THE PASSENGER SIDE SHAFT THAT HAS THE CAM PULLEY ATTACHED TO THE BOTTOM MAKES AN AWFUL NOISE AND THE WIPERS BARELY MOVE IN ANY SPEED(INTRMNT,LOW OR HIGH). SOUNDS LIKE A REAALY RUSTY/SEIZED HINGE. WHEN I DISCONNECT FROM THE MOTOR I CANNOT MOVE THE LINKAGE BY HAND. THE CABLES AND PULLEYS SEEM FINE UNLESS I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE. IS THERE ANY WAY TO LUBRICATE THE SHAFT/BUSHING THAT IS INSIDE THE PART THAT STICKS OUT OF THE HOOD ?
THANK YOU ...

Zen of Volvo 240 Wiper Linkage:

http://www.jimjmorris.com/cvcoa/wipers.htm

The wiper shaft comes out of the mount/bushing from the inside but you have to remove the linkage and cable. I don't recommend doing it as I had a hell of a time getting it back together. The linkage comes apart by loosening the little cable locknut on the drivers side. Installing requires a small screw driver into the slot in the end of the cable while tightening the locknut. All this while sitting upside down with head under dash and between peddles.

Try lubricating the wiper shaft from outside after removing the wiper arm and rubber seal. The motor gears are plastic so don't stress them too much.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
MY NOISY ONE IS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE,DO I STILL HAVE TO LOOSEN THE CABLE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE ALSO ? AND,MY WIPER ARMS ARE HELD ON BY A CLIP INSTEAD OF A NUT,SO DO NEED A PULLER OF SOME SORT TO REMOVE THE SPLINED CAP THAT THE WIPER ARM SNAPS ONTO IN ORDER TO REMOVE THE THE TIGHT RUBBER RING THAT SEALS THE TOP WHERE SHAFT/BOLT COMES THRU ? OR DO I HAVE TO PULL THE WHOLE MESS OUTTA THE DASH AND WORK ON IT ON THE BENCH ? MUCH APPRECIATED !

I'm not familiar with a clip mount. My '81 has a nut which holds the arm onto the splined shaft. There is a hinged cap on the wiper that flips up to expose the nut. It is plastic so be careful. A puller may be needed to get the wiper off the shaft but wiggling it aginist the spring tension has worked for me. Be careful not to dent or scratch the body by trying to pry with a screw driver or such.

Again on mine there is just one cable nut. The cable links both arms together.

The '80 was the last year to use the old stlye wiper arms with their spring clip release and a splined "drum" pressed on to the shaft. I may be mistaken but I think the end of the shafts are peened. Although Art wasn't successsful loosening the shafts while still in the car I think with the old style you might be better off trying harder---solvents and compressed air and lots of rags to keep the shmutz contained. Remove the link at the motor--that's easy--try not to mess with the cable, link and drives---they are an exercise in frustration. With one wiper arm installed for leverage and the motor link disconnected you should be able to work the system back and forth--hopefully they'll free up. -- Dave

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE BLACK RING (RUBBER OR PLASTIC)IS THAT IS JUST BENEATH THE SPLINED DRUM ? I HAVE SPRAYED PB-BLASTER,SILICON AND WD-40 BETWEEN THE DRUM AND THE BLACK RING, BUT THE RING SEEMS TOO TIGHTLY FIT TO ALLOW ANY LUBE TO GET IN. AFTER 3 DAYS STILL CREAKING AND BARELY MOVING W/O WIPER ARMS ATTACHED. CANNOT BE BUDGED AT ALL BY HAND W/ LINK DISCONNECTED FROM MOTOR ALTHOUGH THE MOTOR ITSELF HAS ENUF TORQUE TO EDGE IT ALONG STUBBORNLY. WONDERING IF IT IS A PLASTIC BUSHING THAT IS ON THE SHAFT INSIDE THERE ??

THANKS FOR THE INPUT,
BRIAN

It's either a bushing or seal--if it's a seal it may be possible to lift it to get solvents/lube in there--even if it has to be destroyed in order to save it. I have an '80 244 parts car--I'll take a look at it tomorrow. -- Dave

resurrecting this old thread because my car is producing exactly the same symptom as described in this excellent article:

http://cleanflametrap.com/wiper.html

when I scrolled through that tutorial on how to completely disassemble the dash in order to extract the wiper mechanism and put some grease on the shafts, my blood ran cold. That looks like more work than I want to get into.

