Wiper Linkage

[daveiow]

Has anyone suffered the link rod between the wiper motor assembly and the wiper spindle (UK SE RHD) becoming detached?
This happened to me recently and after a bit of cursing I managed to get it back on and continue to Ypres.
The ball joints were well greased and didn't appear worn to me so before I strip it out I just wondered if anyone has been there before me and wether the parts are available or an alternative has been sourced?
Thanks in advance for all advice
daveiow

[Enright]

Dave, I would have a chat with Phil (Surfboardfiller) or Jeemy if I were you - both have broken Elans recently and I think this is a very uncommon failure, so if you get a cheap second hand unit you should be fine.

[Peter D]

I replaced mine becuase it suffered of play in the ball joints, though they didn't come off.
Not an easy job to do the replacement, at least on LHD...
I first needed to demount the motor, before I could get the linkage out.
Good luck, and too bad we didn't speak in Ypres.
I didn't check LEC to find out who would cross the channel, but I did speak with the Elan driver who drives the purple one with orange striping.
I'm so bad in names, sorry ...
And with Pascale (from Lille, FR), as we had a small gathering of 4 Elan drivers at dinner.

[Brit-Car-Nut]

The linkage only is NLS but the entire S2 motor with linkage is still available for £100.10 from Lotus. E100M0092F The S2 design's motor uses a different plug so some wiring mods will be necessary.

[basher]

I wish it was a more rare occurrence, it's happened to me twice.
Trying to pop the ball joint back in at the roadside, whilst leaning over a red hot engine, whilst it's slashing down with rain which is going straight over your back where your coat has ridden up, when the arm is mostly obscured by bodywork is not my idea of fun.
I think this is going to get more common as the cars gets older.
We were going to look at removing the whole linkage, drilling out the ball joints and replacing them with a bolt, sleeve and washers arrangement of some sort but haven't got around to it yet...

[Brit-Car-Nut]

I have a used RHD wiper linkage over here that I can sacrifice. I will look and see if a rod-end or similar solution is possible.

[daveiow]

I agree Basher, not much fun
Replacing the whole linkage and motor looks like the best option if the S2 version fits the SE but I must admit I've spent my repair budget this year plus some so a bit of thought is required on this first.
Thanks for all the advise
David

[epipete]

I agree Basher, not much fun
Replacing the whole linkage and motor looks like the best option if the S2 version fits the SE but I must admit I've spent my repair budget this year plus some so a bit of thought is required on this first.
Thanks for all the advise
David

'Repair Budget' !!!!!! Just how much is this??? I'm assessing my annual costs and should like a 'rule of thumb'

[daveiow]

HaHa.... I thought "repair budget" would stir things up
Seriously (and I am not looking for sympathy) until I bought my Elan I have never really had a hobby, too busy with work,kids etc so I just estimate what a golfist would spend on membership and green fees or what a Prem season ticket plus extras would cost and that is what I spend on improvements .Simples
David

[Nickydee]

HaHa.... I thought "repair budget" would stir things up
Seriously (and I am not looking for sympathy) until I bought my Elan I have never really had a hobby, too busy with work,kids etc so I just estimate what a golfist would spend on membership and green fees or what a Prem season ticket plus extras would cost and that is what I spend on improvements .Simples
David

Sounds like you've got "Man maths" accounting package. Useful bit of kit as with a bit creativity sound economic principles can be used to justify any expenditure.

Cheers

Nick

[epipete]

Good definition David, I generally use the lack of depreciation as my measure but now, thanks to you , I can add either a West Brom or Villa ticket, plus fuel, hamburger and beer etc, gosh, add a ticket for the lads & I've just doubled up - hi spec here I come!

[basher]

After remembering what an issue this was I decided to take action and have removed the wiper mechanism.
Peter is absolutely right. It isn't an easy job and you do have to remove the motor.
Whilst accepting that I will probably have to buy a new mechanism at some point, I too have already spent my 'repair budget' (repeatedly) so we have tried the bolt through the ball joint and connector approach first on all the joints to see how we got on.
We have fitted a bolt straight through the joint with a nut and washers.


It still pivots and moves and the connectors won't be falling off the ball joints anytime soon (and embarrassing me at traffic lights), but we are thinking that it has perhaps lost some of the fluidity that it might need. Ideally we would like to test it with the motor outside of the car, but I'm unsure how to lash this up to a battery to get this to work. The plug has five connectors-see picture of car socket which plugs into the motor. There are five wires going in, one black, four orange. One of the orange is plain, one has a blue ring, one a green and one a black.


Any ideas?

[daveiow]

Hopefully I have found a solution to the worn wiper linkage problem
I have been in contact with a firm that specialises in replacement linkages for a number of cars that suffer similar problems to ours, mostly Nissan's, Fiat's and Vauxhalls.
I sent the worn pushrods to Ken, the proprietor, and he has produced exact copies, if anything slightly stronger
I can't do the link thing but the firms website is wipex.co.uk
Ken said he will create a dedicated part number for the Elan kit, it should be on the website in a few days.
I haven't been out in rain yet (too much salt about) but it looks like a good job to me.
Davld

[Jamie N]

Its the exact same balljoint and arm as found on any Astra from about 2000 onwards, available in multitudes from any scrapyard for buttons .

[daveiow]

Hi Jamie
As you say the parts are all GM from the Astra/Nova.
When I fitted your single wiper conversion ( which I am very pleased with and is still in situ) I found there was wear in the sockets in the passenger side pushrod as well Having lost one wiper on the A3 in the dark and rain and again on the Paris-Calais motorway pushing to get to the tunnel I was concerned that which ever way I went, standard or single wiper I could still suffer a failure. Also if mine are knackered after 60k of hopefully mostly dry miles finding decent parts on a scrapper over here where there is much less choice was going to be difficult.
Hopefully I have found a source of new pushrods that will solve the problem of detachment whether single or standard wipers are in use.
David

[Jamie N]

Dave, I think one of the main problems with the balljoints failing is the grease drying out which then deteriorates the plastic insert. Its a good idea to pop the arm off (very simple with a pair of snipe nosed pliers) and re-grease them every couple of years, that will surely prolong the life of them.

[tb10]

but also make sure all of the moving parts are also greased / sprayed regularly. if the wiper blades start to move slightly slower or are juddery (could be the blades of course so check those too) then the mechanism may need a service.