Removing wipper spindles

[cleverusername]

The little book of lies has no info on this but it looks simple enough. Remove collar nut, job done. However I have run into some issues.

I can't find the correct size socket or spanner, I suspect someone has rounded the nuts in the past. The locking nut seems to be welded to the spindle and of course the whole wiper mechanism moves when you try to turn it.

This is part of my on going mission to find all and stop all the water leaks into the footwells. I suspect the spindles washers have perished and that is letting in water but I can't get them off to check them or possibly replace. Normally I would use heat but I don't think that is option in this case.

Any ideas?

[Tony Burd]

You need to carefully cut them off, I normally just cut 1 corner of the nut off, then you can usually remove the rest. The spindle will probably be corroded but you might be able to clean up the thread.

New nuts are available from Chris Witor I think.

[Bumpa]

Yep. Most British cars of this age or older have the same type of wiper spindles made of some sort of softish alloy. This means they react with the nut and eventually they will not undo. Tackle them the way Tony said. When you put them back smear a little black windscreen sealant on both sides of the rubber gasket. Excess sealant that squeezes out is easily removed with a clean rag and a little white spirit.

[Richard the old one]

I just put a small amount of silicon sealant around the area and it has stopped the leak.

[cleverusername]

Thanks, I am going to order the replacement nuts before whacking these off. One of the nuts has a big chunk missing from it, so I suspect someone has tried to remove it in the past.

[tamtrucks]

yeah get new spindle nuts be on safe side...try using a rubber flat washer did this on mine and trimed it down till you cant notice it.....silicon sealer is that for bathroom or boat sealent

[Carledo]

What makes things doubly difficult, is the nuts are octagonal not hexagonal like a "normal" nut. So sockets just won't cut it. The only thing that fits is a 3/4" open ended spanner, with all it's limitations. Add that to the "monkey metal" the spindles are made of and it's a recipe for disaster.

Sometimes the things come undone easily (not often) occasionally they will yield to persistence, take the dash out and hold the back of the spindle firmly with a large water pump pliers, douse everything in penetrating fluid and pray. If this fails, cutting the nuts off is the only last resort.

But it's worth doing, leaks here are almost totally responsible for rot in the box section under the screen that the top of the column and brake pedal box mounts on! It's a lot easier to stop the leak than fix rust in this complicated and hard to access compound curved panel, not to mention the damage done as the water makes it's way down the car, rusting A pillars, inner sills and floor pans on it's way and ruining carpets. All for the sake of a few pennorth of sealer. And maybe a couple of nuts.

On a secondary note, if you've had a leak for a long time and you suspect the spindles, it's probably worth pulling the dash out (the whole lot, crash pad and all) and inspecting the box section for rust. Most of it is invisible with the crash pad in place and the rot can fester unnoticed for years. Been there, done that, got a drawer full of T shirts!

Steve

[Richard the old one]

The silicone sealant I used was Loctite S15940 Superflex black which was sold by the my local auto motor shop. The packaging states it is designed for applications in automotive, agriculture, marine and general repair and maintenance.

I was afraid what damage and problems I might have if I attempted to do a proper job, if nothing else it quick and simple to do and is a good way to prove this is the source of a leak.

Only after I posted the photograph did I remember that I had actual included it in the article that I wrote for edition 200 of Dolly Mixture

[cleverusername]

What makes things doubly difficult, is the nuts are octagonal not hexagonal like a "normal" nut. So sockets just won't cut it. The only thing that fits is a 3/4" open ended spanner, with all it's limitations. Add that to the "monkey metal" the spindles are made of and it's a recipe for disaster.

Sometimes the things come undone easily (not often) occasionally they will yield to persistence, take the dash out and hold the back of the spindle firmly with a large water pump pliers, douse everything in penetrating fluid and pray. If this fails, cutting the nuts off is the only last resort.

But it's worth doing, leaks here are almost totally responsible for rot in the box section under the screen that the top of the column and brake pedal box mounts on! It's a lot easier to stop the leak than fix rust in this complicated and hard to access compound curved panel, not to mention the damage done as the water makes it's way down the car, rusting A pillars, inner sills and floor pans on it's way and ruining carpets. All for the sake of a few pennorth of sealer. And maybe a couple of nuts.

On a secondary note, if you've had a leak for a long time and you suspect the spindles, it's probably worth pulling the dash out (the whole lot, crash pad and all) and inspecting the box section for rust. Most of it is invisible with the crash pad in place and the rot can fester unnoticed for years. Been there, done that, got a drawer full of T shirts!

Steve

Oh the dash went ages ago and the panels have already rotted. I have welded in new metal in each corner inside and outside. Part of the leak was the scuttle panel which had rotten but that is now all new metal.

Yet water is still getting in, so the next thing to eliminate is the spindles.

[cleverusername]

Have them off now, using a combination of dremel and hammer. As some predicted the threads had completely oxidised, hopefully I will be able to clean them up. The nuts were made of monkey metal, very easy to break.

Nearside spindel bush was fine but the offside one has split, so I have found one of the leaks. Annoyingly I ordered the wrong bush, so will have to wait for that to arrive now.

Thanks for your help.