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Wiper spindle hole seals

Ratbag

Administrator
Joined
Jan 1, 2012
Messages
7,416
Location
Bayside, Melbourne, Vic
Car Year
MY06, MY10
Car Model
Forester SG & SH
Transmission
5MT/DR & 4EAT Sports
Gidday All

I am sure I'm not the only person who gets mightily irritated by leaves and the tiny little gum nuts from the 100+ foot eucalypt in our front yard finding their way between the wiper attachment to the drive spindle and the escutcheon that is part of the air dam at the rear of the bonnet (= "hood" in US English ... ).

After doing some heavier work this morning before the heat and humidity killed me off for a few hours, I decided to make some guards to prevent these from getting in where it's flaming hard to get them out.

Being the type who hates wasting anything, I make bits and pieces out of miscellaneous scrap, like sewer pipe and ice cream containers. The lids of the latter are as tough as nails, and if you buy the type with a plasticised brand label on the lid, it's even tougher! The label side is nearly as good a slip ring as Teflon ... ;).

So. First step was to figure out the right dimensions. Be buggered if I'm going to remove the wiper arm in this heat, so did a rough measurement between thumb and forefinger :poke: :cool:.

The finished ring has a cut through it, and the final shaping ensures that this stays at the bottom. This also makes cutting the centre hole out accurately much easier. Have I mentioned that this stuff is tough :lol:?

The idea is to make a seal, but one that is almost an interference fit with the outside of the drive hub of the wiper blade assembly. Ideally, it shouldn't turn with the wiper, but should not have sufficient clearance for crap to keep on getting in there.

After making a rough template, I then pruned this to shape so that it fitted. Also worked out that I needed more width in the ring to properly cover the hole in the escutcheon, and stop the seal from turning in use.

For the SG, the centre hole should be 31 mm in diameter and 31.5 for the SH.
The outer diameter should start out as circular, and 56 mm in outside diameter in both cases.

With both cars, the two seals are a slightly different shape for the D/S and P/S. You cannot just cut them out and fit them. It doesn't work properly.

Using the butchered template, I then drew the correct dimensions on a bit more of the ice cream container lid (the 4L ones give more working area), and cut out two blanks that had the correct dimensions.

I usually cut the ice cream lid roughly with Tullen snips, but metal cutting snips are also good for this. The plastic is TOUGH. Cutting out an oversize blank means that you don't have to work around the edge where it seals (when it's an ice cream lid ... :iconwink:), and is generally easier to shape.

The finished item ends up shaped to fit so that it sits flat and snugly against the escutcheon, with the cut through the ring at the bottom.

They are most easily fitted by sliding the far side behind the spindle (avoid getting this bit in the gap), then pulling the near side down over the cap and spindle.

Test that they do not rotate with the wipers.

I will hit them with some matte black paint when it isn't so bloody hot, and I have determined that they are worth painting - i.e. that they actually work, and stay there!

Some pics:

Crap in the existing hole (after blowing out as much as I could without getting out my compressor ... too bloody hot!):

Melbourne-20140208-00224.jpg


The driver and passenger side rings cut to their final shape:

Melbourne-20140208-00223.jpg


Driver's side fitted ( the cut can just be seen at the bottom):

Melbourne-20140208-00221.jpg


Passenger side fitted:

Melbourne-20140208-00222.jpg


It's taken longer to take the pics, upload and embed them and write this post than it took to make the two seals! I haven't done the ones for the SH yet.

I will have to see how they work in practice. They should stay in place because they are out of the direct air flow, and they are not all that easy to remove anyway.

After a rough spray with hammertone grey enamel this arvo:

Melbourne-20140208-00225.jpg
 
Last edited:
Interesting & good idea mate.
Can't wait to see them once you've colour coded them.

Regards
Mr Turbo
 
It cooled down a bit late this arvo, so hit them with some hammertone grey enamel. Talk about a rough job ... :puke: :lol: :rotfl:.

Before:

Melbourne-20140208-00223.jpg


After:

Melbourne-20140208-00225.jpg


Now back on the car.
 
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