General ducato wiper spindle leak
- Thread starter Peter53
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General ducato wiper spindle leak
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Hi Peter
My experience is with a 2008 van. I don't know how much things changed with more recent models.
Do you mean that water is travelling between the spindle and the fixed tube ( sleeve bearing ), or round the outside of the fixed tube ?
If it's the former, it should be prevented by the grease on the spindle and the close fit. Re-greasing is simple enough (one circlip then slide out), but unfortunately I think you have to take out the whole drive assembly (spindles, tubes, cranks, arms,etc) and motor first. Most people having got this far opt for a replacement drive assembly i.e. everything except the motor.
Water ingress to the engine compartment has long been a bone of contention. Fiat's philosophy seems to be to accept that some will get in, and rely on engine heat and vehicle motion to disperse it. Not very effective for vehicles parked for long periods !
My experience is with a 2008 van. I don't know how much things changed with more recent models.
Do you mean that water is travelling between the spindle and the fixed tube ( sleeve bearing ), or round the outside of the fixed tube ?
If it's the former, it should be prevented by the grease on the spindle and the close fit. Re-greasing is simple enough (one circlip then slide out), but unfortunately I think you have to take out the whole drive assembly (spindles, tubes, cranks, arms,etc) and motor first. Most people having got this far opt for a replacement drive assembly i.e. everything except the motor.
Water ingress to the engine compartment has long been a bone of contention. Fiat's philosophy seems to be to accept that some will get in, and rely on engine heat and vehicle motion to disperse it. Not very effective for vehicles parked for long periods !
Fredastaire
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I need to watch this as I have the same with our 2017 Van, my mind is working on half a plastic bottle tywrapped underneath to catch and direct water away from the cylinder head cover..................................
Ive also added a strip of quality PVC electricians tape to the screen / scuttle join and added other collector half bottles at the screen left side to divert water away from the electrics boxes ahhh, nearly forgot, ive alsoadded a plastic bag over the MAF connector plug tywrapped.
Ive also added a strip of quality PVC electricians tape to the screen / scuttle join and added other collector half bottles at the screen left side to divert water away from the electrics boxes ahhh, nearly forgot, ive alsoadded a plastic bag over the MAF connector plug tywrapped.
I have had this issue with my van (2000 Hymer A class). Whilst the Hymer is based on a Ducato, I believe the wiper system to be from Volvo (truck?), but I would imagine them to be similar in construction.
The circlip mention above is accessed by removing the nut and spring washer holding the wiper arm, and pulling the wiper from the spindle. Under the circlip is a washer, then a number of packing shims, which in combination with a wavy washer at the other end of the spindle, take up any play.
Where the spindle emerges from the sleeve bearing tube, there is a thin O ring, pressed into end of the sleeve by the shims/washer. In this system, it is the combination of the O ring and packing grease around the spindle which prevents water ingress.
In the Hymer, the drive arms to and from each crank on the end of the spindles can be popped apart at the ball joints to allow individual removal of the sleeve bearing/spindle assemblies. This way they can be overhauled on the bench.
Access to the mechanism is probably more restricted on a Ducato, but it may be possible to partly disassemble the spindle/sleeve bearing assembly to regrease the spindle and replace the o ring (if fitted), without removing the whole system.
The circlip mention above is accessed by removing the nut and spring washer holding the wiper arm, and pulling the wiper from the spindle. Under the circlip is a washer, then a number of packing shims, which in combination with a wavy washer at the other end of the spindle, take up any play.
Where the spindle emerges from the sleeve bearing tube, there is a thin O ring, pressed into end of the sleeve by the shims/washer. In this system, it is the combination of the O ring and packing grease around the spindle which prevents water ingress.
In the Hymer, the drive arms to and from each crank on the end of the spindles can be popped apart at the ball joints to allow individual removal of the sleeve bearing/spindle assemblies. This way they can be overhauled on the bench.
Access to the mechanism is probably more restricted on a Ducato, but it may be possible to partly disassemble the spindle/sleeve bearing assembly to regrease the spindle and replace the o ring (if fitted), without removing the whole system.
