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Wiper motor install error - warning

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steveg

steveg

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Wanted to state this issue for the archives.

After installing my rebuilt wiper motor and all the wiring below it, to my horror, I discovered the wipers wiped downward across my bodywork instead of across the windshield.

I found out the hard way the park position is adjustable by rotating the little "cup" on top of the motor. Mine was in the wrong position either by me or the guy who rebuilt it.

WiperMotorInstalled.jpg


Fortunately, it was possible to loosen the 1/4" hex screw on the corner to the left of the sharpie mark as well as the two on the pointed end of the motor to the right. The one in the back is not accessible. Then by wedging a small screwdriver between the long cover and motor body, the cup was freed enough to be able to rotate with the fingers until the correct park position was established, then marked with a sharpie, before tightening the screws.

Suggest indexing the cup position to the top cover or side - permanently with a scribe, before sending out for rebuilding.

PS - If you have yours rebuilt, be sure to bench test it before re-installing. The guy who did mine didn't do so, and the brush carrier had slipped off to one side as the end cap was installed. It was DOA. Youtube saved me on that one, as the supplier was out of town and I couldn't hassle him about it.
 
I had loads of fun rebuilding mine getting it to work correctly. I still wouldn't drive in the rain if I could avoid it. I leave the wiper arms in the boot because I never know when I might get a little crazy and want to drive with the windscreen down. Now there is a feature the everyone thinks is way cool but only those who've driven with it down or who ride motorcycles without wind protection know it was pretty much a worthless design feature. Did I say it was very cool though?
My thoughts on your warning are perhaps a little crazy too, Im going out on a limb here but wouldnt you think a rebuild would include a 5 or 10 minute test? Wouldnt you think a "rebuilder" would put a note in the box saying to check the park position on the bench and how to adjust it for your application?
 
roscoe said:
I had loads of fun rebuilding mine getting it to work correctly. I still wouldn't drive in the rain if I could avoid it. I leave the wiper arms in the boot because I never know when I might get a little crazy and want to drive with the windscreen down. Now there is a feature the everyone thinks is way cool but only those who've driven with it down or who ride motorcycles without wind protection know it was pretty much a worthless design feature. Did I say it was very cool though?
My thoughts on your warning are perhaps a little crazy too, Im going out on a limb here but wouldnt you think a rebuild would include a 5 or 10 minute test? Wouldnt you think a "rebuilder" would put a note in the box saying to check the park position on the bench and how to adjust it for your application?
Click to expand...

Yes, I would think all the above would be true. It's a well-known LBC electric guy, too. Next time I'll go to the competitor...wait, I don't think there is one.
 
Understand and appreciate that all equipped "options" work on our Healeys, but functioning wipers is not on the top of my list. Wiper motor is one speed...slow...and an application of rain-ex or some other hydrophobic solution to windshield has been very effective. Certainly in the last T-storms we were caught in. Although I try not to drive in the rain - easy to do in Southern California.

A friend of mine, let's call him "Crazy Larry", pulled the wipers arms off his then new Jaguar XK8 because he thought they spoiled the lines of the car. Treated the windshield and drove it that way through several Northern California winters before selling it on - with wiper arms in trunk. Crazy...

Installation of a variable wiper motor should be on an Healey enhancement list and perhaps safety list for some. Steve, any ideas? GONZO
 
Have to agree, Rain-x is great stuff. Getting the wipers overhauled was a case of mission creep from the get-go and then once they were overhauled and I got em running, it was galling to have them unusable after all that $$$ and effort. Wanted to put the above into the archives for some future shmoe to be warned and not make the same mistakes I did.
 
I wasn't very careful when I regreased my motor when I restored my Healey but another guy told me to just change the location of the wipers. Remove them and run the motor and then when it stops put the wipers back on.
 
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Patrick - I originally thought as your friend did. You were lucky that your park position was already in the right place and all you had to do was change the wiper position. In my case the park position was 180 degrees out. When I put the wipers in the right place after the motor had stopped, then they ran down over the bodywork as I described above.
 
my bn6 is a v8 conversion so originality is not an issue for me. I got the notion several months back to install a two speed motor from a mg or triumph even though I do not intend to drive in the rain. it was a much more in depth project than I imagined but I did get it accomplished. the low speed is similar to the healey and the high speed is much faster. I did move the wiper motor to the passenger side of the car. if I was to do it again I think that an aftermarket hotrod system might work better and be much easier to install.
 
A tip that I use is to put a piece of tape around the shaft creating a flag. Then I run the motor and I can watch what the shaft motion is to see if all is correct. Only once I am certain the range of motion is correct and the park is correct, then I put on the arms and blades. This prevents any mishaps with the paint or windshield.
 
I was wondering about a variable speed control. But isn't the speed of the original the fastest and the variable would only make it slower?
I have filled the "washer" bottle with Rain-X liquid (orange stuff) which is nice as it just renews the Rain-x I spray on the windshield.
 
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