Wiper Linkage

retrofive · 07-01-09, 07:07 PM

So after camping in the 80 under a tree didnt realize a little sap dripped on mine windshield. Heading out of camp I hit the wiper clean the window. Before I could turn off, the driver side arm stuck and stripped the arm and splined bolt on the linkage.

Did a little research, and it appears the splined bolt is part of the linkage and is one piece (driver and passenger side).

The linkage appears as well to be a very spendy part ~$170 mud price. Trying to find a parting truck but haven't came up with much yet.

SO questions:

1) Is it indeed one piece?
2) Repair, any tricks/ideas or something to repair it?
3) Is the linkage the same on any other Toyota cars/trucks?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

I will need my wipers by the end of the month for another trail ride.

superjuice · 07-01-09, 09:01 PM

i think the receiving/male peice is supposed to deform to accept the wiper arm which has splines. maybe you can cut/dremel some splines into it to get a positive connection. Also a thin peice of lead wrapped around it might help. Keep in mind that its the kind of thing that you dont want to fail at the wrong time, thats all i can offer

retrofive · 07-01-09, 09:10 PM

Thats kinda what I was thinking, using a lead wrap or alum foil over whats left of the splines (not much), and like you said maybe using a dremel to increase the grip and just bolt back on for the time being. At least until I can source a new linkage part. Summertime it may make it, wintertime now way, wont take that chance.

thanks for the input.

PurpleFJ62 · 07-02-09, 11:00 AM

I had the same problem on my 62. In all my experience with autos the relay rod assembly is one piece. Now maby you could find a way to get somne torque transfer there, cut some new splines, or hell even JB weld. I dont recommend those things...
For my 62 the part was around 250usd.
On my 62 there were two little access doors under the rear of the hood, these made it really easy to get out, the hardest part was getting the wiper motor timed with the realy rods.
From all my 80 series pictures I could find I dident see any access doors. So I am going to bed you have to take off the piece of metal under the windshield, think its called a cowl. ofcourse the wiper arms come off first, but I things that all you have to do to get at it.

There has gotta be someone on mud that has done this to an 80 before?
cheers

jonheld · 07-02-09, 12:54 PM

You're gonna need to take the hood off before the cowl as it is almost impossible to get to the screws that hold the cowl in place. It would also be a good time to replace the weather stripping between the cowl and firewall.

retrofive · 07-02-09, 02:27 PM

Yeah I've been looking at how to remove the cowl. Thanks for the advise on removing the hood. I have few other things needed from CDan, Ill add the stripping to the list.

retrofive · 07-02-09, 03:24 PM

For the record.

The Wiper Linkage 'mud price from CDan is ~175
The Cowl/Rear weather stripping is ~$55
The Wiper Arm ~$75

Spendy little mistake.... looks like I'll be adding GooGone to my trail list of things. Ouch.

cruiserdan · 07-02-09, 03:36 PM

The wiper arm is made of a much softer material than the post on the link. In addition a new arm does not have splines. The splines get formed when the arm is installed and tightened. I would not be surprised if the splines on the post are intact and just filled up with the soft material from the arm.

nicholas · 07-02-09, 05:22 PM

I'm surprised this has never happened to me. I've accidentally turned on my wipers after they had frozen to my windscreen. This is the first time I have heard of this happening.

retrofive · 07-02-09, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruiserdan

The wiper arm is made of a much softer material than the post on the link. In addition a new arm does not have splines. The splines get formed when the arm is installed and tightened. I would not be surprised if the splines on the post are intact and just filled up with the soft material from the arm.

DAN!!! YOU ARE MY LC SUPER HERO!

Your all ways a stand up guy and go above and beyond, thank you. You are 100% correct. My initial diag of what happened of everything stripped was wrong. I tried to clean the spline on the linkage with a little scrubbing, but nothing to really get into the groove. Ran outside with a wire brush, the spline look very usable. The arm well, Ill clean up but may not grab.

80t0ylc · 07-02-09, 05:36 PM

IMHO, the post/arm connection is a built in safety factor for the specific reason retrofive experienced. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that, as Cdan suggested, clean out the splines on the post and either re-use the original arm (slightly different alignment so splines use new material on arm), or just get a new arm. My .02 YMMV
EDIT: Try swapping DS & PS arms and use some sort of shim to get PS snug. See how it goes, you can order an arm and keep it to use if it fails.
EDIT#2: I stand corrected-the arms are side specific. Don't swap arms.

cruiserdan · 07-02-09, 05:43 PM

The arms are side-specific, I would not recommend swapping them.

80t0ylc · 07-02-09, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruiserdan

The arms are side-specific, I would not recommend swapping them.

OK, my bad - when I looked at mine, they seem identical. If anybody would know, it would be you! Thanks for the correction - I'll have to remember for future reference.