Tech Tips




220 Cabriolet Techtip # 1:
WINDSHIELD WIPER TRANSFER GEAR BOXES REMOVAL, MAINTENANCE and REPAIR
Copyright 1988 Robt. H. 1. Silver, CABRIOLET ENTERPRISES, West L.A., Calif.

General:
I have yet to encounter one TRANSFER GEAR BOX that has been serviced; the first time they are likely to have been removed is after they break and they generally break due lack of lubrication. This Techtip outlines a procedure not requiring the hood's removal and is not DB Operation E58S. In addition to the 220 models (187 series) there is application to other similar series such as 188 and 136; the 300SL gullwings and roadsters can benefit likewise from such service.

Time required:
One pleasant Saturday morning plus extra time for doing those "while you're at its".

Tools & Supplies

16mm thin open end wrench white grease
14m m wrench 4x.70mm, 5x.80mm, and 6xl.00mm taps and dies
WD-40 lacquer spray cans, clear,
1.00mm thread chaser and black flat and gloss
2' long standard slotted head screwdriver Liquid Glove
8,9,&l0mm small open/box end wrenches paint brushes, child's10 cent variety,
needle nose pliers, small, high quality small lacquer thinner 4oz
1" diameter wooden pry bar (eg., broom handle) contact cement spray can
Polaroid close up capable camera oil remover(e.g.,PreKleeno)
focusable bright small (taped, suitable for thin 1/16" black felt
holding by teeth) flashlight leather cleaner/lubricant
4 light- colored, clean Turkish cotton towels thin rubber(e.g., bicycle tire inner tube)
water pistol (kitchen plastic pump sprayer ok) tac rag (fr/auto paint store)
cleaning brushes: tooth, brass & stainless wiper blade inserts


    Procedure:
  1. Plan ahead, schedule the project.
  2. Dress appropriately, put cordless phone on front seat1 prepare the worksite including laying towels over fenders and footspaces, put the top back, clean and lay out tools, remove wristwatch & rings, apply cream to hands.
  3. Remove chrome plated brass machine screw2, 2 each from wooden moldings beside windshield with precisely fitting slotted head screwdriver. With care, slide out both wooden moldings.
  4. Remove 2 chrome plated wood screws passing through leather near top on each side of radio fascia into wooden mantle of dashboard.
  5. Loosen each of the 2 slot head screws hidden behind dashboard3 which extend vertically into the ends and thus anchor securely the wooden mantle.
  6. Raise hood, study wiper linkage, take Polaroid close-ups of it in the "off" position as well as the fully arced to port position - the blade can be stopped this latter position by timely turning off the ignition key. Use water pistol on windshield while operating wiper blades to avoid scratches. Accurately spray WD-40 through tube accessory on linkage bolts and nuts and wiper shafts to be disassembled.
  7. Loosen dashboard mantle and move aft 5" - it is not necessary to disconnect wiper switch or cigar lighter leads but you may wish to tighten the lighter socket leads and be sure that the hot wire is not inadvertently shorting.
  8. Remove the wiper blade holders - note that there are three distinct types and that the port blade can be longer for a larger wiped area.
  9. Remove the wiper arms - depending on the model either with a 7mm socket to remove the nut on the shaft over lock and flat washers after bending forward the arm or with a wrench to loosen a machine screw in the arm's pot metal bracket.
  10. Remove the chrome plated brass bezels over the shafts.
  11. Clean the shafts' threads with a tooth brush dipped in WD-40.
  12. Loosen shafts' 16mm nuts compressing sealing rubber grommet.
  13. Unsnap and remove linkage struts; if available, adjust clean (cadmium plated and gloss black painted) replacement linkage to match precisely or mark on butcher paper exact size and clean, disassemble, chase threads 4x.70 or 5x.80, paint and lube ends.
  14. Remove 3 ball-stud brackets with small 8/9mm wrenches.
  15. Inspect same to ascertain ball-studs have not become loose, pein if so and clean, plate, paint or replace.
  16. Loosen slotted machine screws (4) holding gear shafts.
  17. Loosen clinching 16mm nuts on shafts using thing open end wrench between hood and fire wall after protective tape masking of endangered painted edges.
  18. Remove nuts, washers, machine screws and rubber gasketed covering plates.
  19. Remove compressing nuts, washers and grommets (see step 12 above).
  20. Temporarily widen sheetmetal windshield defrosting airscoop from below windshield with broom handle lever and patiently excise rearward the gearbox using fingers both forward and aft of the firewall.
  21. Gently tap off tin cover of pot metal gear box, test gears, remove old (generally hardened) grease, and clean.
  22. Ease off shafts' circlips, count shims, and remove shafts from their tubes. Check tube ends for unusual wear. Polish gearshafts' bearing surfaces using a buffing wheel with rouge. Refill with white grease.
  23. Tube end threads (1.00mm) may require chasing. For ease of reassembly, all hardware's threads should be chased prior to cadmium plating.
  24. Reinstallation is pretty much the reverse of the above procedure with special care to avoid interference fits, each step of the way should be tested before final tightening of nuts, etc. Your photographs and length marking will now be most useful. Use water pistol on the windshield while testing wiperblades for arc and final rest position4 Other interruptions may occur due to replacement of worn gears or broken parts,5 upgrading and taking the access opportunity to do "while you're at its" such as spraying black lacquer on the non-veneered wood surfaces6 treating with WD-40 the inside base of the windshield seal7 adding of lost felt pads to backside of wood (on metal surfaces)8 and treatment of the dashboard leather are all reasons why the procedure 9 will expand to use the weekend's available time.



    Footnotes
  1. Calls come when you're upside-down behind the dashboard.
  2. These may be missing or they may have been substituted otherwise; when replacing it is nicer to do so with shiny rosettes and screws plated the same color (polished stainless steel can be sub'd for the easily chipped decoraturely chrome plated brass). Chase the holes in the aluminum windshield stanchions with the 4x.70mm tap.
  3. These are important, hard to find and of ten stuck; wearing the safety goggles for protection from dust and oil dropping in your eyes put your head in the foot spaces, your feet over the seat back, and using the focusable flash lamp first find the screws with the long skinny screwdriver. If screws are resistant to loosening, attempt to work in some WD-40 and come back to this loosening step later.
  4. The wiper motor is designed to stop in the same position when its switch (not the ignition) is used, thus the blades may have the least obtrusive rest position.
  5. Do not be throw away worn parts and broken pieces, a Restorer may give you a "core Charge'' credit for them and may even cannibalize parts of them to build a needed rejuvenated assemblage.
  6. Remove wax, silicone, oil etc. with PreKleeno before painting.
  7. If it seeps quickly to the front side, you know that the windshield seal will leak water in car washes and rain.
  8. To prevent creaking.


Robert H. I. Silver

CABRIOLET ENTERPRISES West Los Angeles, CA 90025

FAX (310) 399-6196

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