[If you haven't crossed Marc's DIY Eichler House Facebook page, you should check it out. It's probably the most useful social-media board out there for Eichler-related-repair stuff. The intel below is pulled from a few topics on that page.]
The operation and repair of the original Nutone exhaust fans has come up a few times in the past few months. While the original fans aren't very powerful, they did — and can — work and potentially alleviate more drastic measures in venting your Eichler kitchen or bathrooms. Like anything that's nearly 70 years old, parts wear out and could use a refresh. Fortunately, in the word of Eichlers, the original parts were so simple that repair — versus replacement — is often possible.
[A captivating video of our exhaust fan vs. a paper towel. See the above FB post for that.]
First, it's important to think about air movement and how that works: motor speed, fan size, fan blade shape all come into play, but in realistic terms, you're only going to pull so much air with an 8in fan blade within a 9in tube. So, keep your expectations realistic. If you do need industrial-level exhaust, you might be better off looking to other systems.
… when living in a 70 year old house, you should expect to get your hands dirty every now and again — it’s part of the adventure.