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Yabbadubbadoo
Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2012
Posts: 916
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 Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 3:51 am Post subject: Wiper motors |
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How loud is a good condition wiper motor and what circumstances would make it seem louder than normal?
I'm asking because I'm installing a first model 12v 2speed wiper with the early 6v style spindles in my 66 fastback which was originally 6v 1 speed.
When I bought it, the unit was already cosmetically and externally restored in the mechanism but the motor was untouched. After installing it and testing for function I noticed it was awefully loud. The noise sounded a bit clickety but more like gears tightly meshing.
On high speed the noise more than doubled and would be headache inducing in a cabin.
I soon dug out my old 6v unit to see what it sounded like and it was considerably quieter than the slowest speed on 12v unit.
Anyhow, I went down the rabbit hole and pulled both gearbox covers off. The grease was like sticky tree sap. The 6v gears were a finer pitch than the 12v unit but the gears seemed fine.
I tore down the 12v unit further, cleaned everything and dressed the commutator smooth on my drill press with some Emery paper and a file, re-packed the gearbox with lithium grease, made a very slight adjustment to the pinion gear adjuster and re-assembled.
It was a bit quieter. Some of that gear meshing sound had improved but still it is noticeably louder than the 6v unit.
I noticed it had three brushes inside, one was quite short and probably well passed the point of replacing. I would have replaced them if I had some but I don't have any right now.
Wondering if worn out brushes sound a bit like a loud gear noise?
I'm all out of ideas until I can get my hands on some new brushes.
Commutator before dressing
12v gearbox
6v gearbox
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Sydney, Australia.
66 Type 3 Fastback |
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Bobnotch
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2003
Posts: 22439
Location: Kimball, Mi
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| Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 11:12 am Post subject: Re: Wiper motors |
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I'd probably grease it a little more there, then pull the wiper shafts out of the bushings, and clean and grease them up. I normally do that whenever I've the the wiper motor assembly out, just so it doesn't lock up (fail to move). Also, I don't really want to get back in there to do any work on it again.
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Bob 65 Notch S with Sunroof
71 Notch ...aka Krunchy; build pics here;
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=249390 -been busy working
64 T-34 Ghia...aka Wolfie, under construction... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=412120
| Tram wrote: |
| "Friends are God's way of apologizing for relatives." |
| Tram wrote: |
| People keep confusing "restored" and "restroyed". |
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Yabbadubbadoo
Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2012
Posts: 916
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| Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2024 2:14 pm Post subject: Re: Wiper motors |
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Those pics were before I did the work and re-greased it so yeah it got more grease as you recommended Bobnotch.
I'm trying to figure out if worn/short brushes will add to the noise. I suspect it does a little. As they get shorter they have less spring pressure and less stable in they're socket.
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Sydney, Australia.
66 Type 3 Fastback |
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Bobnotch
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2003
Posts: 22439
Location: Kimball, Mi
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| Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2024 11:34 am Post subject: Re: Wiper motors |
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| Yabbadubbadoo wrote: |
Those pics were before I did the work and re-greased it so yeah it got more grease as you recommended Bobnotch.
I'm trying to figure out if worn/short brushes will add to the noise. I suspect it does a little. As they get shorter they have less spring pressure and less stable in they're socket. |
Probably, but then I've never seen them really worn before. I mean they don't run all the time like generator brushes. Usually if you really clean them up good, they'll function just fine. I've found the pivot links on the transmission be more of the noise maker than the motor itself. Well that and the wiper blade shafts and bushings. I've had them rust up almost solid once on a beetle (daily driver, including winter), and since them I've always cleaned them up when servicing the wiper unit.
Of course if you're in a sandy location, that could explain the wear. It might be worth trying to find some brushes then. Like I said, it's usually the linkage that causes the noise.
_________________
Bob 65 Notch S with Sunroof
71 Notch ...aka Krunchy; build pics here;
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=249390 -been busy working
64 T-34 Ghia...aka Wolfie, under construction... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=412120
| Tram wrote: |
| "Friends are God's way of apologizing for relatives." |
| Tram wrote: |
| People keep confusing "restored" and "restroyed". |
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| Back to top |
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Yabbadubbadoo
Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2012
Posts: 916
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| Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2024 12:59 pm Post subject: Re: Wiper motors |
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| Bobnotch wrote: |
| Yabbadubbadoo wrote: |
Those pics were before I did the work and re-greased it so yeah it got more grease as you recommended Bobnotch.
I'm trying to figure out if worn/short brushes will add to the noise. I suspect it does a little. As they get shorter they have less spring pressure and less stable in they're socket. |
Probably, but then I've never seen them really worn before. I mean they don't run all the time like generator brushes. Usually if you really clean them up good, they'll function just fine. I've found the pivot links on the transmission be more of the noise maker than the motor itself. Well that and the wiper blade shafts and bushings. I've had them rust up almost solid once on a beetle (daily driver, including winter), and since them I've always cleaned them up when servicing the wiper unit.
Of course if you're in a sandy location, that could explain the wear. It might be worth trying to find some brushes then. Like I said, it's usually the linkage that causes the noise. |
I replaced the most worn brush by stealing one from my 6v wiper motor that had relatively new brushes. The other two brushes weren't too far gone so I doubt they contributed to the noise.
I also wrapped the motor in some of that butyl rubber sound deadener with the foam layer that I cover the rest of the interior with. It already had new external bushes on the pivot points. It seems a fair bit quieter with all those things I did.
I honestly don't think it can get any better. The gears are like new and the armature isn't rubbing on the magnets. I think this motor and gearbox is just naturally a bit louder than the 6v unit by design. The motor design is different with the commutator and brushes at different ends of the motor and the gearbox has courser teeth on the 12v unit.
I think once the dash gauges are in and the glove box and ashtray and carpet it will sound better again. I always had plans to make an under dash cover panel to hide the spaghetti wiring so I might be able to contain the sound better but after that I'll just turn up the radio and step on the go fast pedal a bit harder to drown it out if my eye starts twitching.
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Sydney, Australia.
66 Type 3 Fastback |
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Bobnotch
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2003
Posts: 22439
Location: Kimball, Mi
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| Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2024 12:27 pm Post subject: Re: Wiper motors |
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That's one way to make it quiet (an insulated under dash panel). Most modern cars have one these days to help control noise.
_________________
Bob 65 Notch S with Sunroof
71 Notch ...aka Krunchy; build pics here;
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=249390 -been busy working
64 T-34 Ghia...aka Wolfie, under construction... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=412120
| Tram wrote: |
| "Friends are God's way of apologizing for relatives." |
| Tram wrote: |
| People keep confusing "restored" and "restroyed". |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
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