Internal wiper workings help!
Discussion
So, currently trying to get my wipers working better as Cerb almost failed MOT for slow wipers.
So far have fitted upgraded motor, and new wheel boxes. However, when everyrhing is tightened up and fitted to the car, everything seems to jam up and not run freely as it should. The bundy tubes that the drive cable pass through are not the originals (these were replaced years ago), and I seem to remember the old ones have bends in them.
So, to cut to the chase, does anyone have any pictures of the inside of their Cerbs wiper system so I can see if the tubes should be bent? Here's what mine looks like.
So far have fitted upgraded motor, and new wheel boxes. However, when everyrhing is tightened up and fitted to the car, everything seems to jam up and not run freely as it should. The bundy tubes that the drive cable pass through are not the originals (these were replaced years ago), and I seem to remember the old ones have bends in them.
So, to cut to the chase, does anyone have any pictures of the inside of their Cerbs wiper system so I can see if the tubes should be bent? Here's what mine looks like.
I don't have a picture, but the last tube nearest the motor on mine is very slightly bent. This in turn lines the main gearbox/motor up when bolted in place.
When you bolt the black box on the car with the wheel boxes, before you attach the gearbox and put the wiper arms on is it all free at that point to pull the springy thing? If it is, you need to decrease the spring tension in the wiper arms by bending the arm springs. Plus use Defender wiper blades for less drag.
When I had trouble with mine, I did order a new long spring but it was oversized for the job and had to use the old one with the wheel boxes.
When you bolt the black box on the car with the wheel boxes, before you attach the gearbox and put the wiper arms on is it all free at that point to pull the springy thing? If it is, you need to decrease the spring tension in the wiper arms by bending the arm springs. Plus use Defender wiper blades for less drag.
When I had trouble with mine, I did order a new long spring but it was oversized for the job and had to use the old one with the wheel boxes.
Couple of points I found during my rebuild:
Careful how tight you do up the wheel box nuts, these can clamp the wheels and increase friction
Grease the flexrod with Lithium Grease
Grease the wiper motor wheel box
Check your flexrod is straight.
As you found the final tighten of the tube nut to the wiper wheel box usually screws it all up, you have to angle the tube very carefully in a long radius curve. Quite tricky to get right!
I found that having everything only just tight enough to retain it in place was all it needed. Don;t do anything up to the point that you won't get it undone again as this seems to upset it all.
Careful how tight you do up the wheel box nuts, these can clamp the wheels and increase friction
Grease the flexrod with Lithium Grease
Grease the wiper motor wheel box
Check your flexrod is straight.
As you found the final tighten of the tube nut to the wiper wheel box usually screws it all up, you have to angle the tube very carefully in a long radius curve. Quite tricky to get right!
I found that having everything only just tight enough to retain it in place was all it needed. Don;t do anything up to the point that you won't get it undone again as this seems to upset it all.
I have done this job and found that it was tricky to get right first time. I think that you will find that it comes down to an alignment issue between the motor and the rods. Start by connecting everything back up on the car and leaving the motor mounting bracket loose. Try the wipers and see how they go (should be fast but a little clunky as the bracket is loose), then start to tighten the motor mount, testing again along the way, you will probably find the wipers slow down.....
It was at this point I shimmed the motor to bring it further away from the body but also opened out the hole in the end of the fiberglass mount where the motor connects to the rod so that the motor and rod alighned without any stress on either parts. The wipers are now excellent - by this I mean they work like most normal cars and the true test to this in my eyes is that they will wipe at a good speed on a dry, yes dry windscreen
Hope this helps.
It was at this point I shimmed the motor to bring it further away from the body but also opened out the hole in the end of the fiberglass mount where the motor connects to the rod so that the motor and rod alighned without any stress on either parts. The wipers are now excellent - by this I mean they work like most normal cars and the true test to this in my eyes is that they will wipe at a good speed on a dry, yes dry windscreen
Hope this helps.
the spindle boxes and tube system looks exactly the same as my 72 MG Midget, and no doubt plenty of other BL stuff. I found when putting mine back together with new components that it was a trial and error job. Sorry it doesn't appear to be anymore scientific than that, but needless to say the fewer bends the better, and on my MG it is relatively shallow a curve from the end of the rack to the motor.
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