Lucas MT wiper motor on a Mk I Ruby

[GK5268]

Finally got around to getting the alignment sorted out on the wiper motor, it has only been used once in earnest, as mostly I have planned using the car around dry weather and the odd time it has rained when I have been out, Rainex has been been ok to not need wiping, or I have just done a single manual wipe.

Anyway, the alignment is now correct, the wiper blade sweeps evenly across the screen (previously it was part wiping the screen before climbing up onto the bodywork), but now, this has thrown out the "park" for the blade.

Now, when the blade is parked the spindle hook end cannot engage in its rest position onto the operating knob, so the blade is not properly secured in its rest position. I could leave the spindle engaged with the motor drive, but this would mean that the wiper blade was left on the screen and this has issues for opening the screen.

I experimented with off-setting the shaft, but in wiping mode the hook end of the spindle makes contact with the operating knob, and still, the "park" position is off.

The only way "park" works is for the wiper arm/blade to be out-of-kilter with the spindle, so it will not wipe the screen correctly, and climbs onto the bodywork! Which was where I started at!

It seems there is a compatibility issue and I suspect that the original wiper arm must have had some sort of off-set to enable it to meet screen sweeping & parking conditions, my arm is completely straight and a non-original item.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Has anyone got an original wiper arm that they can post a photo so as to compare the differences.

I would like to get this right!

[attachment=5345]
Wiper blade engaged - start position for wiping

[attachment=5346]
As seen on the screen

[attachment=5348]
Wiper blade in park position

[attachment=5349]
Wiper blade in park position, but not engaged onto operating knob

[attachment=5347]
Wiper blade in park position when engaged onto operating knob!

So, if anyone could post a photo of an original wiper arm, or better still, know where I can get the correct type, it would be much appreciated, thank you in anticipation!

[John Mason]

Gary, I maybe missing the obvious but can you take off the wiper arm then run the wiper motor. Switch it off in order that it goes into the parked position then refit the arm in the parked position. If you have already tried this then please excuse me.

John Mason.

[Steve Jones]

I don't have a Ruby and never have but my RM Saloon has a similar type of wiper motor. The method described above to set it up works perfectly for me. If I'm missing something, apologies.

Steve

[Jeff Taylor]

Have you seen this article on the Cornwall site, Gary ?

http://www.austin7.org/Technical%20Artic...20Improve/

[GK5268]

Thanks guys for the replies.

In the parked position, correct for the wiper arm/blade is wrong for the spindle to engage, and vice versa - with the spindle correct for parking, the wiper blade wants to climb off the screen onto the bodywork.

In terms of the wiper action, this is fine, it has a very good sweep across the screen, as good as it can be, so this is not the problem. (Yes, I have seem the Cornwall site - this is not the issue I am experiencing).

It seems to be the geometry between the spindle & the wiper arm/blade, hence I wondered if there was an off-set on the original wiper arm, such as being underslung at the pivot point.

My arm has a length of 8" and the blade the same, a shorter arm would move things back - what arm lengths are typically being used?

[dickie65]

I think I see a solution on the outside where the arm is.
Its a Nut.
You should be able to set the wiper in the park position, loosen the Nut which locks the arm onto the spindle with a collet.
Then rotate the arm to the desired position then re tighten the Nut.
Experiment with the Collet nut just allowing the arm to slip to get the best coverage.
Do not expect the arm to park out of the way, you will have to manually park the arm to manage this.
There were a lot of adjustable length arms for these wipers, you might need to try a six inch blade as well.

Best of Luck

[AustinWood]

I believe there is a peg in the spindle that engages with a slot in the drive. This fixes the arc that the blade wipes. The angle of the hook in the end that engages in the knob to park the blade fixes the park position.
This implies that the shaft needs to be twisted close to the hooked end. This should be done with the blade adjusted on the spindle to give the correct wipe pattern. Then the shaft twisted so that the hook engages in the knob with the blade in the park position.

[spannerman]

Not had much to do with the seven but I do know that wipermotors have different sweep angles for different makes and models of cars so I think it maybe fitted with the wrong motor that has a to big of a sweep angle ?

[Alastair]

I had this problem a while back, after completely dismantling the motor. I think the trouble is with the gear at bottom left in the attached photo. On the other end is the slot into which the pin on the shaft engages for 'drive' and if its reassembled in the wrong position it will cause the 'park' to be misaligned.
The solution, unfortunately, is to take the plate off which covers the gear assembly, push the gear out so that it disengages from the strangely-shaped drive plate above, and realign it so that the shot matches the required park position,  then reassemble...
As Ruairdh says, don't take my word for it, but I'm pretty sure this is your problem - good luck!
Alastair

[AustinWood]

Yes, that looks right Alastair. Would have the same effect as twisting the shaft.