Wiper Motor replacement - what fun this has been

[Cotswoldiver]

I'm sure its a familiar tale but I didn't find out the wipers didn't work until after I bought the car. No clues from the PO and as the car is going to be used not a show pony I wasn't too bothered about maintaining everything stock so purchased a full replacement wiper kit just so that I could have working wipers. First mistake - thought it would be a simple swop over - wrong - my friend who helped me a lot with my VW buses mechanicals virtually gave up stating the kit wasn't fit for purpose when trying to swop everything over. Anyway long story shorter, as I needed to replace the dashboard facia I thought I'd have another go myself with access a little bit easier. Its in, but never want to see another one again!

But at the end of this I have a wiper motor that needs a refurb and I thought i'd just list on ebay but as the forum data and members have been really helpful since my short membership I'd post some details here first. I didn't want to just post in the for sale section as I don't know if the motor will actually be useful to a TR owner or if it was just something fitted to it either back in the USA where it started life or at a later date here and just happens to be stamped with another weird DR3A code

The full markings are DR3A 3 62 and then 75414 and a marking that either looks like a ban the bomb/peace logo or perhaps mercedes logo followed by 12V.

Thanks for reading this rambling any clues very welcome

David

[stuart]

Judging by the date code on it that will be a motor from a TR4 does it have 3 wires in a sheath going into it or does it just have terminals on the top, that will determine if its a 2 speed or a single speed.

Stuart.

[RogerH]

Hi David,

what did the replacement kit comprise of and where from.

I see you have a TR4A - this should have a DR3 motor not the DR3A which is a single speed.

 

Good luck

 

Roger

[stuart]

20 minutes ago, RogerH said:

Hi David,

what did the replacement kit comprise of and where from.

I see you have a TR4A - this should have a DR3 motor not the DR3A which is a single speed.

 

Good luck

 

Roger

There are DR3A 2 speed IIRC as well.

Stuart.

[Cotswoldiver]

31 minutes ago, RogerH said:

Hi David,

what did the replacement kit comprise of and where from.

I see you have a TR4A - this should have a DR3 motor not the DR3A which is a single speed.

 

Good luck

 

Roger

It was from TR Enterprises, comprised of new motor which i think is probably TR6, mounting brackets, that delightful rack - to cut to length, wheel boxes & the rubber spacers/ washer jets etc. wiring loom and toggle switch.

[Cotswoldiver]

42 minutes ago, stuart said:

Judging by the date code on it that will be a motor from a TR4 does it have 3 wires in a sheath going into it or does it just have terminals on the top, that will determine if its a 2 speed or a single speed.

Stuart.

There is one single brown wire coming out of the box

[RogerH]

Hi Dave,

Fitting the T6 14W windscreen motor is a standard modification but it isn't straight forward unless you know what to expect.

You need either the TR6 rotary dashboard switch or a special toggle switch.  You shoud also require the short loom to connect the 14W motor to the TR4 wiring loom.

You may need extra wires to het the two speed motor hooked up to the single speed TR4 loom.

If your wheel boxes and spindles were in good rder then you had no need to change them.

Once fitted the 14W works very well.

Roger 

[RAHTR4]

Hi David,

The DR3A 75414 is a single speed wiper motor which was an original fitment for many BMC cars in 1962.

Austin A60, MG Magnette, Morris Oxford, Riley 4/72, Wolseley 16/60 which were basically the same car with some bodywork variations and different badging.

It was also used on Rootes products, Commer Cob, Hillman Minx, etc.

Plus it was originally fitted with a different "gear and shaft" to that required for a TR4, however the gear and shaft is easily changed...!

I think your best move is to check what you have - remove the four small screws holding the cover plate, lift off the plate and check the hard stamp in the steel top of the gear - early TR4's were fitted with a 130 degree sweep and the later TR4's and all TR4A's were fitted with a 120 degree sweep.

Maybe yours has already been changed...?

Does this wiper motor definitely require a rebuild, worn brushes are usually the main problem and it is easy to see if they are worn,  replacement brushes are readily available. 

Regards, Richard 

[Cotswoldiver]

13 hours ago, RogerH said:

Hi Dave,

Fitting the T6 14W windscreen motor is a standard modification but it isn't straight forward unless you know what to expect.

You need either the TR6 rotary dashboard switch or a special toggle switch.  You shoud also require the short loom to connect the 14W motor to the TR4 wiring loom.

You may need extra wires to het the two speed motor hooked up to the single speed TR4 loom.

If your wheel boxes and spindles were in good rder then you had no need to change them.

Once fitted the 14W works very well.

Roger 

Thanks for the additional info Roger. Out of curiosity (no read that as lack of knowledge!) why is it not possible to connect to the push/pull switch so that that row of switches at least look the same? Attached is photo of the wiring loom

[stuart]

38 minutes ago, Cotswoldiver said:

Thanks for the additional info Roger. Out of curiosity (no read that as lack of knowledge!) why is it not possible to connect to the push/pull switch so that that row of switches at least look the same? Attached is photo of the wiring loom

If what we can see in that picture is the switch end of the new fly loom theyve sent you then yes that should fit to the original switch I would have thought. Did they give you instructions with the kit?

Stuart.

Edited November 6, 2021 by stuart

[Cotswoldiver]

36 minutes ago, stuart said:

If what we can see in that picture is the switch end of the new fly loom theyve sent you then yes that should fit to the original switch I would have thought. Did they give you instructions with the kit?

Stuart.

Yes it is. No instructions as they said it was a straight swop but foolishly i didn't note the wire = number! The toggle switch they supplied has the following spades  top - 1 & 2, middle 3/4 & 5/6, bottom 7 & 8. The original switch has top - a spade at 1, middle spades at 3/4 & 5/6 and bottom spades t 7 & 8

[RogerH]

Hi David,

 I may be wrong on this one but I was of the understanding that the TR 14W motor needed a dedicated switch which s either a toggle switch of the TR6 rotary switch

The TR4 pull switch will work in a single speed mode (ON or Off  and self park)

The TR4A switch is more complicated and as far as I know will not work as a two speed switch for the 14W motor.

Wire it up as per the TRE insructions and see if it works.

Have a look here     https://www.s-v-c.co.uk/product/lucas-toggle-switch-2-speed-wiper/

Roger

[Chris Hubball]

This topic of converting  a TR4/4A to a 14w TR6 wiper motor seems to come up regularly could someone with experience of doing this conversion be persuaded to write an article in TR Action.

Cheers Chris

[RobH]

As Roger says, the TR6 wiper motor works in a completely different way to the TR4 one, and requires a switch which operates in a way that the original switch cannot.  The 35927 switch he linked to does this, and that should be what was in your kit:

Position A (OFF)   1+2+6+7   connected

Position B. (SLOW)  1+4+6+7

Position C.  (FAST) 1+4+7+8 

It can be wired like this to suit the 14W motor and the loom you showed above:

 

(acknowledgments to MGA Guru website, from where I copied the basic diagram)

Edited November 6, 2021 by RobH

[Cotswoldiver]

My thanks to Roger & Rob. There is a new wiring loom going in so just trying to get all my bits and bobs together for as painless a reconnection as possible. I'd hoped to keep the switches looking as a set in the TR4A but in reality I'd rather have a set of wipers that actually work

David