Radio, seat, wipers

[Rob Dudley]

Our trip to Kansas City brought about some new issues and highlighted some old ones. Coming across South Dakota a pheasant flew up and hit the windshield wiper as it committed hari kari. The strike left the right wiper halfway up the windshield. It turned out to have spun the splined hub on the pivot, stripping it. The driver seat had a broken track mount and the front speaker didn't work. Now is a good time to do some maintenance (with 2 ft. of snow on the ground), so I started with the wipers. I managed to get the pivot out around the air conditioner and since pulling the seat made it easier it came out too. I was able to reach the wiper motor and left pivot from the drivers side and by pulling the heater valve loose I worked the control rods out the passenger side.

After checking the wiring on the speaker I determined the speaker was not working but I could hardly see it, let alone reach it. I unbolted the radio and pushed it in on top of the A/C. Getting my fat hand in through the opening was tough but I was able to reach the speaker retainer nuts and that allowed me to remove the grill and pull the speaker through the dash. I ordered a new one from Dan Skidmore. With the pivot out I was able to pull the splined hub and determined that it is the same as one on the pivot of a '63 lark I had scrapped. After removing the old hub, I filed the peened axle tip smooth and was able slide the new hub on and re-peen the end of the axle. It looks good. Now to try to get it all back in.

Rob

[mfg]

Good deal!!...If you ever need a REPLACEMENT Avanti wiper pivot, I believe Dave Thibeault has some. (978-897-3158)

[Rob Dudley]

Here are some pictures of the wiper pivot I repaired. the first is of the Lark pivot showing the splined axle and the damaged hub from the Avanti. Second is the repaired Avanti pivot. The third is the left pivot that is cross threaded and will need to be repaired next.

[dynolou2]

Rob, did you use the front of the seat mount repair kit?  We installed a set of the ones from Classic Enterprises on Al Basiles Avanti , they install fairly easily and add much needed support in this weak area.   Lou Cote

[Rob Dudley]

On ‎2‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 9:08 AM, dynolou2 said:

Rob, did you use the front of the seat mount repair kit?  We installed a set of the ones from Classic Enterprises on Al Basiles Avanti , they install fairly easily and add much needed support in this weak area.   Lou Cote

The seat tracks were the problem, not the anchor points. The seats have been moved back an inch by adding an inch to the fronts and cutting the rear strap off and welding it back on an inch forward on the tracks. The front welds appear to be gas welded and were not correctly welded to begin with. One of them had failed.

 

I got the wipers done and the radio speaker replaced and working. When I tested the wipers there was a distinct clunk as they reversed.  A little checking them found the mounting adapter screws were loose so I removed the motor and tightened them up with a drop of Loctite to prevent it happening again.

 

Now when I turn them on they won't park. They run until I turn the key off then stop where they are. I don't know what I did but it is quite perplexing. I checked the ground to the switch, even adding a second one. I opened the park switch and believe it is working but need to test it. Any other suggestions would be welcome.