A good show Barton ! .
If you look at the wiper arms where the flat part enters the base , they're stamped "R" (rechts/right) and "L" (links/left) ~ I often find them carelessly reversed .
They're actually very easy to pop off but I bet you now know how .
Underneath the 13MM nut , it is _critical_ to use an 8MM wave typ washer ~ this is a common washer and is often left off by DPO's .
I assume the first picture was the Supervisor ? .
Last one in that row were the anxious people waiting to see how Sylvia came out in the end .
FWIW , taking the time to do a good , _thorough_ job it's ' crazy ' ~ it's what the well trained Journeyman Mechanic does on every job , every car no matter how beat up it is ~ also the hallmark of the competent DIY'er .
If you're getting 15 Hg vacuum , the vacuum pump is working O.K. , time to begin testing down stream for vacuum leaks ~ first thing , I'd disconnect & cap off the yellow pipes under the hood & re check , if the vacuum jumps up to 20" , the pump is fine .
Remember to look at the short rubber hoses connecting the brown plastic pipes to the back of the Ign. switch ~ these are usually soft & blubbery after 20 years & will leak away much vacuum .
Replacing all the rubber hose bits you can find , usually makes the whole system perk right up again ~ remember to only take off _ONE_ short hose bit at a time , cut the new section and replace it ,_then_
move on to the next hose bit .
Old hard hoses leak just as much as the soft & blubbery ones ~ if you can easily disconnect any rubber hose bit , _IT_IS_BAD_ .
Never , _EVER_ trim off the end of an old , leaky or cracked bit of hose ~ REPLACE EVERY TIME .
-Nate
Barton wrote :
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> Done! Complete wiper transmission remove / rebuild / replace....wipers now operate silently and don't thump after 25K mi....found some corrosion under driver side window...led to this being a two weekend job, but done forever as far as I'm concerned...$75.00 and a sunny Memorial day afternoon vs. $750 mechanic repair - priceless...
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> Pics are here:
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> https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B2r80AnzSdzWek5mQ0tfQjNrTWc&usp=sharing
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> so glad I had access to the MB repair manual for this operation.....what they don't tell you:
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> 0). Disconnect the battery and make sure the wiper switch is on "off" :^)
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> 1). Getting the wiper arms off is a *bitch* - be patient - get them off w/ out cracking the windshield is advised. Getting the plastic trim covers off is the hardest part....they will come off, use a hair dryer to soften them a bit if in a cold climate....(not too hot)
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> 2). Label the arms before you take them off unless it's already obvious to you (i.e. not me)
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> 3). The plastic cover over the wiper motor will come off, gently...plastic is brittle...
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> 5). The plastic trim cover plate that hides the wiper motor and linkage and windshield seal are key to fitment....they will likely be fragile and brittle...take your time.
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> 6). When re-connecting - unit test everything - the wiper motor w/ no transmission attached, then the the motor and the linkage connected. Then bolt on the lower (pax) wiper arm and test, then the driver arm and test. Adjust to suit....mine clunked, now I know why it failed...
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> 7). I went kind of crazy and turned this into a three day project including rust-treating the corrosion, scraping out the old body putty, grinding and sealing, vacuuming 29 years of detritus from the whole cavity, 2 coats of primer (white and grey) and then liquid beeswax (corrosion inhibitor) + resurrecting all the rubber and plastic bits with a thorough bath and cavity cleaning...
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> :^)
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> I also did a quick-n-dirty vacuum system diagnosis, using my MightyVac vacuum pump (which seems to double as a vacuum gauge)....with the booster supply line disconnected at 600 RPM I measure 15-17 Hg of vac, with engine at 1200 RPM, it's more like 20-24Hg. I went through everything in the engine compartment, it's all well sealed/connected, but will keep looking for any leaks - otherwise it's the vacuum pump (yes/no?)
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> cheers,
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> -Barton
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