The Lotus Grand Tourers

I'd say the motor is on the way out.
if it was the mechanism it should do the same whether the wiper's on the screen or not.

Andy

Hi

Probably right, but before removing the motor it might be worth checking how it operates without the arm on it. Just to see if the loading is overstressing the motor. I'd also be checking the gearbox and park mechanism, the little metal contacts indide the latter are pretty fragile. Obviously that's a motor out job, so you can check it all over thoroughly while it's apart

Robert

Jerry
could you document the replacement of this with some pics?
im going to have to swap out my windscreen wiper at some point (mike sorted me out a refurbed unit)...
keep putting it off cause im scared of taking everything appart!

wow that is an early model
hope the photos arnt black and white

Jerry,

Might be a bit late for you.

When you remove the motor if you tie length a bit of string to the wiper spindle, on the outside of the car, you can then use it to ease the spindle back through the hole when refitting.

Guys
An update on wiper motors.
Back in September 08 after a great weekend at the Circuit des Remparts in Angoulême 1000 miles trouble free, the first bit of rain when I reached Peterborough on my way back to Lincoln and the wipers decide to die. Isn't RainX wonderful?
Back home and when time allowed I found that the nut connecting the wheel box to the motor had come undone and hence no wiper movement. After about an hour and two very sore and scratched hands the nut was re-tightened (need hands of a ten year old to do in-situe really).
Fast forward to January 2009 and after the Christmas break get the Excel out of the garage and attempt to clean the screen and nothing, other than the faint sound of the wiper motor straining to do anything. Switched the car off and cleaned the screen with with a chamois, restarted the car and tried the wipers and yes, they worked apart from on the fast setting. Thought I would let the weather warm up before trying to sort the problem out.
Last weekend the speedo cable snapped (due to the outer parting company with the connector at the head end). With new cable ordered from SJ, I set about removing the wiper motor. It took all of 10 minutes (I had been soaking the wheel box nut with release oil which I thought may help for when this time arrived).
On stripping the wiper motor I found that the brushes were shot and very damp (worrying as the motor was changed in Aug 01 for the previous owner).
Anyway a search on the interweb for replacement brushes only came up with replacements for Lucas 14W motors. Rimmers showed two sets for a Triumph TR6 which I assumed were the same as the Stag (which I also have had for 29 years). Living in Lincoln I have easy access to Rimmers, so paid them a visit, and yes the brushes are the same as for the Lucas 29W motor fitted to the Excel (as far as I can tell the difference in the motor numbers is the mechanical degree of sweep i.e. 110deg for the Triumphs and 175deg for the Excel).
Ten minutes to clean and replace half an hour getting the motor fitted and the wheelbox spidle back through the valence even using a piece of wire to pull it back through.
Anyway the wipers now work better than ever.
Rimmer part No http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/cgi-bin/rim ... elec-wiper TR6 517644A.
For a great weekend in France try Angoulême, full of Brits no traffic problems. A bit like getting 80k people to a motor race in the centre of Durham. And not a burger bar in sight just excellent French hospitallity (even the security guys, who were very helpful and always had a smile). http://www.circuit-des-remparts.com/index2-lang-uk.html
Will post the parts on the Parts Alternative area.

Cheers
Wayne

Photos of this procedure - exactly as Jerry described above - are here:
http://s511.photobucket.com/albums/s355 ... r%20motor/
with some comments below each one if you view it in screen show mode.

I used very thin plastic coated wire - gardening wire - tied to the spindle and threaded through the hole below the windscreen. Worked well, and has the advantage in that the wire is sufficiently stiff to poke it through the hole after removing the motor, if you want, allowing you to work on the motor on a bench / kitchen table/ etc.

This job is a soddin' rite of passage for Excel owners isn't it??!!!!!

Brushes assembly came from:
http://www.s-v-c.co.uk/prod_wipers.html
- but I think I still need a new wiper gearbox & wheelbox as the new brushes are only marginally better than before.