Thursday, January 15, 2015

VOLVO 544 WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR REBUILD

VOLVO!  This SWF windshield wiper motor came from a Volvo 544. It is single speed, 12 volt unit and is SIMILAR but not quite the same as SWF motors for early Saab and Volkswagen cars.  In this photo all the parts have been cleaned and the unit is ready to be lubed with modern, temperature stable, non-hardening lubricant and reassembled.  Above the parts are a couple of the page I made as I took the motor assembly apart. I always make drawings and notes like that so the NEXT time I get a motor of that type, I won't have to scratch my head to remember how they work, and how they go together.  I'll also know if anyone else has been into that particular motor and left something out.
Bench test time. I like to use a switch just like the one in the car for the test. I run the motors for a few minutes to make sure they run at the correct speed and that the self-park switch works.  Next to the battery is another page of drawing and notes on this little SWF motor. This little motor says, "I Roll!"

CLOCKS THAT GO "TICK" IN THE NIGHT

 A world of square body VDO auto rewind clocks!  I have to play the percentages on old clocks, so I usually do four of the buggers at a time. Here they are---all apart, but completely cleaned, oiled and ready for reassembly. At the extreme left center is an auto rewind unit. Below the three outer bodies [silver color] are three clock mechanisms [brass color]. Below them are the white plastic back covers.  Whole LOT of pieces!
 The red object is one of about 100 special tools I've built to use in the reconditioning of clocks, speedometers, wiper motors, etc.  This one is a multi-use HOLDER. The arm of the tool [on the right] fits into my vise, to hold the clock steady while I work on it.
AHA! Four of the buggers reassembled and ready to go. I test them for function and time--on my test bed--before I put the plastic "glass" and the chrome outer ring back on. Remember, these clocks are getting close to being 45 years old, so they "enjoy' a failure rate of about 25%.  Old age takes it's toll.  These are four that "made it."  
The red gizmos behind three of the clocks are in-line fuses. I have to re-solder an internal fusible link, and the 3 amp inline fuse protects the coil that actually makes the reset link arm go "ka-KLIK!" and resets the clock so it keeps on ticking.