My question: are there any alternate methods for lubricating the parts, or other things that I should check to rule out as causes before diving into a full dash removal?

If the goal is to lubricate inside of the metal housing/bushing, could I drill a small hole through the metal where it protrudes from the hood of the car and add some lubricant that way, and then seal with some type of epoxy?

I had that same creepy creaking problem with the wiper and within myself, when I thought I had to do what Art did.

I used the snorkel tube on the cans of rust penetrant and then some Tri-Flow lubricant since it has Teflon in its mixture. It worked for me a couple times on two different cars.

I put just a ring of fluid around the top where the shaft protrudes from the housing and let it sit.

TIME and PATIENCE prevailed until I saw the first couple applications disappear. If you can, wiggle the wiper arm around and up and down. It will assist those first applications to get somewhere.

From there on out, use the wiper motor to turn things while applying more as the arm is being held up off the windshield.

You will have to find a safe zone to stand if you drip some more in there while it's running. I found it better to just stop everything!

Now I try to remember to add it to the list of things to do at oil changes, of engine or transmission or about every two years in my climate out west.
Back east with the flings of salt or ocean air a person might want to do it more often.
Once you have this muck growing inside the bushings you have to keep after it to flush it out.

If you go Art's route you will buy a lot more time for the effort.
You might even find a way to modify the housings so they can be lubed using tubing to carry grease or oil into the housings.
They use a tubing system like that on large air handlers to lube hard to access pillow block bearings that are on the opposite side of a squirrel cage fan against a wall with no access.

Cars are not the only place engineers have pinched a penny to save dollars and screw the field mechanics.

Phil

Yes, I had that happen to me. My attempt to lube it with the drive in place was unsuccessful. It was so bound up in dried up grease I needed to remove the drive and put it in a vise to disassemble it. For me, in an '89, that meant removing the dash.

The sound it made mimicked a dragging blade, so I'm sure that contributed to letting it go on so long before recognizing the real problem.

This video is intended to show the firewall flexing under the strain and the noise it makes.




--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

VERY HELPFUL,ART
MINE SOUNDS THE SAME AS THE YOUTUBE ONE. DOES THE SHAFT/BOLT JUST POUND OUT W/ A BLOCK OF WOOD ? AND WHAT TYPE OF GREASE TO RE-LUBE IT WITH, LITHIUM/BEARING ?

Sorry, I was unsuccessful loosening the drive on the car. I pulled the upper seal and kept it flooded with penetrating oil while letting the motor try to work it in. Could not budge it from the top side. Once I disconnected the drive from the motor, I was impressed with the power that gear motor develops, after needing a lot of force with a leather-gloved hand to twist the drive pulley.

Once on the bench and in the vise, the struggle was still no pushover. I dug up a drive from an 83 I'd saved, figuring I might ruin the later one I had, but it was not a direct match. I know there are at least three versions, having a 79 like yours and two later ones.
















--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

When a clock is hungry, it goes back four seconds.

I am trying to solve this same problem on my 1990 745, driver side wiper spindle was locked tight. All other parts of linkage and the motor worked fine, but needed a thorough cleaning of leaves, seeds and a mouse nest. The thin plastic cap had split and was letting water enter the barrel. I removed the linkage from the car, and I've removed the cracked plastic wrapper, the circlip, washer, and O-ring at the top of the pot metal/alloy barrel/bushing. This has allowed me flood into it w WD-40, making rotating the shaft steadily easier. I applied some torch heat, then more WD40, then pushing back and forth on the 2" long metal arm attached to the bottom of the spindle/shaft. Now it rotates smoothly but still much stiffer than the very slick spindle on passenger side. I've tried to tap, (then hammer harder) the spindle out of its barrel. It has moved down 1/16". I want to clean all the crud and dried grease out, then reassemble w clean grease before I reinstall the whole setup so I won't have to do it again. Is there something else locking the shaft inside the barrel?? that I would break if I hammer harder? Maybe use a tie rod remover fork or very small wedge from the bottom? I'm gonna post this as a new thread because I searched FAQ and didn't find an answer.