Discussion
Now that i have your attention 
, I have a broken nipple.
Where the windscreen washer pipe comes down from the wiper arm and in to the bodywork (slam panel ?) there is a nipple for attaching the rubber pipe to. This has snapped off with half in the end of the rubber tube and half still in the body panel.
How do I get this out of the panel ?
Where do I get another nipple from ? (there plastic)
Only noticed it was broken when I went to clean screen while sat in traffic. Pulled right hand stalk back as usual and found it produced a 3 foot high jet of water (from the broken nipple) landing in the middle of the bonnet. It looked very good, but i have no intention of using the Tiv as a fountain or other water piece for decoration so i would be grateful for any advice.
Edited to add : Its a 1994 Chimaera
>>> Edited by ajb on Tuesday 11th January 13:18
, I have a broken nipple. Where the windscreen washer pipe comes down from the wiper arm and in to the bodywork (slam panel ?) there is a nipple for attaching the rubber pipe to. This has snapped off with half in the end of the rubber tube and half still in the body panel.
How do I get this out of the panel ?
Where do I get another nipple from ? (there plastic)
Only noticed it was broken when I went to clean screen while sat in traffic. Pulled right hand stalk back as usual and found it produced a 3 foot high jet of water (from the broken nipple) landing in the middle of the bonnet. It looked very good, but i have no intention of using the Tiv as a fountain or other water piece for decoration so i would be grateful for any advice.
Edited to add : Its a 1994 Chimaera
>>> Edited by ajb on Tuesday 11th January 13:18
Hi AJB 
I had something similar with my Chim a couple of months ago. My nipple had perished (nasty!) and the feeder pipe had fallen back into the body.
It may well be impossible to pull the feeder pipe up through its 'stuck' position, and you may have to push it down into the bodywork to free it.
If you do have to do this, it's a PITA to sort the thing out. This is how I did it:
1. Open bonnet and cut an access hole (
) in the black plastic compartment into which the feeder pipe had fallen.
2. Find a bent piece of metal to use as a hook. Stick it into the access panel, wiggle it around until you find the 'lost' feeder pipe and pull the pipe through the access panel.
3. Take a piece of throttle cable and drop this through the hole into which the feeder pipe and nipple fit.
4. Bring the throttle cable through the access hole and push a fair length of this through the feeder pipe so that the cable is well wedged into it (be careful not to damage the pipe).
5. Pull the throttle cable back through the nipple/feeder hole and with any luck, the feeder pipe will follow it.
6. Attach new nipple to feeder pipe, attach top pipe and fit the nipple into the nipple/feeder hole.
7. Patch up access hole with gaffer tape.
I had something similar with my Chim a couple of months ago. My nipple had perished (nasty!) and the feeder pipe had fallen back into the body.
It may well be impossible to pull the feeder pipe up through its 'stuck' position, and you may have to push it down into the bodywork to free it.
If you do have to do this, it's a PITA to sort the thing out. This is how I did it:
1. Open bonnet and cut an access hole (
) in the black plastic compartment into which the feeder pipe had fallen. 2. Find a bent piece of metal to use as a hook. Stick it into the access panel, wiggle it around until you find the 'lost' feeder pipe and pull the pipe through the access panel.
3. Take a piece of throttle cable and drop this through the hole into which the feeder pipe and nipple fit.
4. Bring the throttle cable through the access hole and push a fair length of this through the feeder pipe so that the cable is well wedged into it (be careful not to damage the pipe).
5. Pull the throttle cable back through the nipple/feeder hole and with any luck, the feeder pipe will follow it.
6. Attach new nipple to feeder pipe, attach top pipe and fit the nipple into the nipple/feeder hole.
7. Patch up access hole with gaffer tape.
From your description, I would say you have no need to cut any access panels - the plastic nipple/connector is usually mounted into the panel with black Sikaflex mastic & should be able to be removed either with fingernails, thin nose pliers or something similar.
