I've had my blower motor "replaced" under warranty twice. The noise goes away for awhile, but comes back eventually. I suspect they "replace" it with the exact same unit they took out after spraying a bit of oil on the bearings. Smelled that way the last time and would account for the noise returning as the lubricant wore off.

I'm thinking of ordering one myself (I'm past my basic warranty period now). Has anyone had any luck with 3rd party blower motors?