TR5/TR250 Wiper mystery - DFPO Strikes again

[John Reynolds]

Listers,
I have a wiper issue with my TR-250. Although I have the correct looking wiper motor for a TR250, my wipers park on the right side of the car. All of the TR250s I have seen have wipers that park on the left side. I just bought a new set of 250 wiper arms and they definitely will not work with the present set up. My question is, can the parking position be reversed in the wiper motor or drive gears? If I can do this I can use the arms I have purchased. I expect if the park position cannot be changed TR-6 wipers and arms will work on my car. Can anyone confirm this? Any guidance will be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
John Reynolds

 

[Marvin Gruber]

John, sounds like the wiper boxes are installed upside down. That will meke wipers operate the wrong way. Ask me how I know!

marv

 

[tinman58]

Marv is correct! Been there done that. It will not be easy to turn the wheel boxes the right way, if the dash and all the gauges are installed

 

[TuffTR250]

I'm not sure how much they can be adjusted, but I was thinking that adjustment of the parking switch mechanism would control where the wipers park. May not fix the problem, but it's worth a try.
Regards,
Bob

 

[John Reynolds]

Thanks to Marv and the others responding. I will give reversing the wiper boxes a try. I guess the previous owner installed the boxes wrong and subsequently modified the wiper arms to make them fit. He overlooked the fact that when the rectangular piece on the arm was reversed the detent holding the wiper in place was now on the wrong side. This explains why the wiper flew off the first time I turned them on. Not much fun in a rainstorm, but, he has done much worse.
Cheers,
John Reynolds

 

[JerryVV]

The wiper arms fit too loose on the repro wheel boxes. My 4A and a friends 250 suffer from this. Also the park position can be adjusted at the wiper motor if your car has the 4A style motor which I believe that it does. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I think the motors changed on the TR6.

 

[Rut]

Just a question for my own edification...will wheel boxes interchange between a TR4, MGB, and possibly a Midget using the appropriate spacer?
Rut

 

[Jerry]

I would like to add on to this wiper discussion. My mini wipes too far. It hits the windshield rubber on the beginning and end stroke. I am using a 105 degree gear at this point. Is there anything else that will make the stroke shorter?

Jerry

 

[Bob Claffie]

No, AFIK a gear change is the only way to change the stroke. Likewise I believe all wheel boxes are interchangeable.

 

[Marvin Gruber]

I'm thinking the TR3 wheel boxes are a little bigger making travel not as far. That might be a fix for the Mini.
Rut - think rest most of the boxes are the same

marv

 

[charleyf]

The difference between the TR3and TR4 wiper sweep is a result of a different size gear found in the drive of the wiper motor. I realized this when pulling parts for a TR3. I had a TR4 wiper motor and realized when I put it up next to the TR3 motor that the round gear is smaller on the TR4. This is not noticeable unless they are next to each other.
Charley

 

[Jerry]

The current gear is out of a Sprite, labeled as a 105 degree. I tried two different 110 degree without success. I have not been able to find anything that has a gear smaller than 105 so far.
Jerry

 

[charleyf]

The difference between the TR3and TR4 wiper sweep is a result of a different size gear found in the drive of the wiper motor. I realized this when pulling parts for a TR3. I had a TR4 wiper motor and realized when I put it up next to the TR3 motor that the round gear is smaller on the TR4. This is not noticeable unless they are next to each other.
Charley

i measured the outside diameter of the cover over the round gear found next to the wiper motor. I had the size backwards between the TR3 and TR4. The TR3 measured 1-7/8" while on the TR4 it was 2-1/8". The actual round gear inside will be smaller, but the difference between the two is what gives you a shorter or longer sweep of the wipers.
I also note that the identifiers on the units are DR2 for the TR3 and DR 3A on the TR4.
Hope this helps.
Charley