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Triumph TR3 - Wiper Installation Part II


Although my TR3A did not come with windshield wipers installed, I was fortunate enough to have a working wiper motor, gearbox and drive cable included. A set of used wheel boxes is on the way. I’m now in the middle of rebuilding the wiper motor and gearbox, and I’ve got a couple of questions (never having seen a wiper installation up close and personal). (By the way, thank you, Barry Shefner, for having great pix of your engine compartment online—they really helped me visualize the layout of many components.)

Here are the Qs:

1. What are my prospects for locating the mounting plate that holds the wiper motor and gearbox to the engine compartment? I’ve not seen one listed in the catalogs, and I don’t have one under the hood. I did find a mounting “kit” from Moss/TRF.
2. Where will I locate the nearest junction that connects the leads from the wiper motor to the wiring harness? The leads on my motor were cut short and will be replaced.
3. What’s the correct color/finish treatment on the motor/gearbox unit?
4. Was the exterior drive cable painted or left bare metal? If painted, what color?
Bill Stagg

1. Try all the contacts for used suppliers I mentioned earlier. If you don't have any luck, let me know and I can mail you sketches of the part. Maybe you want to cut and bend it yourself or have a sheetmetal shop do it for you. It is made of 16 ga. cold rolled steel (that's 1/16" thick). Or I could find out how much a sheetmetal shop would charge and I could get one made for you using mine as a model and if his price seems right to you.

2. The 3 wires on mine come up from the wire harness from down below where the wiper motor is located.

3. They can be black krinkle finish like the instrumennt panel in the center of your dashboard. Mine is silvery hammertone finish. TRA say both are right. The silver looks smarter and brighter to me.

4. The tube that curves into the dash is cadmium plated. If it's rusty, sand off the rust and spray it aluminium colo(u)r.

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A
Don Elliott

I just wrapped up the rebuild of the wiper motor/gearbox unit, and it's ready to install once I have all my parts in hand. I installed new carbon blocks (from Moss) in the brushes, and it hums right along. Everything else went smoothly, but I clearly have yet to master the krinkle paint technique. I also bought the paint through Moss. Can any of you TR Picassos out there share the secret of fine krinkle painting? I'm sure there's more in my future.

For now, it's good to go as the good sides, happily, are facing up and out.

Thanks.

Bill Stagg
1961 TR3A
Bill Stagg

Spray it on the paint and use a blow dryer on low with heat and it will krinkle right up. I give Paul a call and see when a good time might be. Type to you later.
Russ Austin

I guess I could have used better grammer in the last thread.
Russ Austin

Russ, thanks for the "blow dry" tip. Makes sense. The can instructs one to apply three "heavy" coats at five minute intervals. Is that the way you've been doing it?

Thanks.

Bill
Bill Stagg

The wiper motor/gearbox mounting bracket I obtained has now been stripped and primed. Pix I've seen suggest the bracket is either painted black or the body color matching the engine bay. Can anyone help zero in on the "correct" color scheme for TR3A. My commission number is TS67947L.

Many thanks!

Bill Stagg
1961 TR3A
Bill Stagg

Bill - If you want TR original colo(u)rs, click on :-

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/1080/paintcodes.html

But your PO may have used another colo(u)r. Who is to know ?

I suggest you take out a bolt that is painted the present body colo(u)r, and take it to your local hardware store and try to match itwith a can of aerosol spray paint.

Or go to a paint shop for auto paint and check his chips. Then ask him to mix up a pint (or whatever) of "your" TR colo(u)r.

We in the "non-USA world" still use the "u" in color, labor, etc.

Did my Mid-Ohio Triumph Race video arrive ? I mailed it on Dec. 17th. That'll be entertaining while you wait for Spring to arrive.

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A
Don Elliott

Don,

Thanks for the color reference. I actually hauled my boot cover to the store and managed to find a white spray paint off the shelf that's close enough to use for touch up work.

What I'm needing is direction on what color to paint the wiper gearbox/motor bracket--should it be gloss black, color of the body/engine bay, some other color? I'd like to stay appropriate to the color scheme for my model of TR3A.

The TR video is eagerly awaited. I have every confidence that the US Postal Service will drop it on my doorstep Monday or Tuesday. Can't wait to see the action and hear the interviews. Thanks for making it possible.

Happy holidays to all up north,

Bill Stagg
1961 TR3A
Bill Stagg

Bill - What's a "boot cover" ?

My wiper bracket is black - but then, my TR is black all over. I'd go for the body color that you found.

Don Elliott
Don Elliott

Don,

I should have said "spare wheel lid." It's right below the "boot."

So many new LBC terms, so few memory cells...

Bill
Bill Stagg

The wiper arms I have acquired (Moss #164-990) to install on my TR3A (TS67947L) do not appear to fit the wheel boxes I purchased. There are approximately 60 splines on the shaft of the wheelboxes and only about 20 splines on the push-on mount of the wiper arms. It's also apparent that the wheelbox shaft will not fit into the mount on the wiper arms.

I notice that there are two wheelboxes for TR2-3B, changing at commission #TS12568. Can anyone familiar with the wheelboxes tell me if I have the earlier and possibly incompatible ones?

Many thanks,

Bill Stagg
Bill Stagg

This thread was discussed between 26/11/2002 and 30/12/2002

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