Wiper Gearbox

[David W.]

I'm getting ready to throw some money at my wipers. I have a 60 Traveller and will be replacing the gearboxes among other things.
I see that there are two: WPR114 and WPR115, for pre and post 1963. Are they interchangeable? There is a decent price difference, enough to pay the shipping to USA if I buy the "wrong" gearbox.
Am I being a bit cheap? Do I just need to pay the higher price for having this exotic car?
David

[brucek]

Sorry David - the wiper wheel boxes are not interchangeable - I think owing to the fact that they perform different functions in wiping the screen - the 'clap hands' type requires one wheelbox to be positioned with the cable/rack above the wheelbox gear , the other is below. This ensures that the back and forth motion of the cable rotates each wheelbox in a diferent direction. The later ones are positioned the same way so they work in parallel to one another.

[bmcecosse]

But 'wheelboxes' rarely fail completely. In use - only less than half the gear wheel is ever used - so if you rotate the spindles 180 degrees...they will be good as new for another 50 years.......unless someone already did this in the past of course.

[David W.]

I've done the 180 rotation, and the result isn't pretty. There's a lot of sloppiness in the whole system. Time to throw new parts at it.

[bmcecosse]

It should be good as new.....provided they really were rotated 180 degrees of course. Oh and the rack can be turned over too......

[whyperion]

Just Dis-assembled my 1960 4dr Saloon's wiper assembly , the clap hands wipers are controlled from wiper boxes and cable definatley is below each wheelbox gear. ( though they had been got at in the past , one wheelbox had a bolt head retaining the cover rather than a slot head screw.

I also need help removing the wheelboxes from the car , and taking off the chrome external covers and spindles , there appears nothing left to undo or come loose but I cannot separate either part off ( reasons for removal - painting internal and external scuttle , and replacing the under rubber seals )

Any helpful advice appreciated ( and with the wiper wire does the longer tubing go covex side toward front of car , I did not note on removal , and are the little rubber feet under the wiper operating section of the motor to inner wing extension bracket avalible from any suppliers ?

[David W.]

I found that one of my wheelboxes had a loose screw that was causing all the problems. A hex head bolt, not slotted screw like you have. Nothing wrong with the arrangement as long as the assembly remains tight.
The rubber feet are available, although the times I've replaced them on a few cars, I don't think I really needed them. They looked a little rough around the edges, but the rubber had a lot of life left. (Since I had the new ones, I replaced them anyway.)
As for removing the wheelboxes, they are probably just stuck from stiff rubber/rust/corrosion etc. Be sure you have the nut removed, and grab them from below and gently wiggle. You can tap GENTLY from above with a soft hammer.

[whyperion]

Thanks

As for removing the wheelboxes, they are probably just stuck from stiff rubber/rust/corrosion etc. Be sure you have the nut removed, and grab them from below and gently wiggle. You can tap GENTLY from above with a soft hammer.

After removing the chrome lock nuts , the use of a wooden block + heavy hammer, spare hands under the scuttle wiggling , long screwdrivers levering around the holes , the embellishers finally came off. Basically a white goo had been applied to the external of the main tubes sticking the embellisers to them, probably plummers mate or similar , not that it stopped the water ingress ( was that a factory thing or has one of my past repairers been wrongly enthusiastic ? . The internal rubbers seem very stiff , should replacements be a bit more flexible , hopefully resisting water ingress a bit better ?

[David W.]

Live rubber is always better than dead rubber.