My Wiper Cable Snapped

[Graham_R]

Hi Guys

Why does my '96 Chimp let me down each each just before Xmas? When there is no chance of professional help until the new year.

Anyway to the problem, as I said in the Subject the Cable connecting the Wiper motor to the wipers them selves snapped just inside the motor housing.

I've managed to reattach it by unscrewing some slack but this feels like a bit of a bodge.

If/when I need a new cable can I just get the cable or does it come with a new motor?

Is it a TVR part or can I use one destined for something else?

And what needs to be done to attach it to the wiper end, how much of the car will I have to dismantle? working on the motor end is dead simple.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Gray

[pupp]

If it's broken at the clevis end, it should be just as simple as pulling the broken length out and threading a new inner in to replace (you'll prolly need to take the wiper arms off their spindles to re-position as it is unlikely they will end up in the right places). The cable just threads through a series of 3 guide pipes that in turn attach to the so-called 'wheel boxes' that are really just stamped metal plates with a gear and spindle located on them. The wrapped wire helix on the cable meshes with the gears and as the cable moves back and forth, the spindles rotate.

I guess problems requiring strip down will occur if the break in the cable is somewhere inside the tubes...don't fancy your chances of fishing the end out although it might be possible with some guile and cunning.

Stripping the mech out is a pain but not difficult in any technical sense. Just the usual TVR aggro of little access room (if any, if your 'hatch' behind the dash has not been formed).

Not tried buying a cable but did see a thread recently where someone reckoned it was a fairly obtainable Lucas part.

[ribol]

In the good old days these cables (made by Lucas) were fitted to many old BMC cars, 1100, midget, MGB, minis etc. so should not be too hard to find. There were several types available the only difference being the length. The wheel boxes were all different from car to car. Cannot remember anything hard about fitting the cable but description above spot on from memory. You can turn the wheel boxes by hand to push old cable out and pull new one in if you are lucky. I am fairly certain you can use a long one by cutting them down making sure you have a clean end, motor end all the same.

Ivan

[Voltaire53]

ribol said:

You can turn the wheel boxes by hand to push old cable out and pull new one in if you are lucky.

Take care - the wheel box for the wipers is difficult to get at to replace if you break it ... I am aware from experience that it is an all day job for a professional and I think involves removing the dash.

[Graham_R]

Hi Again Guys, thanks for your advice so far, but I need a little more help.

I've just contacted my local TVR part dealer and been told that the cable is only sold as part of the motor and will cost me £145. This can't be right! Can some one please point me in the direction of finding one, a sensible supplier or a Lucas part number or something.

This is just getting daft now.

Cheers

Gray

[ribol]

I would take the cable out and try and get it matched up. Not sure about this but as I said before I would start off looking at old BMC stuff.

Ivan

[Graham]

Graham_R said:

I've just contacted my local TVR part dealer and been told that the cable is only sold as part of the motor and will cost me £145.

That was the samer info i had, but fortunetly for me the motor was buggered as well as the drive cable.

The motor is standard but the cable is a custom length.

i got mine from peninsula and it was less than that.

15 mins to change though.

your other option is to try breakers but i think they'll probably want to sell motor as well.

G