Originally Posted by JimmyL

I joined the "Cheap Wagon Club" officially today. 1981 300TD

I was hoping to just "edit" and copy and paste that here, but I guess there is a time limit on when we can go back and edit an old post......

Originally Posted by JimmyL

A big thank you to ShawnD and Mismost for their archived posts regarding the rear wiper issues. {I also remember their threads at the time, but since I had a wagon with a working rear wiper I had no reason to mess with it} Well, that was before Smash.
Rear wiper has been inop since I bought the wagon, and for some reason, today was the day to look at it.
First, hit any of the rear wiper buttons and nothing!! No noise, no nothing. OK I say, even though there are threads about mechanical binding due to loose/missing screws;
Do All W123 300td Rear Wipers Self-Destruct?
300TD rear wiper assembly repair?

....mine seems electrical in nature. Oh wait, darn if I don't have voltage at the plug with button pressed.
So I decided to dig deeper.

I too was missing screws. Pretty much all 3!!! Two were gone {found one inside rear hatch} and a 3rd had wedged the movable linkage completely seized.
I hope you can see the places for the 3 screws that back out:



See the wedged screw above?

It had also bent the gear box housing a bit, which bound up another portion of the linkage, this, the shaft up to the wiper itself:



remove motor assembly, used a vise and re-bent the housing so the top cover would fit straight. Also had to drill and tap a hole so that I could secure the gear box cover. [just have to see it to know what I mean here] no pic, sorry.
All put back together, and if the link works:


Reinstalled in wagon with all the screws attached this time.






BTW, I do have the black cover that goes over the housing, just didn't have it on for the pics.

Works like a champ. I had to work to get the washers going, but a small piece of wire and some compressor air and now even the washer works.
Thanks to those who went there before me and provided me with the information. Uh, how about pics next time guys........

Originally Posted by daw_two

Question: Did you use Loctite on those screws or a lock washer if its a bolt?