Wiper motor mounted behind firewall

[rrbardsley]

Wiper motor mounted behind firewall on MKIV Roadster

I have moved my firewall forward and now want to add wipers for inspection requirements. I also have the large oval Cobra air cleaner and it limits the space against the firewall. Has anyone experience in putting the wiper motor in between the dash and a moved forward firewall? I have heard someone mounting it in the passengers compartment? I have a triple port heater and don’t have much space on that side. If I put the motor on the drivers side can I flip the gear boxes and what helps to the rest stop mechanisms? Does anyone have the dimension from the body edge of the dashBoard to the hole for wiper post ? I have the Dimensions from the manual but nothing from the dash side. I am going to drop the body down again to measure but want to get confirmation if possible. Anyone using three blades?

Any suggestions would be appreciated while I build.......
Rand

[edwardb]

You must really have the firewall forward to make it practical to consider putting the wiper motor on the other side. Rather than putting it inside though, if your firewall area is really that congested, don't limit yourself to mounting the motor on the firewall. I've seen guys mount them way over on the side, on the footbox, hung on the underside of the hood surround 3/4-inch tube, etc. The drive cable is long enough and no real penalty for having it further away than typical. Just something you may want to look at.

[rrbardsley]

Thanks Edward,
If I look for a location for the motor- do you know the location of the wiper posts? I want to drill the holes and make supports for the cable. Then locate the gear drives and motor. Would you go left or right hand side? I am thinking in the passenger’s footwell. I have cleared this idea with my wife.. Thank you for your help

[edwardb]

Thanks Edward,
If I look for a location for the motor- do you know the location of the wiper posts? I want to drill the holes and make supports for the cable. Then locate the gear drives and motor. Would you go left or right hand side? I am thinking in the passenger’s footwell. I have cleared this idea with my wife.. Thank you for your help

Normally the drive motor is on the passenger (right) side. Actually inside the footbox? As opposed to on top? Honestly, that shouldn't be necessary. The Factory Five instructions give the locations of the wipers and additional details. http://www.factoryfiveparts.com/content/instructions/15549-roadster-wipers.pdf

[rrbardsley]

Normally the drive motor is on the passenger (right) side. Actually inside the footbox? As opposed to on top? Honestly, that shouldn't be necessary. The Factory Five instructions give the locations of the wipers and additional details. http://www.factoryfiveparts.com/content/instructions/15549-roadster-wipers.pdf

I have the manual and the FFR specs but without the welded jig i need the dimension from the dashboard curved edge on the body or the drill fixture dimensions. i have a MKIV body and this is missing those details without having the fixture I can’t place the starter hole.

[GTBradley]

Not sure what your restriction is, but I can tell you that the wiper motor will mount on the engine side of the firewall forward mod, even with the heater installed.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=131685&d=1594594188

[rrbardsley]

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[rrbardsley]

GT This is the left hand passenger firewall. I have to go below the footbox or behind the firewall.

[rrbardsley]

132466132467

[GTBradley]

I see what you mean. That heater is large! Just spitballing here but, if these wipers are just for inspection why not use the temporary wipers others have used? Or, if you really do want wipers I would consider replacing the heater with the smaller Vintage Air heater FFR sells and free up some space.

[rrbardsley]

We live in Maine and I thought the larger heater and defrost was important. Do you have time to measure from the inside edge of the dash to your wiper gearbox shaft post. I want to see if I can fit the wiper cable behind the firewall. I need to have dimensions before I drill the holes. Any measurements would be a help.

[GTBradley]

Sure, anything you need, but I don’t get what you need measured. Can you state it another way, or send a marked up picture of where I should measure?

[Nigel Allen]

Probably does not help a lot, but here is how I mounted my wiper motor. Note this is RHD configuration. Bit grubby in there at the moment. Time for some cleaning.

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I put extra nutserts in the frame in case I needed to build a stronger support for the motor. So far so good.

Regards, Nigel

[rrbardsley]

If you could measure from the edge of the engine compartment to the wiper post and then from the post to the edge under the windshield to the dash board edge. That will help me confirm the location before I drop the body shell down again. By the way your images did not download. Sorry. Thank you.

[rich grsc]

If you could measure from the edge of the engine compartment to the wiper post and then from the post to the edge under the windshield to the dash board edge. That will help me confirm the location before I drop the body shell down again. By the way your images did not download. Sorry. Thank you.
The dash board is where the gauges are installed, are you talking about the firewall?

[Norm B]

For your info, the little heater supplied by FFR puts out a lot of heat. Haven’t opened the heater control more than 3/8 inch except to bleed the cooling system. Gets plenty cold even in summer at night where we live.

You could make a mounting bracket to move the wiper motor forward of your outside blower motor and then angle the cable tube back under the body in front of the firewall.

[GTBradley]

I can give you these measurement but you might be better served by the information that is provided in the online wiper installation (http://www.factoryfiveparts.com/content/instructions/15549-roadster-wipers.pdf) instructions FFR provides 132567

[rrbardsley]

GT. Do you see the 3” dimensions on the sketch? It’s from the post to the engine compartment. If you followed on the same plane how far is the post from the edge of the dashboard? I need the measurement from the post back under the windshield to the edge of the dashboard. Thanks

[Norm B]

I can't give you the measurement to the dash but here is a crude drawing showing the distance to the curl under on the cowl above the dash. I had to sand about 1/4 off the curl where it meets the dash to get the body far enough forward to fit properly. I understand that the amount that needs to be removed varies from car to car. Maybe one or both of the two Jeffs can give you an average amount to help with your measurements. Mine is about 3/4 inch back from the padded dash, the dash is about 1/4 thick, making it approximately 8 7/8" from the dash hoop to the front side of the wiper wheel box hole on top of the cowl. It is very easy for errors to compound in measurements like this and I take no responsibility for any screw ups.

The drawing is of a cross section, looking from the drivers side, cut front to back through the wheel box hole.

HTH

Norm

[GTBradley]

GT. Do you see the 3” dimensions on the sketch? It’s from the post to the engine compartment. If you followed on the same plane how far is the post from the edge of the dashboard? I need the measurement from the post back under the windshield to the edge of the dashboard. Thanks
Like this? I placed the edge of the ruler at what I estimated was the center of the post.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=132564&d=1595872649 -- https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=132563&d=1595872637

[rrbardsley]

Perfect!, just what I needed... thank you for the extra effort.
Rand

[rrbardsley]

Fantastic, the sketch was perfect.. I now can layout the moved firewall.
Thank you for the effort...

[GTBradley]

My pleasure and sorry for the initial confusion. Good luck.