Date:         Fri, 15 Apr 94 20:38:48 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Randy <thewoz!wort!randy@netcom.com>
Subject:      Re: VANAGON digest 12


>  I've got a '71 bus with a rapidly dying windshield wiper
>  motor. I've rebuilt bug wiper motors before, but I have
>  not yet removed one from a bus, and I hear that they are
>  a pain to get out. any suggestions?

I just did the wiper motor on my '76 bus -- I assume it's
similar.  It was indeed a pain in the butt to get to. I
thought I would try to be clever and pull the motor out
without removing the fresh air ducts but that was a big
mistake.  Definitely remove the air ducts and maybe the
radio and ash tray so you can get at everything.  You'll
thank me later.

Then when I re-installed the new motor (I couldn't find any
motor parts anywhere) I followed the Haynes guide.  My
problem was that my motor was burned out and didn't move
thus I couldn't see how to put the new one in -- there's an
arm on the motor that you have to get at the right angle.

Haynes suggested installing the new motor such that the
arm is parallel with the body as in figure A below.  I did
this and found that the wipers moved downward instead of
upward :-).  I thought about it for a while and decided it
would be easiest to just install the motor as in figure B
below.  It could be that I messed up part of the linkage
but I looked at it closely for about a half hour and didn't
find anything.  I guess the moral is don't put everything
back together and tighten everything down until you're sure
it works!
                                  ___
        _________              __|   |__
       /         \            /  |   |  \
      |    ___    |          |   |   |   |
      |   | O |   |          |   | O |   |
      |   |   |   |          |   ~~~~~   |
       \__|   |__/            \_________/
        | |   | |              |       |
        | |___| |              |       |
        |       |              |       |
        |_______|              |_______|

         Figure A              Figure B


-Randy