Wiper Shaft - Broken: Left Side FIXED

[82WestyMan]

(driver's side windshield wiper shaft)

Ok, how screwed am I?

I'm planning on a 10-12K Road Trip in about 5 weeks and want a reliable fix.
I MIGHT be able to locate a complete mechanism locally and I understand that will entail taking the dash apart to R&R it

Are there other options? Your collective help will be HIGHLY appreciated
thanx
_________________
"The floggings will continue until morale improves"
"I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell" - Harry S. Truman
82 Westfalia - w/ a Raby 'Camper Special' engine

[MarkWard]

You could drill it centered, tap it and use a bolt to hold the arm on. You'd have to be pretty good with a hand drill to do it well.
_________________
☮️

[dobryan]

Bummer. Not sure that tapping that for a bolt would be as reliable as you want for your trip. If it was mine I'd be replacing that.
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

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https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[DometicLover]

1. Carefully file/grind the surface
2. Carefully drill a hole in the center,
3. Carefully tap the hole
4. Carefully reinstall the wiper
5. Carefully torque the bolt

Otherwise remove the dash and install a new one

http://www.van-cafe.com/page_56_1369/wiper-shaft-left
http://www.van-cafe.com/page_55_1369/wiper-shaft-right

[61Scout]

There are portable drill guide available that would help. See here for example: https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=sear...rill+guide

Or you could attempt to make your own using a block of wood or aluminum that would go over the mount and then extend above to help guide the bit. Think big hole on the bottom that snugs up against the mount and small hole on top to help guide the drill bit and keep it centered.

With 5 weeks to repair, if this option didn't work, it would be easy enough to replace/repair the assembly. Removing the dash isn't all that difficult actually, more of a time consuming job.


-Kevin
_________________
1986 Westfalia Weekender Wolfsburg, RJE 2.3
1985 Tin Top, Subie 2.2 + 5MT
Floppy Mirrors no more: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=653018&highlight=
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Remove the rear wheel bearing housing without messing with the big 46mm nut: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=679507&highlight=

-Nec Spe, Nec Metu

[Zeitgeist 13]

When you pull the dash, don't forget to replace the squirters, tubing from the reservoir on up and add a one-way check valve
_________________
Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[tates1882]

I vote drill and tap. Start small and work your way up in size. Also I can't remember the tap type but there one specially for non pass thru holes. The blades of the tap extend past the head of the tap so you can have full threads instead of bottoming out and leaving 1/8-1/4" of threadless hole at the bottom.
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88 Vanaru, ej22, naht

[T3 Pilot]

http://www.van-cafe.com/page_56_1324/wiper-shaft-left
_________________
1988 Vanagon

The most important part in every vehicle is the nut behind the wheel......

[dobryan]

If you were not going on a long trip then I'd be in for the try to drill and tap. In your case it would suck (and be unsafe) to have it break during a storm at night in the middle of your trip....
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[0to60in6min]

removing the dash is not very hard... if you don't have a plan to do anything else, you won't have to take it off completely... just pull it back enough to have access to the wiper shaft...

http://www.benplace.com/dash.htm

[syncrodoka]

Having a fix on the driver'side side fail on a long trip could easily be much worse than taking out the dash.
If you can find a replacement unit take apart the pivots and scrape out the old grease and reapply new grease, you will be surprised how much it improves the action.

[82WestyMan]

Thanx one and all
We have a winner and a project for the weekend
Pulling the dash isn't exactly my favorite project but at least it's not my first rodeo...
I appreciate the drill and tap advise but I'm more 'do it right / new part'


T3 Pilot
Samba Member
http://www.van-cafe.com/page_56_1324/wiper-shaft-left
_________________
"The floggings will continue until morale improves"
"I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell" - Harry S. Truman
82 Westfalia - w/ a Raby 'Camper Special' engine

[jberger]

I would weld a bolt to the end of the shaft, nip off the head of the bolt and head on my way. 1/2 hour fix vs ??

[xoo00oox]

drill and tap it. I've fixed a bunch this way. Tap it about 1/2" deep, then screw a 6mm bolt in it until it bottoms out, then cut the head off the bolt so as to leave the threaded part sticking out like a stud. It can be done in about 5 minutes.

Andrew

[dobryan]

[bluebus86]

drill and tap if it was my van, replace only if the dash needs to come out for some other reason, for instance my pending blower motor repair. meanwhile the tap and screw method should hold just fine. the torque of the motor and arm is transmitted by the splines, the screw only needs to keep the arm on the splines, not much force needed for that, thus the screw will work. next time go easy on tightening them arm nuts, else the next stud maybe sheared off again.


good luck
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[alaskadan]

I broke one a couple years ago. Drilled and tapped it for a 6mm bolt. I knew i was going to be pulling the dash for a paint job eventually. That was a year later. No issues with the repair.

[82WestyMan]

Well it turns out, you DON'T need to pull the dash to replace the left side
I removed the instrument cluster, moved the 2 vent air hoses out of the way, undid the nut on the outside and the 2 phillips head screws inside just below the windshield. After that, it was just a matter of working in a very confined place and popping the relay bar off.

The you just need to grind down and drill out the two attachments to the bracket, remove the offending part, install the new part and and hammer over the new attachments.

After that, its 'easy-peasy', reverse the removal to reinstall
And I feel a lot better about a new part
_________________
"The floggings will continue until morale improves"
"I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell" - Harry S. Truman
82 Westfalia - w/ a Raby 'Camper Special' engine

[0to60in6min]

BRAVO !!! very nice job...

[IdahoDoug]

Nice job. Yeah, that will feel better on a long road trip you've been planning. I'm a rainX fan and apply before leaving, then every few days while the tank's filling at a gas stop. I hardly use my wipers and the heavier the rain and the higher the vehicle speed,the better it works.

Put it on the side windows and even on rainy days you have clarity of view - no claustrophobic effect. It lasts a whole summer on the side/rear glass because no wiper abrasion.

Good job!!
_________________
1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader