I love the references to Rain-X, but must relate a personal experience
with the product.
DO NOT LEAVE CONCENTRATED RAIN-X ON PAINT FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF
TIME! You will find out as I did that the stuff will first discolor
paint and then eat right through it. Funny thing is, I have never seen
any precautionary statements on any of the containers warning about it's
misuse.
Regards,
Joe
"Dahman, Ken" wrote:
>
> TR folks,
>
> Thought that I would share this with the list.
> -------------------------------------
>
> Bill,
>
> The most current chapter is attached to the bottom of the message
> string.
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
> Ken
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ken Dahman
> To: Bill Redinger [SMTP:aredinger@juno.comDahman, Ken
> Subject: Re: TR3-A Windshield Wiper Wheel box
>
> Bill Redinger
> VTR Vehicle Consultant - TR2 - 3A
>
> Bill,
>
> My name is Ken Dahman. I am VTR Member 12700 as of 6/25/1999.
>
> I own a 1959 TR3-A Commission Number TS/46295-LO
>
> The driver's side windshield wiper arm "slips" around the wiper shaft and
> eventually gets jammed into the scuttle deck. Since the wiper arm is tight on
> the rotating shaft, I believe that either the wiper cable is worn in the area
> which passes through the wheel box or more likely, the wheel box wheel is
>worn,
> causing this problem.
>
> Now planning my off season TR work, I wonder if you have been through the
>wheel
> box removal process and have some tips or can point me to a source of tips. I
> searched on the team dot archive list and did not come up with much.
>
> Just hoping that there is a process which avoids what looks to be the removal
>of
> the cable, tach, speedo, de-mister ducts, etc. just to get to the rascal. Ah,
> the joy of laying on one's back in the foot well of a TR3-A.
>
> No hurry to respond, it will be a while till the cold weather hits. Thanks in
> advance.
>
> Ken Dahman
> TS/46295-LO
> St. Louis Triumph Owners Association
> (driving with the aid of RainX)
>
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -------------------------------------------
>
> From: Bill Redinger [SMTP:aredinger@juno.com]
> Sent: Thursday, September 30, 1999 10:56 PM
> To: Dahman, Ken
> Subject: Re: TR3-A Windshield Wiper Wheel box
>
> Dear Ken
>
> If the wipers are sporadic and the wiper arms are tight to the shaft
>and
> will move when the wiper motor is off then you have the joy of
>replacing
> the wheel box (s) and or the cross head rack / cable which could also
>be
> damaged. If you are lucky the wheel box may just be lose and moving
> around and thus not giving you full or contiguous wiper action.
>
> Suggestion do some investigation as to what is moving and what is not
> before you take it all apart the answer maybe simple as I have found
> some
> times!
>
> As you noted removal of the cable and wheel box is a pain which is
>best
> done as you said by removing the glove box and speedometer for hand
> access. And yes with age and no lubrication the wheel boxes do go
>south
> on occasions. That is why Rain X was invented. Don't leave home
>without
> it on. Your mother should have told you that! or maybe she did in get
> something more dependable?
>
> Best of Luck
> Bill Redinger
>
> ___________________________________________________________________
>
> Bill,
>
> I took your suggestion. Thanks to you, I think that I have achieved a
> "temporary" fix to the TR3-A's windshield wiper problem and for now, avoided
>the
> necessity of removing most of the dash instruments, defogger ducts, etc. in
> order to replace the windshield wiper wheel box.
>
> I'm so happy! 8^)
>
> It is amazing to my wife how a successful TR fix up session can improve my
> disposition.
>
> With the rain on Sunday reducing my LBC drive time, I thought that I would use
> the time to assess the need to order a replacement windshield wiper wheel box
>to
> correct my malfunctioning driver's side wiper.
>
> First off, I experimented with manually rotating the wiper shaft to see if it
> would move with the wiper motor off. It did for a few degrees then hung up. I
> though to myself, oh oh, I got a bad spot on the wheel box gear wheel. I'm
>gonna
> have to replace the d@#m wheel box.
