FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

G'day all, HELP, i have put a two speed wiper motor in recently(thanks ken) and have spent a lot of frustrating hours trying to get the wiper arms to move at the same time , whatever position i put the driver arms on the motor one arm always goes first then the other arm follows at a different time completely out of sync, what am i doing wrong? The arms are pretty sloppy i need to get the nylon inserts in the wiper arms, but it didnt do it before i changed motors and i thought i have put it back together the same way as it came off, any ideas?
                              Cheers Rusty(http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a390/Boganboy/Picture178.jpg)

arms the wrong way around.
(http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a19/just40/wiper-017s.jpg)

AHA, Thanks ever so much
               Cheers a very very happy Rusty

The brackets are on 180 degrees out of phase or upside down, the arms should sit higher up which will make them react faster on start up

Ken

Gaday!
It might sound stupid but I found that if the motor isnt in the right place & the axle isnt exactly in the centre of the car( or arms) it also affects how they "behave!"   Daz. ;)

Nah just dumbarse me, got the wiper arms on the wrong driver arms, typical me rush in head down and bum up i have to take more time when doing things thats all
                         Cheers Rusty

Interesting...

im a dumbarse too. mine are on the wrong way around.

i was getting used to the un-co wiper set up too.

Cheers

Ed

There's a saying in software development: "any sufficiently advanced bug is indistinguishable from a feature" ;D

I'm actually just about to install my wipers too. I have an EK motor and a set of FC arms. Can I use these to attach to the back of the wiper motor? It looks like I need a little bracket to attach arms. Pointers?

Nes you need the brackets shown in the first and second photos - these are the original EK parts and your FC wiper arms will connect to these.

Ken

Anyone have a spare spring clip that holds the right arm on? Mine is broken and held in place with a cabletie.
PLMK.
Then I might check my instalation....I suspect it may be wrong!!
Regards
Alex

Cheers Ken
Any one have any?

surferboy is about to attempt mechanical stuff
get ready for the questions

I'm pulling the EK wiper motor off Cathys FE and fitting them to my FC wagon

I got as far as removing the spring clip on the primary/right wiper arm pivot

How do i remove the nut off the primary/left wiper arm pivot. The nut is around on the blindside and I dont have any room to fit a spanner

then I have to figure how to remove the unit from the firewall. It has some screw and nut (?) arrangement buried under insulation and that cardboard interior lining stuff ???

Will unscrewing the motor off the firewall first, give me better access to that pivot nut

Ta
 8) 8) 8)
please hurry with an answer...my weekend is dissapearing quickly

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/surferboyandcathy/wm1.jpg)

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/surferboyandcathy/wiper3.jpg)


The nut is A  ...its tucked in nice and tight near the firewall(?) and i cant get my big fat hands in there, especially with the spaghetti bowl of wiring under the dash !

The wiper unit seems to be screwed in B . I thought it would be a nut and bolt fittment (it is on the spare in the shed).

I want to have wipers for the trip to the Nats so I was going to fit the spare motor in the wagon and just swap the crank parts over (cos i cant find any crank parts anywhere) but this silly nut problem is bugging me  >:(

I have a VERY short impatience level ! This is why i pay mechanics $90/Hr to do things

 8) 8) 8)
and I've got my hands DIRTY  :o

WHOOPS  ::) >:(

I managed to undo the B screw on the right hand side
and then
I managed to mangle the head of the B  screw on the left
and then
I remembered why I pay mechanics $90/Hr to do these things for me



I'm packing my screwdriver away now

One days work and I managed to 1.remove one clip, 2.remove one small screw,  3. bugger up one small screw 

 :'( :'( :'(

Surferboy

Good to see you having a crack at it.

Can you get access with an 4" angle grinder?

If so grind the head of the screw off without damaging the wiper linkages ;D ;D.

The wiper mount I have is a nut and bolt setup with the nut on the inner side.
It is actually mounted on rubber mounting washers.

Keep up the good work and let us know how you go.

Cheers

Craig

OK - the spring clip is made of unobtanium - It can be replaced by the appropriate sized circlip available from every local milkbar and it will work fine.
Surferboy - use a 7/16 open ended spanner to undo the nut by feel - It should come undone easily.  BE VERY CAREFUL when doing it up not to cross thread it as it is easily done because of the flats on the sides.

