Wipers not operating correctly

[Onne]

Hello all,

I have been trying to fix my passenger side wiper today. No success though.

The problem with it is that there is a lot of play on the spindle. I can move the wiper half way up the screen before I see the drivers side move.

I have done the 180 degree swap, but no difference.

Does anyone have any other ideas where the play may be?

Car in question is my Series II (so no problems with the self park...)

Thanks you

[bmcecosse]

Well - unless the wheelbox itself has mucho play between the gear on the rack and the spindle where the arm fits (ie the gear has come loose!) - I don't see why the 180 didn't sort it out. Are you sure it was a good 180 and didn't end up 360 ?? The rack itself could be badly worn - and can also be turned over to present a new edge to the gear - but I think that's unlikely. Definitely not just wear in the arm to spindle mount ?

[Onne]

wear in the arm to spindle mount .
What exactly would this be, excuse my ignorance.
The nut is tight, and I can see the spindle turn. (bear in mind that Series II wipers do not have the splined set-up

I did of course have a look at the actual cog, and it seems equally worn all round.

[bmcecosse]

Yes -I know about the early mount not splined - but it must still clamp to the arm in some way - just wondered if any wear/loosness there. If the gear is worn all round - maybe you need a new one !

[Onne]

True.

There is of course the possibility that it has already been turned round twice... it is her 53rd birthday today, and the wiper motor is the original.

Now where is Carlo...

[bmcecosse]

Strange though that the driver side is working ok ?

[Onne]

no play in that at all, but that is close to the motor.

It's gone dark now, otherwise I'd take it out and take some photo's.

[bmcecosse]

What - no 'flash' ?

[Onne]

It involves taking the glove box out again, and I am sure I will lose the screws.

Sadly my car does not have an interior light either.

No flash on the phone camera, the charger for the normal camera is hiding somewhere

[bmcecosse]

Happy Birthday anyway!!

[rayofleamington]

it's a good lot of years since I last messed with wiper wheel boxes however if it's the same as later ones, the cable forms the 'rack' running against the pinion part of the wheel (although it is styled like a worm and wheel set up, the action is rack and pinion)
Therefore if the spiral outer part of the cable is loose, or the cable sheathing (solid tube?) is faulty then you'll get a lot of extra slack.

[WPR678B]

Onne, i'm here!
Ray has sort of hit the nail on the head above! The splitscreen's are prone to the passengers side wiper being next to useless due to the outer casing between the wheel boxes being flexible. If you watch under the dash with the wipers on you will see the casing (that looks like a big spring!) is flexing about.
2 of my sisters ran splitscreen's as their daily drivers and i found that if you change the cable casing between the wheelboxes for the centre section from a 948 "claphand" set up which is a solid tube then you will have a 100% improvement in wiper effciency on the passengers side.
The tube will be too long though for a straight swop so one end will need trimming to suit but as long as you put the remaining flared end on the drivers side wheelbox then there is no need to re-flare the other end!

[WPR678B]

I knew i'd written about this before and i see that you even commented on it Onne!

http://www.mmoc.org.uk/index.php?name=P ... sc&start=0

[bmcecosse]

Sounds highly likely! Why on earth did they use a flexible outer ??????

[mike.perry]

I can't remember if your wiper motor is under the bonnet or behind the dash.
Anyway have you had the glove boxes out and checked the cable clamps either side of the wheel boxes? If they are loose you will see the outer cable moving about when you switch on the wipers.
If you have worn wheel boxes have they been turned before?
If you need new wheel boxes send me an email.
They used a flexible outer so you could bend the rack to fit it in place.
I really appreciate the fact that an early owner fitted my MM with an interior light. For a long time I thought it was standard.

[Onne]

The motor is under the dash (where it should be )

This does all make a lot of sense though, the boxes are hardly fixed solid are they!

Could I use any other kind of solid pipe to replace the flexible affair (maybe even put the complete flexi thing in a solid sleeve)

[bmcecosse]

Length of copper tube correct diameter with the ends flared out would be ok.

[kennatt]

before you strip it out make sure that the clamps at each wheel box are tight had the same problem on mine and found that the tube was moving in and out of the box ,tightened the clamps and now perfect

[mike.perry]

If your wiper motor is buried under the dash behind the instrument panel then you have the same setup as me. Remove the covers from the wheel boxes and inspect the inner drive cable. This wears as well as the cogs, so no amount of turning the cogs through 180 deg. will make any difference. New wiper rack I'm afraid.
I always try to avoid using the wipers except on a really wet screen to try to reduce the wear on the rack.
By the time you have fixed the rack you will probably need a new glove box!!!!

[Onne]

I need one of those anyway

Wipers were working fine today.

All I did was say good morni ng to her in a nice way