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MG TD TF 1500 - Windshield Wiper Success

Finally got around to that wiper repair to correct their binding and sluggish operation. Not a piece of cake, but not that difficult either. Its a 4 hour job. The most difficult part is removing the glove boxes.
Remove your wiper blade arms from the cowl.
Use an allen key to remove the wiper knobs inside the glove boxes. Next remove the turn signal switch from the dash, in order to get at the glove box mounting nuts, but don't disconnect its wiring. There will be 2 nuts on either side of the glove box to remove. Take the mounting bolt out of the steering wheel shaft, (its about 10 inches behind the dash), and drop the steering wheel and shaft about 3 inches. Wiggle the glove box out. The passenger side glove box is easier because you don't have the steering wheel and turn signal obstructions.
Open the passenger side hood and remove the 3 screws the hold the triangular shaped cover on the top of the wiper motor gearbox. Remove the cover, and lift out the drive arm. Its about 2 inches long and its one end is connected to the fat end of the drive cable, and its other sits in an opening on the final drive gear. Lift out the final drive gear. The other gear you can now see cannot be removed, unless you totally remove the wiper motor from the car and turn it over. You'll see one screw that removes a small triangular cover. Under it is a small circlip that permits the gear's removal.
Back under the dash, on either side, you will see 3 screws in a triangular shape around each gear box. Start with the passenger side. Remove these screws and pull the shaft and its attached gear towards you. They'll come right out. Holding the knob end of the shaft jammed into the heel of your palm, and having your first 2 fingers wrapped around the gear, pull the gear towards your palm and you'll see that it is spring loaded with a lock key. You'll want to clean and lubricate that area, but I wouldn't suggest it necessary to take it apart to do so.
The only difference on the driver's side is that the switch for the wipers is attached to the end of the shaft. Its crimped and soldered. Just let the shaft dangle. You'll have to clean and lubricate it here, unless you want to trace back the wiring and disconnect it and remove it from the car.
Back to the gear boxes. On each one there is a screw and clamp on each side that holds the outer cable sheath in place. Remove them and you can pull all 3 sections of the outer sheath out of the car. The end of the outer sheath at the motor gearbox just lifts out. Two larger screws hold each of the gear boxes housings, one on each side. Remove them and the gear box housings.
Using varsol or a suitable cleaning fluid to clean all parts. Some of the old grease will be so hard that you'll have to dig it out with a screwdriver.
Lubricate all parts with a suitable grease and put everything back together. Mount your gear box housings and your outer cable sheaths first. Lub up the inner cable and reinstall it. Lub your drive gear and drop the drive gear back into the gear box. Lub the drive arm, and by pushing or pulling your inner cable to get the correct length, drop the ends of the drive arm into the cable and final drive gear. Turn the gear box cover over and lub all of the raised ridges that will touch the drive arm, the circular ridge as well. Install the gear box cover. Put your wiper shafts back in and test your system for binding and correct operation. Reinstall your glove boxes, steering wheel mounting bolt, turn signal switch, wiper knobs, wiper arms, and give yourself a great big pat on the rumble seat for a good job done.
Gene Burgess

This thread was discussed on 17/01/2004

MG TD TF 1500 index

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