The motor cannot be removed from the plate until the plate is removed from the firewall so the 2 small screws must be undone or cut off as suggested.  This is probably one of the worst design features in the EK.

You could try a small chisel to try to loosen them but it just may come down to the grinder.

Ken

Surferboy, I feel your pain re the screws. Mine were bolts but it took an hour of trying to get a socket to fit on the drivers side bolt head because of the angle & lack of room. Finally dawned on me to use an open ended spanner, even that was fun.
When I put the setup in my FC I am going to use allen headed bolts. Hoping these will be easier to work with.

Dean.

And here I was thinking my spastic wiper arms were Kens fault  ;) (just kidding Ken) so I think I will have a peek this evening and I reckon I have the same incorrect setup.

 8)

Many years ago I had the same problem with those bolts.
I made up a bracket that fitted between the bolt heads (on the inside, and bent to miss the moving arm) and welded the bracket to the bolt heads.
Made the task a breeze, as it did not fall out or allow the bolts to turn, when you were around the other side in the engine compartment.
Geoff

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/surferboyandcathy/linkresized.jpg)

A round of applause, and three cheers and a hiphip HOORAY !   ;D

I'm guessing it was meant to have a thread  ???

A ''simple" job I started at 9.00am on 1st Jan
I got the bugger off at 4.30pm on 3rd Jan
(minus the 3 hours (and $200 later )I spent at Bunnings when I went to find out what a 7/16'' open ended spanner is  ::)



Now I'll just pop down to Bunnings again and find out what a 4'' angle grinder is. Then I'll attack that puny little screw thats buried under all that fiborous insulation and cardboard lining and electrical wiring

It should screw back together if i get someone with a tap & die to cut a new thread and fit a new nut ( I HOPE )
Any Hints on how to get it all back together EASILY when i swap it to the wagon ?

 8) 8) 8)

Well done surferboy :) :) :)

Patience is what we all need and you have inspored us all with your progress.

When I installed my wiper motor I just drilled out the holes in the fire wall to fit a 1/4 inch stainless steel socket head bolt and nut with flat washers still using the rubber mounting washers.

Hope this helps. Good luck!!

Craig ;D

All that fiberous insulation is extremely flammable and will continue to smoulder and reignite after flames are put out, be carefull if you do use a grinder  :o

just kidding Stinky  ;D

even i am not that daft

But the guys who put the engine/gearbox/trans tunnel in the wagon for me a couple of years ago must have managed to set my car alight  :o
My CD stacker,my brake control unit (for the caravan) aerial cable and assorted wiring all got damaged,
and I'm still finding burnt bits 

 8) 8) 8)

ONLY 6 weeks since i started

I managed to pull this out of the wagon this morning

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/surferboyandcathy/wiperesized.jpg)

Buggered if i know what it was out of (somebody suggested a forklift truck ?)
But it hasnt worked since i turned it on while the wipers were gaffa taped to the windscreen  ::)
Not that it ever worked properly anyway

 8) 8) 8)
Now to see if i get the replacement one in before Orange  ???

 Surferboy  It looks like a 110 deg sweep  Vintique wiper motor ...I have a a new one will post a picture for you to compare if you are interested ........FC427.......

Hi FC427
would be nice to find out what it is
its been there (and not working properly !) for the 11 years I've had the wagon and nobodys figured it yet
I figure it couldn't be a 360deg turn because of the spindle. I'm guessing the new motor is 360Deg and  thats why it has the S bendy type spindle thingy

more Q's

this is the motor I'm putting in
does it need any seals other than the square middle one and the two round ones on the fitting bolt holes ? should i plaster silicone sealer around it just to make sure its all sealed up ???

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/surferboyandcathy/1-2.jpg)

The motor I'm fitting (marked DELCO) has this metal strap on it.
and a red and green (?) wire    (the green wire is painted(?) black ???)
 (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/surferboyandcathy/1a-1.jpg)

The one on the sedan (that looks very similar) doesnt have the strap
what is it ? do I need it ?
It has red & green wires...but on the opposite terminals
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/surferboyandcathy/1c.jpg)

The motor I took out had red & black wires

Looks like a job for my sparky

 8) 8) 8)

No it's simple - the strap is earth (for parking the wipers). The cardboard top near the terminals has a + and a - on it. The + goes to the battery and the - goes to the switch.
Ken

This is surferboy doing mechanical stuff Ken
its NEVER simple  ::)

The strap just needs to be screwed to the body to earth it ?? is it ok to attach it anywhere ? like to the bolt holding the wiper motor to the firewall ?

