BE: Installing wiper motor mounting grommets...

Two very sore thumbs later, I'm still trying to get the first of three of these through the small hole in the sheet metal. Will anything but the continued application of brute force get these things in place? Any tricks to be shared?

The old grommets had nearly completely deteriorated and the wiper motor was vibrating against sheet metal...so I thought I'd take on this simple little after-work project. <sigh>

Bill, can you bring it over to BillM's on Saturday?
Not sure if you said you were coming or not.

These just the standard grommets?
I use a little Sil-Glyde (soapy water works, too), fit one side, work around, last bit often takes a blunt flatblade screwdriver.
If you collapse the grommet across itself at the last bit, it's easier.
Like Rick said, bring it by Bill's Saturday, one of us will sort it out!
Dave

Sadly, I can't make it - doing ASA training/certs. both days this weekend (been a while since I've been on the water!). Wish I could join you all, but I've had this planned for months now.

Yup, just rubber grommets, but each 'section' is about half an inch thick and stubbornly resists being pushed through the panel... I'll keep on shovin'!

they are a pain. I ended up cutting them after sore hands and an hour of frustration

Not standard. They are like a cylinder with a cut around the middle.

I used a very small screwdriver. Seems like I squeezed the lower part as much as I could and shoved it into the hole then worked my way around with a very small screwdriver. All of the sudden it will just pop in.

Above all don't be worried you'll split it or break it in half. This was in the dead of summer and that little rubber piece was very soft. You might want to boil it.

I must say it is a pain to be bent over under that hood.

Good luck, you'll get it.

Charlie

KY Jelly and a small screw driver worked for me.

From your description, it sounds like these might be ordinary electrical grommets. In order to get those into a hole, the hole size must be pretty close to the diameter inside that "cut" or groove. Then, they should go in easily. You might look around your friendly local electronics store (or someplace on-line like Digi-Key and see if you can find some that fit better. I recently bought a whole assortment of them from Harbor Freight.

If he has the stock ones they are about 1/2" thick and about 5/8" diameter with a 1/8" hole for the motor bolts if I remember the dimensions correctly, and very hard. They must be tall to make the motor sit proud of the sheet metal, and thick and hard to absorb the motor vibration. I doubt an ordinary electrical grommet would be able to accomplish this.

Best,
Archie Architect

This may come too late and be too wordy, but I don't use the OEM type grommets on the wiper motors. For those unfamiliar, the original parts are not like regular electrical grommets, they are more like a long, hollow, thick walled rubber cylinder with a ring groove cut around their mid-point. They are very hard to fit through the hole on the wiper motor mounting bracket.

Instead of the grommets I do the following. At the parts store, buy a short length of 3/16" fuel line. At the same time buy a length of larger fuel line to just fit over the OD of the 3/16" line. (I think this was 3/8" ID hose).

Cut pieces of the 3/16" hose about 3/8" long keeping the ends square. Take the 3/8" hose and cut washers off of it about 1/8" thick (2 pieces for each piece of 3/16" hose).

Slip a piece of the 3/16" hose through the motor mounting bracket and slip one of the 3/8" hose washers onto each side of the 3/16" hose. Then mount your motor with the standard bolts and fender washers. This homemade method is as effective as the OEM grommets, easy to make, inexpensive, and won't leave you frustrated like trying to fit the OEM grommets.

Take the grommets and a razor blade and cut em in half in the middle. Mount with half on top and half on bottom, Problem solved.

Never could get the darn things in and they work just fine in two parts.

Took a second shot at those devil-grommets tonight and got them in. It took some grease and a careful application of a small screwdriver. It's possible - just a pain in the you know what...

You a better man than I Gunga Din (sp).