>
> Just to begin to understand the nature of the installation, I began to work my
> left hand up under the dash to the driver's side portion of the wiper cable
>tube
> and wheel box. While feeling around, I noticed that the cable tube and wheel
>box
> could easily be moved around, forward and backward.
>
> As a test, I activated the wipers while holding the tube. As the wipers
> operated, I felt that the tube and the wheel box were moving around a great
> deal. There just seemed to be a lot of slop in the structure. As usual, the
> driver wiper began wiping correctly and after 5 or 6 wipes, it slipped in the
> wheel box and the wiper arm eventually rotated enough that it contacted the
>top
> of the scuttle and got stuck. After several tests, I noticed that when I held
> the tube firm enough so that it did not move around, the wipers seemed to work
> properly.
>
> OK, I then began to check for and tighten down lose components. The driver's
> side wiper housing, which holds the wheel box tight up against the underside
>of
> the scuttle, was a little loose, so I tighten it down and rechecked the
> function. Darn, same results.
>
> In the engine compartment, the attachment of the cable to the wiper motor
>seemed
> loose so I tightened it up a bit and re-tested. Holding the tube in my hand
> again, I could feel that the cable tube and wheel box movement had been
>stopped.
> Also, the driver's side wiper worked as good as the passenger's side used to.
> But now the passenger's side did not work right. Also, after turning off the
> wiper switch, the wipers stopped immediately, without returning to their
>"home"
> position.
>
> When I loosened the wiper cable / motor attachment in the engine compartment
>and
> re-tested, the tube movement returned and the driver's side wiper stopped
> working correctly. But the system did shut down correctly and the passenger's
> side worked again.
>
> The situation seemed to be, if I tightened the motor / cable connection to get
> the driver's side working, I would somehow need to adjust the internal stop
> position switch and find a way to get the passenger side working too. So, I
> dropped back and continued to experiment in the looser "good park" cable /
>motor
> connection mode.
>
> Several trials confirmed... when I stopped the cable tube movement by holding
>it
> firmly in my hand, both wipers worked correctly and would even return to their
> home position after being switched off. So, I could either learn how to drive
>in
> the rain with my left hand up under the dash holding the wiper cable tube from
> moving too much, or find a way to tighten up the wiper drive system without
> negating the ability of the passenger side wiper to work and for the system to
> return to the home position when switched off.
>
> For safety reasons, I choose the latter.
>
> To take the place of my hand and stop the excess movement, I wedged a shim
> (block of wood) between the under side of the scuttle and the top of the cable
> tube (up under the dash). I did a re-test.
>
> Wow, this remedied the malfunctioning driver's side wiper, kept the passenger
> side working correctly, and still retained the system's ability to return to
> it's home position when turned off. AND I had the use of my hand back.
>
> The wooden shim fixed the problem. Don't ask me why, I don't know.
>
> Since it is working, I am going to leave it alone. My boss of long ago used to
> say "The better can be the enemy of the good". In this case, I agree.
>
> I did do some rigging to insure that the "shim" would stay in place till that
> time when a more correct repair of the situation
> (replace the wheel box? ) will be more easily accomplished.
>
> Addendum: Flushed with success, I took on the windshield washers which had not
> worked since buying the car in '94, After finding and re-attaching a loose
> electrical connection on the washer switch, I could hear the operation of the
> little motor and pump located in the passenger's side foot well. Since it
>still
> did not squirt after cleaning out the washer spray nozzles and plastic fluid
> delivery tubes, on a hunch, I reversed the intake and outgo tubes on the
>little
> pump and guess what? Big smile now... IT WORKS!
>
> Ken (still applied another coat of RainX though, just in case)
--
"If you can't excel with talent, triumph with effort."
-- Dave Weinbaum in National Enquirer
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