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Windscreen wiper spindles


Sparepart

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I am fitting a windscreen, wipers, demister, washer etc to an Exmo for the first time, having left them out previously to avoid test issues. I have modified the Sierra wipers as described in the build video. I have constructed bracketry on the firewall to mount the wiper mechanism in a position that gives the most possible penetration of the spindles through the scuttle. The mounting does not require any support from the scuttle itself. The spindles are protruding through the plasma cut orifices made by RHE. I attach a photo of one of these with a nut attached. As it stands, there is not enough clearance to attach a wiper arm. I have therefore a dilemma. I have invested a lot of time in this so would like to get it to work, rather than binning it and starting again with BMC type wipers. I could enlarge the hole to fit the arm, but the arm needs to move back and fore so I could end up with a big hole. Another option would be to extend the spindle with a threaded collar and lock it with cross drilled pin, but the spindle is brass, would this weaken it too much?. AND there is the challenge of weather sealing .......   So has anyone out there managed to dig themselves out of a similar hole ?

 

XMO-WW-Spindle.jpg.e775803bec051f219b76a85c936fdf2f.jpg

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I vaguely recall a similar issue on my Zero but it just turned out to be me not putting the gearboxes in correctly - are you sure you haven't just got them in wrong? I can't remember what I did wrong but I just remember thinking, "how the hell does this work?" and then, suddenly, voila! 

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Not sure what gearboxes you are referring to. I have a motor with a crank and attached rods that drive the spindles  See picture below. You can see that I have even cut down the area around the spindle bracket and that it is butting hard against the under surface of the scuttle. I am no spring chicken, and bending over to work in this area is killing my back. I envy the owners of models where the scuttle is not fixed like the Exmo, groan groan moan.

XMO-WW-Motor.jpg.8f86bfbe02e01c0bda8c80f1b5ae195c.jpg

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I managed to fit the modified sierra wipers back in 1997.

I sealed round the spindles with sikaflex which has stood the test of time.

I did not modify the holes in the scuttle but had the spindles more upright than you appear to have yours, I cut down the sierra arms and had to strech the spring to make them work. I think that the wipe speed is just below the SVA requirement when the screen is dry but is OK when wet.

I have since replaced the arms and blades as the blades died after 20 years.

I will try to get pics tomorrow

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CBS supply different length drive boxes (spindles) that should give more clearance from your scuttle panel, I had same problem, 2 new drive boxes ( about £20 each) and problem sorted

 

Edited by Pintogogo
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I think mine were off a fiesta mk2 but same idea as the sierra ones. Managed to fit them with some mods with enough spindle poking out to put the normal wiper arms back on. 

Can you hack off any of the material above the spindles? I assume this is the part of the frame that is preventing them moving higher through the scuttle. Can't quite see in the pic but looks like the frame is above and infront of the spindles. Perhaps welding support in a different place would give you the clearance needed?

Forgotten what is in the video but when i modded mine i also changed the sweep length on one of the arms to get a longer wipe on the side needed. Worth checking before you get it all welded/joined together if you haven't already.

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Hey! thank you all for so many suggestions, the video link is for a 2B? not an Exmo, I have the video for the Exmo, it covers all the same stuff about windscreen construction and modifying the Sierra wipers etc, but sadly nothing about mounting under the scuttle, the kit should have come with a tube of "Deep Heat" to aleviate the back pain. I like the suggestion of taking even more material from the top edge of the brackets, I was afraid to cut into the alloy of the spindle mounts (the big round bits on the mushroom shaped part in the photo) however I do now have a spare modified motor and arms (Thanks to a freebie from G. Cash). Indeed doing that would mean being able to increase the angle of the spindles while moving the motor forward slightly ...... yes that might give the few millimetres need. I will try that.  As far of the rest of it is concerned I have found that Landrover Defender arms look like they are going to fit on the spindles, and cut down blades. I have not permanently fixed the overlaps in the wiper mechanism because these will need to be adjusted to get the sweep of the blades correct.  So thank you all for the suggestions, I now have a more positive outlook about this part of the construction.

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This is the sierra wipers as seen from outside.

The arms are cutdown sierra arms.

the 2 stainless bolts hold the wiper mechanism to the scuttle and sikaflex fills in the slots.

Others have shown pics of BMC /Landrover wipers which use a rack and are a very different kettle of fish.

pics from under the scuttle did not come out I will try again.

20210329_165516.jpg

20210329_165623.jpg

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Thanks,  yes the BMC wipers are very different and probably a better setup both for fitting and weather proofing, however like they say on Mastermaind "I have started so I will finish" with the Sierra wipers. The pictures just above are great. I notice that there is only just enough of the spindle shaft protruding. With the arm installed, the leading edge of the nut cover dips a tiny bit under the scuttle. Weather seal is very simple (although, forgive me for this) a bit crude, I assume the Sikaflex was allowed to cure and then when the wipers were next turned on the spindles broke free. OR - did you coat the spindles with grease before putting in the Sikaflex ? so that it never adhered to them and formed a nice neat fit. I also notice that the arms are parked nicely.

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The spindles have a black plastic sleeve that stays still with the spindle rotating within the sleeve. This was original ford.

I will accept crude but a lot of robin hood design was crude. It has stood the test of time since 1997 and nearly 70,000 miles, only off the road a due to a couple of 6 month working abroad spells.

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