You should then be able to pull the tube through the panel & attach a new connector.
The connector can be purchased from a TVR dealer (think they are a quid or 2 from memory). While you are at it, you might as well buy some new rubber tubing for the wiper part, as this is likely to split when you try to remove the old broken plastic, and if you cut it short, it will probably pull itself free when you least need it to happen.
You should then be able to pull the tube through the panel & attach a new connector.
The connector can be purchased from a TVR dealer (think they are a quid or 2 from memory). While you are at it, you might as well buy some new rubber tubing for the wiper part, as this is likely to split when you try to remove the old broken plastic, and if you cut it short, it will probably pull itself free when you least need it to happen.
CraigAlsop said:
From your description, I would say you have no need to cut any access panels - the plastic nipple/connector is usually mounted into the panel with black Sikaflex mastic & should be able to be removed either with fingernails, thin nose pliers or something similar.
You should then be able to pull the tube through the panel & attach a new connector.
But isn't the problem that the tube at the back of the nipple behind the panel is bigger than the hole the nipple's through? So if you pull out the nipple, it comes out fine but then the rubber tube is thne left loose behind the bulkhead?
In addition to removal methods stated (and assuming all this is as per a Cerb) you can also use a small reverse-thread stud remiver thingy - possibly called an 'easyout' but memory might be playing up. Anyway, they look a bit like taps and come is plastic boxes with various sizes. The reverse thread doesn't make any difference on the nipple (as is just put in with goo) but the taper on the thread lets you extract it even if there's nothing left visible about the panel.
I just can't vouch that when you pull the nipple out that the hole is big enough for the tube to come out too still attached.
WB
tvrolet said:Nope, at least not on mine & other (admittedly newer than '94) Chimaeras I've seen.
But isn't the problem that the tube at the back of the nipple behind the panel is bigger than the hole the nipple's through? So if you pull out the nipple, it comes out fine but then the rubber tube is thne left loose behind the bulkhead?
CraigAlsop said:
From your description, I would say you have no need to cut any access panels - the plastic nipple/connector is usually mounted into the panel with black Sikaflex mastic & should be able to be removed either with fingernails, thin nose pliers or something similar.
You should then be able to pull the tube through the panel & attach a new connector.
ajb, I would definitely go with Craig's advice on this. If the feeder pipe does fall through the hole, it is a real arse to sort out.
Had the same problem a short while ago, and equally went white when i took the large hole drill to the bulkhead, but i'ts not that bad really ...
If your pipe has come off above the nipple, you have no problem [provided you are careful not to subsequently snap the fragile nipple] as you can just push the pipe back on, but if your disconnection is below the nipple, or at the t-bar that both squirters connect to the feed from the water pump, these can only be accessed from inside the bulkhead ...
In post '95 cars, there is an access hatch behind the bonnet catch mechanism [a 2 inch hole covered with a grommet] ... If your car is earlier, buy a large grommet, take on the bonnet catch mechanism and get drilling [watch out for fibreglass in the eyes - bloody hurts] ...
as a little note, the t bar is much closer to the driver side; the passenger side squirter has a longer length of hose leading over to the drivers side ... this means you can get away will drilling a hole just on the drivers side.
Hope that helps, Matt
If your pipe has come off above the nipple, you have no problem [provided you are careful not to subsequently snap the fragile nipple] as you can just push the pipe back on, but if your disconnection is below the nipple, or at the t-bar that both squirters connect to the feed from the water pump, these can only be accessed from inside the bulkhead ...
In post '95 cars, there is an access hatch behind the bonnet catch mechanism [a 2 inch hole covered with a grommet] ... If your car is earlier, buy a large grommet, take on the bonnet catch mechanism and get drilling [watch out for fibreglass in the eyes - bloody hurts] ...
as a little note, the t bar is much closer to the driver side; the passenger side squirter has a longer length of hose leading over to the drivers side ... this means you can get away will drilling a hole just on the drivers side.
Hope that helps, Matt
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