Windscreen wiper motor loose S1 3.8 FHC

[thegfb]

The wiper motor on my S1 is loose and can be lifted from the bottom away from the bulkhead. When switching the wipers off the self park mechanism wipes one full sweep before stopping mid sweep then parking in the correct position. The wipers operation is OK initially but if used for an extended period of time (caught in torrential rain on several occasions during recent trip in mid Wales!) they eventually stop completely. After a period of rest they run again but the self park function doesn't work and on occasion the wipers won't switch off at all!

I'm happy to have a go at resolving these issues myself though access looks nigh on impossible at first glance - does removing the dashboard top help? Is this easy to do?

Any tips or info very gratefully received!

[Heuer]

The motor should not move on its mount and fixing that should be relatively straight forward. The wiper rack is behind the bulkhead and is a pain to work on although removing the dash top helps. The park mechanism is on the rack and the park control is adjusted from the knurled knob on the bulkhead. Personally I would remove the wiper motor, clean/grease it and fix it properly before messing with the rack. A tip though - you will need to disconnect the motor from the rack and it is connected by a small clip which you can access from the central dash. Put a duster in the space below the clip because there is every likelihood it will fall off and be lost forever!

[thegfb]

David

Somewhat belatedly thank you for your help ref my loose wiper motor. Apologies for not responding sooner but I don't think I received the normal e-mail notification of a response to a post.

I haven't been able to get to sorting the problem until now but I aim to get it done in the next week or so.

Another question - what is the metal section trim shaped a bit like a half cone that sits below the headlamp cover glass in front of the headlamp itself called? On my car they're currently painted in the car's body colour which I think would be correct if it was a very early car. Mine is a Dec '61 car (originally LHD) but am I right in thinking these should be painted silver/lightish gunmetal?

[abowie]

"Sugar scoop". A bit of a palaver to take out but not impossible.

You need to take off the headlight glasses, remove the headlight and its mount, and then remove the 3 nuts that hold the sugar scoop in place. These are accessible from inside the wheel arch, but are likely to be covered with road detritus and be rusty. Lots of penetrating oil and perseverance. Be gentle with the headlight glass rubbers and clean them well prior to putting it all back together or they'll leak.

WRT the moving wiper motor, the motor itself is held to the base plate by 3 screws which are only accessible with the motor out of the car. Disconnect the wiper rod as outlined above. Remove the 4 bolts holding the mounting plate to the firewall and manouvre the motor and rod out. The rod is about a foot long, swearing may be required. If the problem is that the 3 screws are loose, Loctite them in place. Reassembly is the reverse, with the requirement for additional swearing where reconnecting the rod is required. I'd tape the locking clip to secure it before removing the motor. You can buy them but they're about 15 quid each. It's easier to do as a 2 man job.

[thegfb]

Thanks for the response Andrew - very helpful indeed!