the entire assembly upside down to reveal the motor capacitor box and the wires from the capacitor box to the motor and from the capacitor box to the wiring, harness connector (see photo). Remove the screws holding the capacitor box in place, the wiring harness strain relief, and the ground wire (if present). Also remove the six screws holding down the metal plate and lift off the metal plate (together with motor and fan cage) from the large plastic housing to which it was attached. 6. Flip the motor unit over and remove the nut and lock washer that secure the fan cage to the motor shaft and remove the fan cage. 7. Flip the motor unit over again and remove the four screws near the center holding the motor in place and remove the motor. It should now be possible to separate the motor along with the capacitor box, the wire connecting the capacitor box to the motor, and the wire harness with connector. 8. Everything is now apart, and the rest of the process involves reversing the steps above, using the new motor in place of the old. BUT, most likely the new motor is different from the old motor in two important ways, as mentioned at the beginning of this long review. Since the wiring harness connectors are not likely to be the same, you need to remove the connector from both the old wire and the new wire and splice the old connector to the new wire. I did this a few inches away from the capacitor box after measuring to make sure that the length of the wiring harness with connector, after splicing, would be at least as long as it was with the old motor. The second difference is the need to place some washers on the new motor shaft before replacing the fan cage. For me this was trial and error, to discover how many washers I needed to put on the shaft so that (a) the fan cage didn’t rub on the housing and (b) the locknut and nut would fit on the end of the shaft. While not for the faint of heart, this process should be doable for anyone with reasonable DIY skills.

I had to change the connector to match the one it replaced, put pretty simple fix. Didn't save a lot of money compared to replacing the whole fan, but I saved myself a lot of time by not having to cut up the drywall to get the old fan out.

Very easy to replace old motor with new. As mentioned you have to use old electrical wiring harness, but it’s not complicated. Speedy delivery.

Used to replace the motor on a 14-year-old unit. Is working like a charm and I didn’t have to replace the whole fan housing.

Motor fit perfectly, but needed to change plug to plug into connector on the can body.