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Re-lube your wiper pivots!!!

7K views 24 replies 12 participants last post by  eq1 
#1 ·
This is a heads up to owners regarding the need to go into the front windshield wiper pivot bearings and re grease them
On my 2001 uk insight with 140,000 miles, the drivers side wiper has a very worn bearing and this makes the action of the blade very jerky, and it parks a bit high on the screen, producing a distinct whistle due to it sticking up into the airstream.
The bearings are plastic bushes working on the rotating steel post. I am un decided on wheather to buy new units, or turn up new plastic or bronze bushes in my lathe!
Has anyone got experience of fitting new parts into the wiper mechanism, as some of the ball joints do not look to be separable in the same way gas strut ball ends are.
 
#2 ·
I have all of my wiper system (except the motor) out & in pieces right now because of the problem you describe.

I have dismantled the spindles and ordered new bearings (a standard industrial part). When the bearings arrive I will photo the rebuild process and post how I got on.
 
#4 ·
#6 ·
Sure, Roger I can do that. Just waiting for new circlips as I broke one pulling it off. I can post the bearings to you if you PM me an address / I am near the west end of the M50.

The extra length of the bearings does not need trimming off as there is plenty of room for it in the housing. I will post photos when it warms up as it is -4Centigrade at my computer right now.
 
#7 ·
Hi Rory,

PM sent!

Yes, the current cold spell is a pain! My shed based brewery at the end of the garden is in need of a spring clean and general sterilisation, and this holiday break would be an ideal time to get it done, but I am buggered if I am submitting my nuts to these sorts of temperatures. 510 pints brewed last year, hopefully more than that in 2015.
 
#8 · (Edited)
View attachment 27705

Wipers and cowl removed. Remove 3 screws from each wiper spindle. Assembly is then free except for linkage ball joint to wiper motor. Wiggle it all loose then twist and the ball joint will pop free.

View attachment 27713

As removed from car. Again, twist to pop ball joints from spindle cranks.

View attachment 27721

Primary spindle, drivers side on this RHD car. (LHD might be slightly different). Clean off exposed rust etc with fine abrasive paper to make it easier to slide spindle out of housing.

Auto part Hardware accessory


Dismantled: split-wire circlip, flat washer, housing, 'O' ring, wavy washer.
Clean it all in solvent (ie fuel), and use very fine abrasive to cleanup spindle as much as possible. Wash completely clean.
 
#10 · (Edited)
View attachment 27737

Note wear in bearing, worse on primary (drivers) spindle.

Auto part Metal


One bearing knocked out, the white bit is the bearing, knock out with a small hammer and a punch or with a scrap screwdriver. Carefull not to mistakenly apply force to the shoulder in the housing. The bearing at the bottom end of the spindle is pushed into the housing to recess about 1mm further in than flush. The top, ie the wiper arm side, bearing is fitted flush to the housing.

Cylinder Material property Plastic


New bearing is 15mm long, old is 12mm.

Machine tool Machine Tool accessory Milling Clamp


Push new bearing in with a vice, one end of the bearing has a chamfer on the outside so use the chamfered end to guide into the housing. If you don't have a vice, use a long bolt / nut and washers to squeeze the bearing into place.
 
#12 ·
This is a pretty common Honda problem. My 1994 Civic w/ 201k miles has the same issue and so does my 2002 Insight w/ 53k miles. I really need to service them b/c it makes it where instead of turning the wipers to constant on, I bump the wipers on briefly each time I need them.
 
#14 ·
Anybody else try to order any of the bearings yet? I can't get the Igus USA site to load.

I did look here for the pivots FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER for 2002 Honda INSIGHT

And they are $19.04 each. I may just order some all new pivots.
 
#16 ·
You might could contact autofair honda and see if they would ship to the UK. I know they are well known on some of the different honda forums.

I just ordered the 2 pivots and 5 quarts of cvt fluid for $92 shipped.
 
#18 ·
Got back off Hols to find a packet of 4 bearings and two circlips on the doormat!!!! Rory, you're a star. Fitted them this evening, so all is hunky dory......needless to say, Beer vouchers on their way.......
CJB, I was not really getting any operational noise, just a wind whistle because the knackered pivot bearing allowed the blade to park a bit high. The options were to either fix it, or turn up the radio!!!!!!!!!!!

You only have to grab the drivers wiper shaft and give it a sideways wiggle in all directions to see if it is shot. Mine was twisting so far out of line the shaft was just starting to touch the stationary alloy housing........

To introduce some rocket science, check these nutters out! Totally off topic, Totally mad, bet it was not their fist try, and do not try it at home, or anywhere near Birmingham Airport......Please note:- Carbon, and it's footprint were totally ignored during the filming of this clip. Look away if offended.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/xeEyOQJsdi0/mqdefault.webp
 
#19 ·
wonder if this is the same issue i have, i can grab the wipers and feel a couple inches of slack in the pivots. at slow speeds they work fine, at highway speeds the driver wiper blade picks up the wind and is pushed back so that the wiper smacks the **** out of the A pillar.
 
#24 ·
I am ordering new pivots and looking at the wiper parts diagram found that the driver side (part # 19 and 22, 550 mm, 21.7 in.) and passenger side (part # 20 and 21, 475 mm, 18.7 in.) wiper blades are different lengths. With all of the old cars I own, I have never had to think about this when buying replacement blades or inserts.

My wiper arms have about 3/8" of play, so besides the pivots (parts 13 and 15), are there other parts with plastic bearing surfaces that wear out, like the ends of the linkage arms (parts 10 and 11)?

 
#25 ·
I know this is old, but ran into this when searching for a wiper-related question, so thought I'd partially answer the question above, for the next guy. The linkage arms, parts 10 and 11, have nylon sockets at their ends and these can wear, get brittle and crack or break. I had one break. I've never been able to find just the nylon sockets, seems like they should be replaceable, but alas, no luck. The 10 and 11 linkages are available at Majestic Honda (Hondaautomotiveparts.com) for about $16 each plus pricey shipping (~$10 for me, from east to west coast, for just one linkage).

One other thing I might mention, and maybe someone has some definitive info?: When I took my linkage off I didn't note the orientation. At a cursory glance it looks like the "A" linkage, part #10 above, can go either direction. It physically installs with either end attached to the motor pivot point. But, the ends are slightly different. I'm not sure which end is supposed to attach to the motor pivot point.

I think it might be the end with the letter "A" on it. I don't see any obvious mechanical cues that suggest which is correct. The end with a letter "A" on it I believe is slightly thinner, has a different taper along the rod, and that might have to do with clearance issues when the rod is in motion, over its range of potential motion. I just don't see any obvious problems when I install it either way and run the wipers without the wiper arms installed, with little resistance.
 
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