Wipers

[Bill D]

My car is an FFR Mk4 that has been extensively modified by Mr. Bruce. This includes moving the firewall forward at least 6 inches. Consequently, there is no room to mount the wiper boxes so that the wiper motor connects to them in the engine bay. Has anyone mounted the wiper motor behind the firewall? How would you even get access to the wiper boxes? Now I've spent $400+ on a wiper system that looks to be unusable.

[mdross1]

Mounted the wiper mechanism's behind the dash while it was out of the car,servicing anything in that area means taking the dash out. The defrost just adds to the lack of space.

[Bill D]

Taking the dash out would mean disconnecting all the wiring and the mechanical gauges. Not going to happen. Time to sell the wiper system. Total waste

[strictlypersonl]

Unless you've got a non-Lucas system, it's a simple thing to run your wiper tubing through the firewall so that you can mount the motor on the footbox the way it was done on the original cars. The only stumbling block might be that you need a longer drive cable than the one supplied by FFR.

[Bill D]

Originally Posted by strictlypersonl

Unless you've got a non-Lucas system, it's a simple thing to run your wiper tubing through the firewall so that you can mount the motor on the footbox the way it was done on the original cars. The only stumbling block might be that you need a longer drive cable than the one supplied by FFR.

Thanks SP. I thought of that but how do you connect the drive cable to the wiper boxes after the body is mounted, and the firewall and dash installed?

[strictlypersonl]

Originally Posted by Bill D

Thanks SP. I thought of that but how do you connect the drive cable to the wiper boxes after the body is mounted, and the firewall and dash installed?

Just push the drive cable (already connected to the motor) through the connecting tubes and wheelboxes before the wiper arms are installed.

[DanEC]

I installed the wheel boxes and cable in my ERA before installing the dash. It would probably be possible to work under the dash on your back and through the glove box opening to connect the cables with some gymnastics - but don't know about your car.

[Bill D]

I've spent the whole day working thru this problem and think I've come up with a solution before the body goes off to paint:

1) Mount the wiper motor on the inside of the firewall on the driver's side without the dash installed

2) Put the body back on and install the wiper boxes

3) Fit the tubes and cable

4) Verify and test to make sure everything works properly

After the body comes back from paint, all I have to do is go from under the dash and push the wiper boxes thru the holes in the body and secure them.

Workable?

[mdross1]

Working under the dash for me requires that the seats and steering column come out even then it is painful to work. Anything to be done over the trans tunnel the dash has to come out. When I built my car and wired it I made the harness long enough to keep everything connected once it is unbolted. Either way good luck.