| Author | Message | ||
| Sean Welsh (Sean)
Registered Member Username: Sean Post Number: 975 Registered: 1-2003 Posted From: 67.142.130.26  Rating: N/A |
Folks, As always, when the going gets tough, I turn to the collected wisdom of the board here to help out. Yesterday while driving in the rain, mainly in Maine, the #*@& wipers quit working. The 25 year old pot metal on the worm drive finally had enough "slapping time" to Janis Joplin songs, and the steel worm gear ate the plastic ring gear. We've Rain-X'ed the hell out of the windshield, as a precaution, but basically we are now confined to moving only when it is not raining until we can get this thing fixed. Of course, it's a weird-ball Mercedes part that is hard to find in this country. Aside from a whole passel of Neoplans (80's and 90's era Spaceliner, Cityliner, and Jetliner coaches made in Germany), this was also the stock wiper motor on the Mercedes o-303 coach. Perhaps it's been used in other applications; I have no way to know. I need to find either an entire replacement motor assembly, or the worm-drive housing plus the ring gear. An old unit gathering dust in a scrapyard would be fine. Details of the whole sordid affair, including photos and part numbers, are on my blog in this post: http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com/2009/10/reader-assistance-wiper-motor.html Before anyone suggests this, let me say that retrofitting a different part is not an option unless the mounting bolt pattern and spindle size are essentially an exact match (wiring and connector differences I can probably deal with). There is simply no room to work in there to make any changes; I had to cut a 3" hole in the front of the bus just to get the existing unit out. As always, any assistance or suggestions are greatly appreciated (well OK, I did not appreciate the blog reader who told us to junk the bus in favor of a "luxury fifth wheel" -- whatever that is -- but constructive suggestions are always welcome). -Sean http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com | ||
| Roger Baughman (Roger)
Registered Member Username: Roger Post Number: 142 Registered: 11-2006 Posted From: 69.232.79.32  Rating: N/A |
Sean, another possibility would be to have the part made at a machine shop out of steel. I know it would be expensive, but that is all I can come up with to help you. | ||
| Ron Walker (Prevost82)
Registered Member Username: Prevost82 Post Number: 402 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 208.181.210.47  Rating: N/A |
Sean can you modify a wiper motor out of an OTH truck? The mounting would have to be modified but you may be able to do that with an adapter plate, then make or adapt the small arm off the old wiper motor, if required. Ron | ||
| Ralph Peters (Ralph7)
Registered Member Username: Ralph7 Post Number: 67 Registered: 3-2004 Posted From: 206.251.5.175 Rating: N/A |
The assembly ressmbles the wiper motor used by Ford in the 6o's-70's etc.. Does your motor have a park mechanism on shaft. The worm an large plastic gear / pot metal assy. look very similar. Chech at parts store for a wiper motor example, from a 69 Ford full size car. These have ceramic magnets, if dropped or hit hard magnets shatter. Most wiper an window motors have the same type magnets. | ||
| Cullen Newsom (Cullennewsom)
Registered Member Username: Cullennewsom Post Number: 149 Registered: 2-2009 Posted From: 98.200.242.221  Rating: N/A |
ebay.de ~€70 I think this guy is Belgian. http://cgi.ebay.de/Scheibenwischermotor-O303-DB-0018243001-0018241501-SWF_W0QQitemZ3900842 75989QQcmdZViewItemQQptZNutzfahrzeugteile?hash=item5ad2d5af15&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14 Another possible Belgian source. (or maybe the same one.) http://www.dieselmot.be/c52.html Woops, I just noticed everyone is spamming you with the Belgian guy's links. Redundant link is redundant. I think you need more JB Weld. You might also check some models of MB Wiper motors (for cars even). I notice that they look similar. You might score a housing that will work for you off a reman unit, or even a junkyard one. Then mate your motor to the housing. This is likely a common part for lots of MB heavy trucks. Here's a link to one that fits an ML, probably too recent a model, but you get the idea. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercedes-windshield-wiper-motor-ML-models_W0QQcmdZViewItemQ QhashZitem35a0c51b94QQitemZ230330538900QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories | ||
| Cullen Newsom (Cullennewsom)
Registered Member Username: Cullennewsom Post Number: 150 Registered: 2-2009 Posted From: 98.200.242.221 Rating: N/A |
Here's a couple more: Belgian aftermarket or rebuilder I can't tell http://www.wald-antriebe.de/index.html Be sure and ask for a "Viper Motor" when you call or else they might not understand you. Here's a Chinese source, they have a picture of it (good luck!): http://okaymotor.com/ There's also this Jeff London guy who sells parts to old Mercedes trucks http://www.jefflondon.net/InventoryV2.htm You've probably been through all these, but maybe you didn't know to ask for a "Viper Motor" Good Luck! |