IIA Wiper Motors

[Colorado X-Panda]

What kind and how much grease should I use on the gears when repairing the individual wiper motors on an early IIA? It seemed like there was an awful lot in there when I took it apart. It was the original 40-yr old grease. Also is there a source or else an alternate material for the seal between the gear and motor compartments? I thought the seal was a flat rubber one, but after cleaning it a little it appears to be cork. It is still in one piece but I hesitate to reuse it.

[I Leak Oil]

Just use a general purpose grease. It's thin enough when cold and the motor and gears don't generate much heat so you cetainly don't need any fancy hi temp stuff. Besides, the hi temp stuff is usually too viscous when cold and will make the motor work harder. Just clean the old stuff out and coat the mechanicals with enough to cover them. There's no need to pack the case full as it may leak into the electics side and cause bigger problems. Go ahead and reuse the original gasket if it is not torn. It's not holding back gear oil or anything fluid so it'll be fine. These comments are based on my personal experience with these and a very good tech session given by Al Richter, whom apparently has loads of experience with these, at the All Metal Dash Weekend.
Jason T.

[gudjeon]

I used white lithium grease to assemble my wiper motors. They have been in use for about three years now and still work well when it gets very cold. I guess it doesn't harden up too badly in the winter. I just made sure there was a good coating on everything inside - you don't have to pack it full or anything like that. I reused my seals as they were still intact after 50 years.

Jon

[J!m]

I'd suggest a full synthetic grease #1, and then the white lithium grease as #2.

The synthetic has better viscosity stability over a much wider temperature range than anything else (lithium is good in this regard as well).

I also see no need to pack it with grease- coat the gears and shafts liberally, and go with that.

If the gasket is flat, run it on the copy machine, and use the copy as a template to cut a new one. I just picked up that trick recently, and I like it...