wiper spindal leaking

[vodkakid]

i have found my leak(i hope), i thinks its coming from where the wiper goes through the body work.
my questions are if i losen the nut on the spindle will it just spin or will the bolt just fall out as you cant get to the head?? same applies when i tighten it up will it just spin if so how do i do it?
cheers
ac

[shpub]

It is not a bolt, it is a threaded spindle. It is held in place by the wheel box casing which in turn is held in place by the rack. You should be able to loosen it but you will need a deep socket. Socking in penetrating oil might be a good idea as it may have rusted on if water has been leaking through.

Steve

[Ballistic Banana]

Finally.

Glad you found out where it was Andy, know stuff two tonnes of sealant in there

BB

[vodkakid]

cheers everyone that helped

[peter w]

shpub said: It is not a bolt, it is a threaded spindle. It is held in place by the wheel box casing which in turn is held in place by the rack. You should be able to loosen it but you will need a deep socket. Socking in penetrating oil might be a good idea as it may have rusted on if water has been leaking through.

Steve

I have done a bit more research into what it all comes from and the wiper wheel box nuts a so much like TR6/MGB/XJ6 it is uncanny. (Just another 'Lucas Prince Of Darkness' item) Moss pt no was 37H7738NT at about £2.00 each. These things get corroded on to the spindle of the wheel box which is aluminium and cutting them off is often better than trying to undo them. Undoing a seized one often ends up bending the rack tubes in the car. Ho Hum the pleasures of the ultimate kit car...... You build the kit

Peter W

[vodkakid]

had the first rain since i looked into the wiper being the problem and....................it still bloody leaked so ill try again

[shpub]

I have done a bit more research into what it all comes from and the wiper wheel box nuts a so much like TR6/MGB/XJ6 it is uncanny. (Just another 'Lucas Prince Of Darkness' item) Moss pt no was 37H7738NT at about £2.00 each.

The item is a Lucas system but the killer is the gearing inside the wheel housing and inside the wiper motor. It is not one of the common ones that you have mentioned. Whether a pair would be suitable I don't know.

Steve

[andyvg]

Been there - done that.

Basically the wiper arm spindle is attached to a plate behind the false bulkhead (this bulkhead only houses the wiper system the 'fresh' air system is picked up from the wiper motor end) the only thing stopping water getting in through the spindle hole is the how much the nut is tightened up thereby forcing the rubber grommet to hopefully cover the hole.

now the build quality bit - the holes on my car were about 1.75 times too big for the spindle (not worn just cut that way originally) so I cut a section of rubber mat to sandwich between the plate and the inside of the bulkhead (+ lots of sealant).

However in order to do this you need to remove that bulkhead piece which is a mammouth job and involves removing all the sealant around the base of the windscreen and all the pop rivets (40+) holding the bulkhead on (there are also 2 screws behind the engine above the bellhousing which are a bitch to get at)

Now I come to the point - when I got the bulkhead out of my car I discovered that along the front edge (nearest the engine) there was a series of grommets sealed in place which were letting water in - check this on your car if you think that the spindles have been sealed.

The other good place for water ingress is behind the wiper motor and the wires that enter the car just below it on the inner wing. (passenger side)

Hope this helps.

Andy.

[andyvg]

PS - When you get the bulkhead out you see how many times the engineers at TVR 'missed' when drilling the holes for the fresh air vents - the one nearest the driver on my car had been attempted 3 times before they got it right!!! - I had to seal this along with numerous other small holes before I finished - at least now the smell of exhaust fumes is a lot less!!!

I also broke one of the wiper arms tightening the nut back up so be carefull!!