Elite Eclat S1 windscreen wiper spindle

[paul_adamson]

I've not been able to find any threads on replacing the wiper box/spindle on an early elite/eclat. Has anyone actually achieved this task?

[garyexcel]

Aghhh! Don't ask my first Lotus was an elite and the wheel box stripped I started unbolting bits and was stumped, it was mid winter snow on the ground so I thought I would let lotus sort it when I called they said parts £5.00 labour £700.00 and this was 1982 they said it was the most expensive job on their list. The story went that they hung the wheel box from the factory roof and built the car around it and that some customers had cut a hole in the bodywork to change it. In the end I loosened the dashboard off as much as possible without removing the peddle box and steering then bribed my wife (thin arms) to reach behind the dashboard and remove it. Wouldn't want to do it again, how about RainX. Fortunately I have an Excel now and the job is a doddle. Sorry for the bad news. If I remember correctly to do the job properly the steering column and peddle box need to come out along with the dashboard.

Gary

[alanbell]

I have done this about 30 years ago, the correct way of doing the job is to remove the entire dash starting with the steering wheel, once you have done that changing the spindle is easy. since the wiper and therefore the spindle only rotates thro slightly less than180 deg some say only one side of the spindle will be worn there fore disconnecting the motor drive and rotating the spindle thro 180 deg will engage unworn teeth on the spindle with the drive from the motor, that did not work for me. another possibility that was suggested was to get to the spindle by cutting thro the body work, not recommended. hope this helps. ps I did not have to touch the pedal box

[mat grant]

Hi,

I've done this twice on an eclat S1 - the first time with the dash in place, it is doable but unbelievably awkward and a definite two person operation. On my eclat the wiper didn't work when I bought it, due to a burnt out motor, so I replaced it.

To remove it, I undid the two bolts that hold the U clamp to locate the motor, and found a brake pedal rubber behind it, so it had obviously been attacked before. Undid the wiring connector as well.

Then I undid the nut that holds the wiper spindle through the bodyshell. Once that has dropped through the body it can be "negotiated" out.

To get the new one in I used a piece of strong string dropped through the wiper spindle hole, fished it out from behind the heater, this was tied round the wheelbox, and used to pull it up into place, this is the two person part, one moving the motor and supporting it in position to allow the wheelbox to go in the right place, the other pulling the string to lift the wheelbox up. Then grabbed the wheelbox with mole grips and put the nut on, clamped up the U clamp.

This is making it sound a lot easier than it was - add in a lot of retries and bad language. Also there were two problems - the first was the nut on my wheelbox had to be chiselled off with a punch and was damaged, finding a replacement was a major hassle. The second was the sprung loaded part on the wiper blade itself has major spring power, and if it say flicked itself onto your thumb would result in a lot of pain and comedy hopping round the garage like something out of a roadrunner cartoon! I seriously think you could break a finger with that thing.

The second time I changed it was much much easier. Because it was such a hassle to do the wiper motor and because I have read of a lot of failures, I changed it for the one from my Lotus excel that I was breaking for the chassis. This one looked virtually brand new and was itself a replacement. I took it apart and swapped the wheelbox and rod from the eclat one as it is much longer than the excel one.

This was done during the cars total rebuild/chassis replacement while the dash was out and the heater was out. Nb you don't have to take the pedal box or steering column out. The hole through the body is behind the heater. Although on my car the pedal box and steering column were also out.

I wouldn't recommend cutting holes in the body to do this - partly I can't see easily how/where you would cut it to make any difference, and also you are risking water leaks.

Hope this is of some help, Mat.