Date: Sun, 18 Aug 2002 16:47:40 -0700
Reply-To: Gerry Rafferty <gpr146@TELUS.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Gerry Rafferty <gpr146@TELUS.NET>
Subject: Windscreen wiper motor replacement
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Replaced my wiper motor due to intermittent chattering.Took most of the day,but I replaced my thermostat at the same time,so say 5-6 hours with Instr. dash removed.My van is a 1983.5 1.9 H2O.
Put wipers in the park position (off)
1.Remove trim from under steering wheel (2 screws at top,pull at midpoint- internal clip Bentley 94.2),trim from blower.
2.Remove glovebox, 2 plastic string top LH and RH corners,glovebox drops down,slide to left and remove.
3.Remove black plastic duct tube and smaller smaller brown "paper" duct tube in behind the glovebox.Now you have access to wiper motor
NOTE: AT THIS POINT HOOK UP YOUR NEW MOTOR,POWER ON,OPERATE WIPER CONTROL STICK,THEN TO STOP POSITION.this will set the wiper motor stop position (otherwise you could have the wiper blades trying to clean your headlights like mine did).
Power off ,disconnect motor,and now disconnect battery.
Remove instrument cluster Bentley 70.5
4..See Bentley 92.2. Remove wipers-pop cap,remove 10mm nut,take off wiper blade.
Remove wiper shaft nut-22mm and washers.
5.Remove instrument dash-Bentley 70.5 .At this point I used a large vice grips to remove the shear bolts, 13mm socket to remove lower bolts.Steering column rest on front seat.Removed 2 screws ( #3 Phillips)at both sides of dash, 6 screws top of dash/bottom windscreen.A long #1 Phillips screwdriver a bonus.Some of the ducting- at this point you can lift the dash up (to clear the brake reservoir) and pull out and have enough access to wiper motor without removing the dash completely.The photographs in Bentley 70.5,70.6 are a good guide but I didn't remove everything,eg,heater controls.
6.Bentley 92.2. On drivers side,remove 2 screws (#3 Philips) at top of dash/bottom windscreen,and wiper shaft assy will drop down.Pop off the relay rod -I used a large flat blade- it's a push-on fit.
Remove 1 (#3 Philips) screw above passenger side wiper shaft, 1 screw further along above wiper motor housing,and there's another screw(not shown) at the bottom of the housing just under wiper motor.With much cursing,push/pull/wiggle the wiper motor housing out.It's at this point you appreciate the dash being out of the way.
7.Now pop off the relay rods.On the mid position of the wiper shafts there's a 1/2 ring circlip.Push off and the inner (rotating) shaft comes out.Clean and regrease.My drivers' side was ok,but the passenger side wiper shaft was tight which might explain the chattering in intermittent mode.
NOTE fig 2 on page 92.3 there's 3 bolts (10mm) to replace the wiper motor (which should be in the stop position so don't move the spindle).When you fit the short connecting rod (crank1 in Bentley)to the motor (10mm nut),it will cover one of the bolt heads.Now the motor is set in the stop position.Fit relay rods.
Now reinstall.
Can it be done without the dash removed?Possibly
When drivers wiper shaft removed,pop relay rod off, tie sting (10ft) to end of relay shaft.This is so you can pull the relay rod back into the same position.The problem is removing the wiper motor housing (what the wiper motor is attached to)-not enough room to pull out.However I had it half out as I had to adjust the stop position (remove/fit Crank1).So if someone would like to try..........
I'm not a mechanic,but I didn't find it all that difficult-and I did it the hard way.
Any corrections welcomed
Hope this helps
Gerry