From what flyinglass (?) posted, these are infinitely difficult to take apart, but otherwise the brushes are replaceable, if you can find some.
As for the blower, I can only recommend picking something a bit smaller than what I picked up (tip: the Surplus Center has blowers too!). Also, try to find something with a motor that's inside the hub, as much as possible: the 8" width of the case is easily filled, in fact, I won't be able to center this blower over the core.
Otherwise, this automotive blower runs perfectly on a PSU's 5 volt line
