Windscreen wiper arms

PostPost by: stuartgb100 » Tue May 30, 2006 9:59 pm

All the photographs I've seen, show wiper arms in the parked position pointing towards the nearside. Mine don't. They're awkward and point to the driver's side.

The wiper shaft (attached to the motor drive) and the blade holder do not appear to be handed, but the intermediate arm IS handed. This precludes a simple swap.

Does anyone know if the intermediate arms can be sourced independantly (and from where)?

If not, where can I source replacement units?

Regards,
Stuart.
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PostPost by: 1964 S1 » Tue May 30, 2006 10:31 pm

On both of my Lotus, they park pointed to the right side, but they're LHD cars. I'm not clear on nearside and driver's side, sorry. Is it possible to flip the arm assembly?
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PostPost by: Elanintheforest » Wed May 31, 2006 7:32 am

Hi Stuart
You're not alone. My S3 has always been RHD with the wipers wobbling about within the line of sight when zooming along. I just figured that the line had run out of RHD wipers when mine was built, and it had obviously happened before with yours.
I think that you should see this as an exclusive attribute of the car!!
Mark
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PostPost by: sk178ta » Wed May 31, 2006 7:41 am

Yes, mine park on the driver`s side too.
Jim (S3)
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PostPost by: Elanintheforest » Wed May 31, 2006 7:54 am

I've just looked through my old brochures and photos...looks like all S1, S2 and S3, and some S4 RHD parked on the drivers side. All Sprint pictures show parking on the passenger side.
The S1 brochure 'painting' shows them parking on the passenger side.
So now I figure that the factory only used LHD wipers, probably because they could get away with it. :lol:
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PostPost by: steve71 » Wed May 31, 2006 8:38 am

Hi,

My RHD '71 Sprint park on the drivers side. Uncle's RHD '73 park on the passengers side. I believe it was a case of whatever was available at the time the car was built. :) Part of what makes each one so special 8)

Steve.
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PostPost by: andy73sprint » Wed May 31, 2006 8:47 am

Hi

My 73 sprint wipers also park on the driver's side. I am finding a number of items which are not supposed to be fitted (S3 ashtray, generator not alternator) they obviously ran out of certain items and put on what ever was left.

Andy
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PostPost by: types26/36 » Wed May 31, 2006 9:39 am

andy73sprint wrote:Hi
are not supposed to be fitted (S3 ashtray, generator not alternator)
Andy


Both my 64 S2 and 72 Sprint park on the drivers side (RHD cars) as regards the alternator I dont think any Sprints were fitted with alternators as standard, I understood it was a owner option supplied by the factory.
Brian
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PostPost by: rgh0 » Wed May 31, 2006 10:10 am

You can reposition the parking cam and switch within the wiper motor to achieve the park postion on what ever side you want. My RHD 1968 S4 has always parked it wipers on the left. Probably as most people say Lotus fitted whatever parking position wiper motors were cheap and available at the time.

regards
Rohan
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PostPost by: stuartgb100 » Wed May 31, 2006 10:56 am

Well it looks as if there's no right or wrong way, then.

Which means I can change my RHD wipers for some which will park on the passenger side.

Before I source some replacements, I don't suppose there's someone
looking to swop their lefthandside parking for my righthandside parking ones ...... ?

Regards,
Stuart.
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PostPost by: triumphelan » Wed May 31, 2006 11:36 am

Mine park on nearside and it`s a RHD UK car .It does not sweep the drivers view completly ,I would like to reposition the park to the off side ,How is this done ? what is the "camplate"?
Regards John 1969S4DHC
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PostPost by: ElliottN » Wed May 31, 2006 12:49 pm

Jeff ran a poll on this some months ago. I can't find the link but I recall that wipers parking on the left hand side (as you see them while sitting in the drivers seat) slightly outpolled wipers that parked on the right - but only by something like 53% to 47%. Responses were for both LHD and RHD cars - it did a break it down by LHD and RHD too but I don't recall that made a lot of difference either.
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PostPost by: Emma-Knight » Wed May 31, 2006 1:06 pm

:D I had the same question... - but...
it seems the wiper motor unit does not know right or left, it's just an
adjustment issue: the (PDF) Lotus workshop manual already offers to
choose and how to do it. I remember it's done by loosening the 4 wiper
gear cover bolts, turning the marked line on the cover 180 degrees, fix it
and enjo the result.

Anna
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PostPost by: stuartgb100 » Wed May 31, 2006 1:54 pm

I appreciate the motor issue, but I think there's more to it than that.

If you look at the wiper arms themselves, they are cranked to angle down towards the bottom of the windscreen.

If you simply turn them around to face the opposite way, they will point up towards the top of the screen.

In other words I think the arms are different depending on whether they are to point to the left or to the right.

Regards,
Stuart.
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PostPost by: types26/36 » Wed May 31, 2006 2:04 pm

I remember this subject been discussed before, on the mailing list I think. I also seem to recall not all of the wiper motors are the same, some can but not all can be alterered (adjusted) to park on the opposite side.
Brian
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