This picture shows what lies beneath the cover. There is a reed switch that is actuated by a nylon pin that raises when the motor turns. I couldn’t determine how the reed switch functioned, but in my case, it made no difference at all as there was a broken part that you can see in the second picture. It is made of spring steel and is formed into a ramp shape to raise the nylon pin and use it to make and break the reed switch contact as it rotates. When I removed the switch plate, the broken part of the spring-steel ramp fell out, so. at least I could now visualize how the adjustment is supposed to be made. You can also clearly see the three notches in the rotating plate so it can be moved with a flat screwdriver to change the point at which the pin engages the spring ramp.
I thought I was in luck as my parts car had the same motor, so it sould be a simple swap, but my joy quickly faded when I discovered that motor was locked up and wouldn’t move without damaging. However, I thought I could at least swap the ramp spring, but it too was damaged with a bend midway up the ramp. I tried straightening that part of the ramp, but the bend was too sharp and couldn’t be reformed properly without breaking the brittle metal.
Finally, I decided to forget trying to create a park position. As often as I might be driving in rain, I can just use the switch to manually park the wipers. Before I reassembled everything, I removed the sixty-year-old crusty grease, oiled the plate and greased the gears. At least the arms are now synchronized, and the speed is adjustable with the dash switch.
Just FYI. I think (maybe) no real world test as yet that I got a '92 Dakota motor to work. 2 weeks into a super cranky fuel sending unit (also Dakota) with no success as yet and now a cold snap so no shop time (heat too costly).
ReplyDeleteRay, I'm anxious to see your project rolling under its own power, as it will be the first Dakota transplant done by anyone I know. I'm sure I'll be envious and probably regret not following through my original plan. I also share your frustration over garage heating costs! Our electric prices surged as we now have to pay for the bankruptcy of another co-op electric company in Texas. They got stuck paying outrageous prices for outside power being tapped during that 100-year storm that hit the state two years ago. The cold snap that hit you is probably the same one that moved down to us a couple nights ago. Not record cold, but too cold to work without heat. By tomorrow, the NW wind switches to the south and temps will be summer-like again.
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