13 replies to this topic

[Paintmonkey]

Hi, I know I'm probably just being thick but please bear with me!!
I've just fitted the wiper motor, rack & wheelboxes into the Estate I'm restoring.
All went well until I turned them on and they tried wiping the bonnet!!
Someone told me all you have to do is strip motor and move the plastic stop on the gear wheel through 180 degrees. I did this (much easier than expected), refitted everything and again the wipers went for the bonnet!!
I've even removed a complete motor & rack assembly from a spare car and fitted that......you've guessed it.....it tried to wipe the bonnet!!
The car is nearly finished but these little problems are beginning to make me pull my hair out...what little I've got left!
The car is a 1980 estate with engine, loom, wiper motor from a 1993 Rio. The wiper motor is mounted on R/H side of engine bay (looking from the front), radiator side.
Anyone got any ideas???
Cheers.
Rich

[Ethel]

The wheel boxes are on the wrong side of the rack. It's a LHD - RHD thing - are the blanking grommets & washer jets on the windscreen scuttle to the left (passenger) side of the wiper arms? That'd be correct for RHD.

[JamesF]

Leave the motor as it is. Take one wiper arm off at a time, they should just pull right off the knob on the scuttle. Turn the wipers so the one on the bonnet is at its lowest, then replace the one you removed onto the knob but in the right position. Then take off the other arm and replace it in the right position.

[Paintmonkey]

The wheel boxes are on the wrong side of the rack. It's a LHD - RHD thing - are the blanking grommets & washer jets on the windscreen scuttle to the left (passenger) side of the wiper arms? That'd be correct for RHD.

The blanking grommets & washer jets are towards the passenger side. Is it possible to put wheel boxes on other side of rack?
Can't really understand why it's happened! The one out of the spare car, which I haven't stripped or fiddled with does exactly the same!

[Ethel]

Leave the motor as it is. Take one wiper arm off at a time, they should just pull right off the knob on the scuttle. Turn the wipers so the one on the bonnet is at its lowest, then replace the one you removed onto the knob but in the right position. Then take off the other arm and replace it in the right position.

This is also a possibility, if the rack wasn't properly parked before the arms were fitted. Take the arms off, turn on the wipers and turn them off by the wipers switch (not the ignition) so they park and refit the arms - If the motor stops dead every time you turn the wipers off the park switch is duff.

[Paintmonkey]

Leave the motor as it is. Take one wiper arm off at a time, they should just pull right off the knob on the scuttle. Turn the wipers so the one on the bonnet is at its lowest, then replace the one you removed onto the knob but in the right position. Then take off the other arm and replace it in the right position.

I think I understand what you mean the only problem is that the wipers don't even try to go up the screen. I made some cardboard wipers (to save my paintwork!!) and tried what you suggested but it didn't matter where I positioned the wiper or where I turned them off...they always went for the bonnet!!
Electrics aren't my strong point and this is just about getting to the big hammer stage!

[JamesF]

If the motor stops dead every time you turn the wipers off the park switch is duff.

I forgot about that bit. I was explaining from my experience, and my wipers don't "park" at the bottom, they just stop.

[Paintmonkey]

Leave the motor as it is. Take one wiper arm off at a time, they should just pull right off the knob on the scuttle. Turn the wipers so the one on the bonnet is at its lowest, then replace the one you removed onto the knob but in the right position. Then take off the other arm and replace it in the right position.

This is also a possibility, if the rack wasn't properly parked before the arms were fitted. Take the arms off, turn on the wipers and turn them off by the wipers switch (not the ignition) so they park and refit the arms - If the motor stops dead every time you turn the wipers off the park switch is duff.

Wipers seem to work fine off instrument stalk. Both speeds work and when I turn off the wiper stalk both cardboard wipers park at the same time in the same position at the bottom of the screen. Turn them on and off they go across the scuttle!!

[Ethel]

Making up a pointer for in place of the arm is a good idea.

I don't think you can have reversed the polarity of the motor if both speeds work (2 supplies & only one earth). Some motors have a universal drive gear with various holes to fit the drive peg in (thinking about it that would be a more sensible way to accommodate LH & RHD fittings). You'd want to fit the peg in to the hole that's 180 degrees and the same distance from the centre as the original.

Your card wipers must park after wiping the bonnet not the screen?

[Paintmonkey]

Making up a pointer for in place of the arm is a good idea.

I don't think you can have reversed the polarity of the motor if both speeds work (2 supplies & only one earth). Some motors have a universal drive gear with various holes to fit the drive peg in (thinking about it that would be a more sensible way to accommodate LH & RHD fittings). You'd want to fit the peg in to the hole that's 180 degrees and the same distance from the centre as the original.

Your card wipers must park after wiping the bonnet not the screen?

Yeah card wipers park at bottom of screen after wiping the bonnet! Already stripped motor and moved the plastic stop on motor gear 180 degrees..made no difference. There was only one hole in gear for the bar connecting gear to rack to fit into. Going back to your earlier reply...do you know if I can just undo wheel boxes and fit them to the other side of the rack. Would this work and would they still fit through original holes in scuttle? Off to work now but will be playing with wipers AGAIN tomorrow morning so all ideas are greatfully recieved and will be tried out!!!
Cheers.
Rich

[madalicesdad]

I can’t remember whether the park position is when the connecting rod on the big gear is furthest away from or closest to the rack, but irrespective of that, whichever way the motor turns, the rack will move the same way. This rules out electrical polarity mix-ups as the primary cause of your problem.
The fundamental problem is that from the parked position, the spindle rotates the wrong way (ie the wiper goes downwards whereas it should rotate upwards). The only way I can see this could happen is if the rack is operating on the wrong side of the spindle in the wheel box.
I don’t know if you had stripped the rack and wheel boxes, but if so, did you reassemble them correctly? The wheel boxes can be fitted with the rack on either side. The initial movement of the rack away from the park position should turn the spindle the right way.
My apologies for being a bit vague, but I’m doing this from memory! However, I hope it is of some use.
Mike

[Ethel]

Reversing the polarity would alter the wiper direction (DC motor) but as they spend half their time going in one direction and half the other it would only effect the park. After some more thinking, it would be obvious as the park switch would meet a tragic end when it ran in to the blunt side of the park ramp.

Yes you can turn the wheel boxes round, from a a quick peak in my Haynes they should be between the rack and screen, if you can feel that the rack tubing is on the screen side of the wheel box I'd guess that's the problem. Can you move the nylon cog on its own spindle? Turning the wheel boxes will mess up the fit of the rack a bit if it is correct.

[Paintmonkey]

Hi.
Just wanted to say a big thanks for all the advice!!
I'm pleased to say this morning the wipers are on the screen and not the bonnet!! YIPPEEEEE!!!!
Not sure how I fixed it.
Stripped motor, put park stop back into original place and regreased everything.
Removed the wheel boxes, cleaned, regreased and put back in original place.
Changed the park switch on the back of the motor just to be on the safe side.
Then put everything back in position.
Connected the cardboard wipers (thinking of patenting the design!!) and, yep, they went up the screen and even parked in more or less the right place!!
So thanks again, you stopped me from resorting to the big hammer method!!
Now I've just got to fix the fuel & temperature guages, get it through an MOT and I'm laughing!!!
Cheers
Rich

[Ethel]

Weird, perhaps a faulty park switch cutting out too early? One to remember