I recently found that the windshield wiper motor on my '74 was non-functional. I'd ruled out the switch stalk and relay, as power was getting to the connection at the motor.
So, the options seemed to be: Try to repair the motor, Buy a new motor (~$300+), or find a good used motor. I decided on attempting a repair first. Removed the motor buy popping off the connecting link at the motor arm, then removing the three bolts and wiggling it out. I connected power to the motor and got nothing but 'sparks' at the touch points, except I thought I felt a 'torque' within the motor. So - could it be the transmission???
Took the back off the transmission, and of course it was filled with 42 year old grease which had gotten VERY viscous (not quite cement). Cleaned out as much as I could with a screwdriver blade, then used brake cleaner to dissolve and remove the remainder of it. Also, the contacts and rotating plate had grease on them, so electrical conduction probably wasn't very good, so I cleaned the contacts and the plate thoroughly.
Installed new SuperLube grease, re-assembled the back, touched with contacts from a 12V source, and 'voila', it rotates the output shaft smoothly. Re-connected it to the chassis connector, turned the ignition switch, then moved the stalk to each of the three positions - the intermittent and two speeds function properly! Re-installed and 'good to go' for another 42 (maybe) years.
But - the night before I did this, I searched for used motors that might be an alternative. I found a BMW dealer web site that had the alternatives for the OE part number. Thought this might be helpful to someone whose motor was actually dead, so here is what I found:
Wiper motor numbers:
61 61 1 354 583
61 61 1 354 017
61 61 1 359 804
61 61 1 350 110
61 61 1 810 590
This product fits 96 vehicle variants.
BMW 5 Series (E12,E28,E34,E39,E60,E61): 2 models, 21 variants between 1974 and 1982.
BMW 6 Series (E24,E63,E64): 2 models, 24 variants between 1976 and 1985.
Classic BMW: 7 models, 51 variants between 1969 and 1977.
Finally, for more detail on the '74 wiper motor in my car, here are the Bosch numbers stamped on it:
058 DHP 12V 445
0 390 341 075
So, the options seemed to be: Try to repair the motor, Buy a new motor (~$300+), or find a good used motor. I decided on attempting a repair first. Removed the motor buy popping off the connecting link at the motor arm, then removing the three bolts and wiggling it out. I connected power to the motor and got nothing but 'sparks' at the touch points, except I thought I felt a 'torque' within the motor. So - could it be the transmission???
Took the back off the transmission, and of course it was filled with 42 year old grease which had gotten VERY viscous (not quite cement). Cleaned out as much as I could with a screwdriver blade, then used brake cleaner to dissolve and remove the remainder of it. Also, the contacts and rotating plate had grease on them, so electrical conduction probably wasn't very good, so I cleaned the contacts and the plate thoroughly.
Installed new SuperLube grease, re-assembled the back, touched with contacts from a 12V source, and 'voila', it rotates the output shaft smoothly. Re-connected it to the chassis connector, turned the ignition switch, then moved the stalk to each of the three positions - the intermittent and two speeds function properly! Re-installed and 'good to go' for another 42 (maybe) years.
But - the night before I did this, I searched for used motors that might be an alternative. I found a BMW dealer web site that had the alternatives for the OE part number. Thought this might be helpful to someone whose motor was actually dead, so here is what I found:
Wiper motor numbers:
61 61 1 354 583
61 61 1 354 017
61 61 1 359 804
61 61 1 350 110
61 61 1 810 590
This product fits 96 vehicle variants.
BMW 5 Series (E12,E28,E34,E39,E60,E61): 2 models, 21 variants between 1974 and 1982.
BMW 6 Series (E24,E63,E64): 2 models, 24 variants between 1976 and 1985.
Classic BMW: 7 models, 51 variants between 1969 and 1977.
Finally, for more detail on the '74 wiper motor in my car, here are the Bosch numbers stamped on it:
058 DHP 12V 445
0 390 341 075
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Let me know if anyone wants one- cheap, out of an 85 535i. I'm thinking 25 bucks, because I have to pay for tickets for the Dead and this will help-