Found the terminal markings on the motor i removed....red wire went to +, black to -.
theres no cardboard or + - markings i can find on the delco motor i have fitted
the two wires go through the firewall into the spaghetti bowl of multi coloured wires under the dash !?

what happens if i put the wires back to front ?

last time i put terminals back to front i got SMOKE  (and that was just fitting a battery  :o ??? ::)

 8) 8) 8)

BUGGER (again !)

I was doing ever so well
got the wipers and motor all put together
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/surferboyandcathy/wiper4.jpg)

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/surferboyandcathy/wiper5.jpg)
It was a hell of a lot easier after pulling out the old stereo

I even had them working really well  ;D ;D ;D (except they weren't self parking...but they never did before)

THEN I went to fit the switch ( The black plastic round part) back onto the spindle thingy bit that sticks out the dashboard
And they worked once..............And now they DONT work

crawled under the dash (again) to figure out how to pull the switch out ??????
and found this
 (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/surferboyandcathy/dash2.jpg)
would I be right if I guessed this ISNT the original switch ?

I'm frustrated and demoralized after a very productive weekend
so I've packed up for the day and I'm off to the $90/hr sparky tomorrow

did manage to fix my door alignment
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/surferboyandcathy/dooralign.jpg)

 and the window winder
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/surferboyandcathy/winder2.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/surferboyandcathy/winder1.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/surferboyandcathy/door.jpg)
I found the bolt in the bottom of the door (I'm guessing its missing a nut )

 and the brake pedal
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/surferboyandcathy/pedal.jpg)

just the speakers to do
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/surferboyandcathy/rear.jpg)

(and a wiper switch  >:( >:( >:()

 8) 8) 8)

PS talking about setting fire to the wagon
look what I found while I was under there
(this was done by "profesionals")
I'm suprised anything works  :o
and it explains why the paint is blistering around the dash and vent

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/surferboyandcathy/dash3.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b354/surferboyandcathy/dash1.jpg)

Surferboy,

I am amazed that whatever those wires connect to still work, that sure is a bit of a mess under there. No that would not be the original switch, because the original switch operated a vacuum port, unless you fit an EK switch or an earlier FC switch that had the optional electric motor. I think some of the later Holden switches also will fit with a bit of modification.

Some of the "profesional" electricians are just plain scary. There was a chap where I once worked, who used to test everything with a power feed, if it shorted he found it real quick. Saved wasting time he reckoned....

My first FC was bought for the sum of $20.00 with all the wires fried like yours, but they were also fried in the engine bay too. Took ages to replace the wiring loom piece by piece, following the diagram, would have been easier to fit a second hand one from another vehicle

Good luck with it, I am sure that we will catch up in Orange

Keith

I too have seen sparkies test for faults by powering up. Trouble is it usually blows more stuff up. And these guys are usually the dead sparkies in the end.

Surfer, My opinion would be to start from scratch under your dash. I know you have time issues with the Nats, is there someone in the club who can steer you to a good sparky who will test and repair without the ripoff?

That wiper switch is not designed to handle the power used by the wiper motor. Thats why it doesnt work any more. I would'nt put any more than a couple of small lamps through that switch.

Colin,

The wagon goes back to my auto sparky again to sort out the switch tommorrow

The crispy wiring was courtesy of a well recommended mechanic when he did my engine/gearbox swap back in 2006(?) I found out afterwards they had set fire to the wagon. I just didnt realize the extent of the damage. (because i try to avoid this mechanical stuff)

Looking at the bright (?)side.....it gives me another reason to pull the wagon off the road for a rebuild before our Nats in 2012

 8) 8) 8)

Run your high amp draw circuit thru a relay and use your low amp rated switch to switch that relay.

looks like the previous sparky has simply tapped an unfused hot wire and lazily used that.

you can safely test circuits by either using a battery charger to power up instead of your battery and measure circuits with a multimeter or test light.

Or use a potentiometer to wind down the voltage to something safe.

alot of people are scared by electrics but they really are very simple.

DC current flows + to - and the circuit must be complete to function.

Cheers

Ed