Thread: Stripped Wiper Motor Spindle

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Oh boy. I did it this time. I was putting the finishing touches on my first monster in a box and the linkage arm caught jamming the motor causing the spinning bolt (aka spindle) of my wiper motor to strip it's threads. Now I can no longer tighten it and the motor is essentially not usable.

I ordered it initially from Monster Guts and I just emailed them for help. Has this happened to anyone else? What might be some other possible solutions/fixes aside from another motor?

I really appreciate it!

You might be able to find a heli-coil, http://www.helicoil.in/, at your local automotive store to replace the threads

I would use a die to re-groove the threads then get a matching nut to fasten the crank arm. Those Helicoils are for repairing female fasteners like those in engine blocks, which won't help in this situation. IF you stripped the nut, just get a new one. A tap and die set is a good investment, although if you don't plan on using them again getting a new wiper motor would be cheaper in the short-run.

If the grooves that look like a star around the spindle are stripped, then try some JB weld or epoxy putty to secure the crank arm to the spindle. It will never come off again, however, and you will be stuck with the same crank arm forever.

A picture of the damaged spindle might help a better diagnosis. If the spindle is not repairable from a "threaded" point of view, and your spindle is long enough, you could always manually attach an arm with a U-bolt, like this:

Weld your arm to it!

Mine did the exact same thing... I did exactly what is suggested above. Just welded the arm right onto the motor.

Those are all awesome suggestions. The guys at monster guts recommended the tap/die and welding. I would lean more towards welding. Good news is, in addition to an MIB I am also building an Exorcist prop which requires less torque and there is still some thread on damaged motor. I ended up switching the motors between the props and it seems like it is gonna work out. I'll keep you posted if not. I really appreciate everyone helping out!

Welding would be a great option. My only suggestion would be to consider taking the gearbox apart if possible and welding the part separately. I've never had to take any of my Monster Guts wiper motors apart, but I'd want to make sure there are no bushings, seals, or plastic gears near that output shaft that might melt while welding and cause you more grief down the road......