| Author | Message | ||
     Bob Reynolds New User Username: bobreynolds Post Number: 10 Registered: 8-2012 |
I need to get to the wiper wheelboxes on my 1975 Shadow. The driver's side is OK, but there is a large amount of play on the passenger's wiper. I took the arm off and the wiper shaft wobbles about all over the place! And it looks like the splines might be worn as well. I understand that once the chrome nut is removed, whe wheelboxes come away from behind. I have taken the top roll off, but no access from there. I have taken the scuttle cover off from behind the bonnet, but no access from there either! Anybody done this job? | ||
| Dave Puttock Experienced User Username: ariel Post Number: 35 Registered: 5-2010 |
Yes, acccess is under the top roll, but the cable driving the wheel boxes is behind the plastic manifold that supplies screen demister. There are branches in the manifold through which you can actually get to the wheel boxes, but you will almost certainly have to remove the short plastic ducts which supply the eyeball vents, in order to release the loom which passes accross the demist manifold. Now the next bit is theoretical as I actually had my screen out at the time , not to mention the dashboard, so didn't need double articulated wrists. There is a drive tube which is in three parts. The first is a curved pipe from the wiper motor to the left hand wheel box, the middle section between the wheelboxes and a tail piece at the right hand wheelbox. Unfortunately removing the demist manifold is a massive job because there are three nuts behind the heater plenum and taking that out is a whole different kettle of fish! But I dont think that is necessary. If attemping to replace the wheelbox without removing all the demist manifold I suggest that you always keep the centre tube clamped to one wheelbox or the other as it could be difficult to extract if you let it go. The tubes are clamped to the wheelbox by a little angle bracket with two nuts. In my case removing outer octagonal nut was easy but the spacer was well corroded to the shaft of the wheel box and I had to drill an split one of my spacers to get it off. The oxide of aluminium/zinc was like concrete, and I turned up a couple of stainless spacers with O-rings when I replaced them. So remove the nuts and spacers, open the top of the wiper motor and release the drive cable/rack and pull the rack right out. Now inside remove the clamp and nuts and you should be able to move the ends of the tube enough to get the wheelbox out. I found new ones on Ebay for about 18 GBP, I think they were Mini but same dimensions as the ones I took off. When you have re assembled, leave the clamp nuts loose until you have threaded the rack back in, then nip up, and all you have to do is put the rest back together. Its not a quick job and may take more than a weekend to complete so I suggest plenty of labeling of wires, so that you can be confident it will all go back right. You can see the lefthand wiper spinde at the top of picture just right of the dash support.  | ||
| Bob Reynolds Experienced User Username: bobreynolds Post Number: 11 Registered: 8-2012 |
Yikes!! Thanks very much for posting all that. It will take me all weekend just to study it! | ||
| Geoff Wootton Prolific User Username: dounraey Post Number: 133 Registered: 5-2012 |
I've just re-packed my wiper motor with grease and checked the brushes etc. I would really like to clean and lubricate the cable however I do not, at this stage, want to remove the top roll to access the wheel boxes. What happens if I just pull the cable out??? Will I be able to feed the cable back in? Will it re-engage with the wheel boxes? Has anyone tried this? | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 993 Registered: 6-2006 |
Yes you will Geoff  | ||
| Geoff Wootton Prolific User Username: dounraey Post Number: 134 Registered: 5-2012 |
Paul, Many thanks for your reply. I will go ahead with it later today. I suspect most of the resistance is being caused by the cable. Will be interesting to see if my wipers move more quickly once I have done this work. | ||
| Geoff Wootton Prolific User Username: dounraey Post Number: 136 Registered: 5-2012 |
I've found the problem regards the slow wipers. The drivers side wheelbox was so stiff I had difficulty removing the cable - required quite some force until it cleared the wheelbox, then came out easily. I have managed to free the wheelbox a little with WD40 and it can now be rotated, however I think the top roll will have to come off to repair it properly. | ||
| Bob Reynolds Experienced User Username: bobreynolds Post Number: 44 Registered: 8-2012 |
By the looks of that photo above, you'll need to take off more than the top roll! I still haven't found enough time to tackle my wheelboxes. I did manage to buy 2 new ones though. Just need to devote 6 months to fitting them! | ||
| Jeffrey McCarthy Grand Master Username: jefmac2003 Post Number: 402 Registered: 5-2007 |
"Will be interesting to see if my wipers move more quickly once I have done this work." Geoff - on the side of the wiper motor is a protruding grub screw with a nut around it. This grub screw butts up against the worm gear from the motor. It has 2 functions. 1- prevents the armature moving forward so the brushes foil the winding wire. 2- adjusts the wiper speed by friction at the butt end of the worm gear. Loosen the larger nut and adjust the grub screw - it'll be either Allen key or slot- by tiny increments 1/8th turns at most. Loosen to speed up/tighten to slow down. Often it is overtightened and actually streeses the motor. Don't overloosen either or as above the worm gear and armature comes too far forward. I figured that one out this morning ! | ||
| Jeffrey McCarthy Grand Master Username: jefmac2003 Post Number: 403 Registered: 5-2007 |
Just in case someone comes searching and isn't already aware. Bill Coburn reprints a method of lubricating the wheelboxes, developed by Bill Hunter, in Tee One topics which is worthwhile knowing. It doesn't require removing the wheelboxes. If you do it routinely it may stave off the day you have to. TEE ONE Issue 43 Last 2 pages: http://rrtechnical.info/TeeOne/TO43.pdf | ||
| Geoff Wootton Prolific User Username: dounraey Post Number: 154 Registered: 5-2012 |
Jeffrey Yes, I adjusted the worm gear grub screw when I overhauled the wiper gearbox. The slowness of the wipers was caused by the driver's side seized wheelbox. I am still unsure of the correct operation of the wipers. You said that the wipers do a final wipe once they have been switched off, however should the wipers then also reverse into their parked position? As I mentioned, when I owned the XK150 the arc of the wipers was around the centre of the screen and on switching them off the end of the sweep left the wipers about 4 inches above the front scuttle, then they would quite definitely reverse down to their fully parked position. Is the Rolls system the same? | ||
| Jeffrey McCarthy Grand Master Username: jefmac2003 Post Number: 404 Registered: 5-2007 |
They should do this Geoff - with a final wipe across the screen and then a solid park. The switch with the 5 wires is on a slide which is adjustable. Undo the 3/4" bolt on the end of the motor and loosen the bracket screw. Ease the motor out and turn the base toward you. There are 2 little screws holding in the switch, a long piece of metal and a small piece which is a stop. Very fiddly and easy to lose (put a pillowcase underneath it) Loosen the switch screws slightly and move it towards the windscreen - there's about 1/4" play. Easier to do with the motor out but do-able on the car if you're careful. |
