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MG TD TF 1500 - Bench testing a TF wiper motor

I have just cleaned all the parts of my wiper motor. There was a wire broken in the armature which I got soldered re encased with the other wires. I have now rebuilt it with the help of PJ'S pictures from the archives.
I would like to test it and wanted to check can I just connect the 2 terminals to a 12v car battery or not!
Any help much appreciated.
Thanks Darryl


D Lamb

You can. Unfortunately, even in good condition, these wiper motors are very marginal in power.
Dave H
Dave Hill

After I cleaned and lubricated my TD wiper motor it could run on a standard 9 volt battery. Obviously little power and it was not hooked up to any wiper blades but it ran. I wanted to be safe in energizing the motor for the first time. FWIW. Tim D
Tim Debes

Are my connections correct...nothing happening
D Lamb

Darryl,
it should run the way you have it connected.

Try healey6.com/bulletin.htm site there is a Lucas training manual there which will give the test info you need. It has got me out of a few problems.

Download the file but don't try to print unless you own a paper mill :-)
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

Thanks Ray...the armature is just jumping when I connect.
D Lamb

If the armature just pulsates or only turns a partial turn before getting caught in a magnetic field, that usually means the wires to one of the field coils is reversed. Did you or someone disconnect some of the wires inside?
Lew Palmer

Ok got the guys in work to look at it....looks like the armature has a bead spot. Also the wires wound around the armature are loosing their protection and touching off each other...I had it explained to me....essentially it needs to be rewound. Could be expensive. Anyone have any experience of this before.
s1

I've seen used but good replacement armatures for sale online ebay uk. Easier still to find are s/h wiper motors - CRT type for the TF - sometimes quite inexpensive.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Is it a big deal to get the armature rewound? Anyone got an idea of cost?
s1

The TF armature is much more robust than those on TDs and earlier. You really have to have a major problem to have destroyed the armature.
My question has not been answered whether some inexperienced hands have been in there.
Yes, it is possible that an commutator segment is dead, or several, but having restored many wiper motors over the years, I rarely see that happen on a TF wiper. The more usual cause is that one of the field coils is wired backwards. That will result in the armature trying to move in a magnetic lock where one pole of the armature is being pulled by both field coils instead of one pulling and the opposite one pushing.
Any small motor shop should be able to put it right, and on the off chance that the armature is bad, they are available from several sourced. I frequently see them on ebay.
Another thought: make sure you are testing the motor on a battery of sufficient amperage, not on a battery charger. The battery chargers are not normally pure DC which can lead to some bizarre results.
Lew Palmer

The TF armature is much more robust than those on TDs and earlier. You really have to have a major problem to have destroyed the armature.
My question has not been answered whether some inexperienced hands have been in there.
Yes, it is possible that an commutator segment is dead, or several, but having restored many wiper motors over the years, I rarely see that happen on a TF wiper. The more usual cause is that one of the field coils is wired backwards. That will result in the armature trying to move in a magnetic lock where one pole of the armature is being pulled by both field coils instead of one pulling and the opposite one pushing.
Any small motor shop should be able to put it right, and on the off chance that the armature is bad, they are available from several sourced. I frequently see them on ebay.
Lew Palmer

Hi Lew One of the companies I work for is an Auto Electrician and I had then take a look at the motor. After fixing a broken wire on the armature we put it back together and used their testing equipment to drive it and check the current. Nothing would happen untill we started to spin the end in which case it would run but every time it needed a helping had to start. They then tested the armature and found one side dead. They were also able to show me that the current wasn't running properly through the brass wires. Not very good on the terminology but the long and short of it was that it would need a rewind costing between $100 and $200. I have yet to get the exact price. They specialise in fixing old and new parts but there was nothing further they could do for the armature...I will keep you guys informed.
Thanks for the advice Darryl
s1

Darryl,

I'm not certain which TF wiper you have, as there were two different ones used on the TF, but here's one possibility:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/302299817810?rmvSB=true

Otherwise, contact Steve Hunt through one of his many ebay listings. At one time or another, he has advertised wipers or parts for nearly every Lucas wiper known to mankind.
Lew Palmer

I think that's it Lew how can I be sure. Mine is a 54 TF pic of armature attached. Thanks so much for checking for me


s1

Looks a bit different as the part between the wires is slanted on the eBay one.
Pic of wiper mechanism attached very similar to mine



s1

No luck with Steve Hunt he has none spare as he needs them all for his workshop...
Darryl Lamb

I only know of one motor originally used on the TF, the CR, the MGA had two versions, the DR2 on the early models and the DR3 two speed on the later models. First pic is an original TF motor, second pic is a DR2 motor and the one I converted to put on my TF. TheDR2 needs no wiring changes to the original harness, the DR3 two speed needs additional wiring. PJ

Original TF wiper motor,


PSJ Jennings

Second pic, MGA DR2 motor, I modified the bottom of the gear housing to mount in the factory TF holes. The DR2 needs no mods to the housing to mount the cable, it fits perfectly. PJ



PSJ Jennings

Well done PJ.....it's certainly a solution. Are DR2s any easier to fine. Going to get a price tomorrow on rewiring the armature. Thanks for the suggestion.
Darryl Lamb

Its a bit hit and miss but you can find either the TF CRT or the MGA DR2 wiper motor on ebay uk.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Darryl - Well done PJ.....it's certainly a solution. Are DR2s any easier to fine.

I think the DR2 single speed motors were used on both early Morris Minors and Minis, so should be relatively easy to find in the UK. Thank heavens for BMC raiding the spares bins for parts.
CE Valder

A little comparison between the CR and DR motors. My rebuilt CR motor would move the wipers on a dry screen very slowly, now with the rebuild DR2, the wipers move faster on a dry screen than the CR did on a wet screen. Just sayin, PJ
PSJ Jennings

The 14W wiper motor also does the job, is available to buy new, has 2 speeds, and is more powerful than the CRT or DR2. However it requires more mods and is less period looking than the DR2.
Dave H
Dave Hill

€105 to get the armature rewound..ok I thought.
Darryl Lamb

Darryl, that sounds expensive to me, you'll find a used CRT motor with a good armature for much less than that.
Dave H
Dave Hill

This thread was discussed between 30/04/2017 and 12/05/2017

MG TD TF 1500 index

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