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MG MGA - Wiper Motor/drive

On switch on my wiper motor occasionally runs slow and makes a load rattly noise coming from the motor area. After stopping it, as quickly as possible, it usually starts up fine again.

My guess is that there might be too much stiffness in the wheel box and drive mechanism which is causing a problem in the motor/gearbox. Everything is new and refurbished. Before I remove it has anyone any thoughts on possible issues. I'm wondering if the worm gear may be jumping teeth but not sure if that is possible or likely.

Also because it is intermittent the problem may not show up when I remove everything.

John

John Francis

Could be just old grease gone solid. Unscrew the cover and inspect. If the gears had jumped, your wipers rest position would have changed.
Art Pearse

It isnt so difficult to remove the motor complete with the flexy drive so that you can re grease the drive rack.

First disconnect the 3 wires on the motor after noting which terminals they connect to.

Then unfasten the big nut on the end of the motor drive tube.

Take off the nuts and setscrews that fasten the motor mounting bracket to the bulkhead.

Finally remove the wiper arms from the splined spindles.

You should now be able to remove the entire motor on its bracket, you will see the spindles turn as you pull out the drive rack.

Just clean and then regrease the rack and it should help speed up the action of the wipers.

The grease on my rack was so old it had dried up so much you could almost peel it off.

colyn
c firth

It is easy on a RHD car, just try it on a LHD!
Art Pearse

Given that it is newly refurbished it seems unlikely that it is the worm/large gear interface or dry grease.

There is an adjuster for the motor bearing end float on the gearbox end that would be worth looking at, as well at the bearing at the other end. Could be as simple as loose bolts - the two that run down the motor casing and hold it all together.
N McG

Sadly not that straightforward. The spherical bearing at the gear end of the motor has come loose in the housing. The press fit spring clip which is peened into the aluminium housing has come loose. Not sure how to put it back so it stays in place. Tiny hammer drive screws might be a solution.

Everything else was very well greased. It is possible that the end float adjuster may have been overtightened before.

John Francis

Could be a good excuse to convert to the MGB 2-speed wiper motor John.

Full instructions are available in the technical info section of the MGCC websites MGA register section, or of course in MGA GURU.

Colyn
c firth

This thread was discussed between 04/06/2014 and 05/06/2014

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