Help - replacing VX power aerial mast

[walbyjack]

I've checked all the previous threads relating to replacing power aerial masts on a VX, but none have covered this one...

I've unbolted the aerial from the car and taken the old broken aerial mast out of the metal sleeve. However, I can't get the new mast in to the metal sleeve. The new mast is exactly the same as the old one. There is a black plastic ball at the tip of the mast, and a white plastic sleeve at the bottom of the mast. Neither will fit through the narrow part of the metal sleeve.

Can anyone help?

 

[Rack city]

Hi I have the same problem did you find out have to fit it cheers.

 

[accentstencil]

Hi I have the same problem did you find out have to fit it cheers.

He posted almost 6 years ago and it was his only post, he won't be replying.
If a get a chance a bit later I will scan some info for you and post it.
OK, I found time.

MAST REPLACEMENT
The following procedure is for replacing a damaged or faulty antenna mast and drive cable assembly.
1. Remove power antenna assembly as previously described in this Section.
2. Remove chrome plated nut from top end of mast tube.
3. Extend damaged antenna mast as far as possible by attaching battery negative via a jumper lead to antenna
mounting bracket and battery positive to both the antenna red and white wire terminals.
At end of mast travel, pull out mast and drive cable from antenna housing.
NOTE:
If mast is too badly damaged to extend, grip tip of mast with a pair of pliers and pull mast and drive cable assembly
up and out from antenna housing.
4. If necessary, remove contact spring (metal sleeve) from old mast and drive cable and install onto replacement
mast and drive cable.
5. Feed end of drive cable down mast tube of antenna housing with serrated side of drive cable facing toward the
centre of the housing. Continue to feed drive cable down until it engages with the drive mechanism.
NOTE:
It may be necessary to twist the drive cable clockwise and anti-clockwise slightly to enable end of cable to feed
through opening at base of mast tube before it engages the drive mechanism.
6. With the aid of an assistant to hold the antenna and mast assembly, connect antenna mounting bracket via a
jumper lead to battery negative.
7. Momentarily connect battery positive to the antenna red wire and drive mechanism should start to retract drive
cable into antenna housing.
8. With the drive cable engaged to drive mechanism, reconnect battery positive to antenna red wire and allow
drive mechanism to wind in drive cable and mast into mast tube and housing.
9. At this stage the mast might be fully retracted into the mast tube and housing. Reconnect both the red and
white wires to battery positive and allow the mast to extend fully until the motor stops.
Disconnect white wire from battery positive and allow mast to fully retract.
10. Reinstall chrome plated nut to top end of mast tube and tighten securely.
11. Reinstall power antenna assembly as previously described in this Section. Check antenna mast operation.

 

[BlackoutSteve]

Old thread I know, but the information is still good for those that bother to search before posting..

If by chance you can't "hot-wire" the antenna because you don't have a spare battery or prefer to do the job on a bench and not on the radiator support! ..or because powering the antenna with another 12V battery just doesn't work for reasons unknown..
There is a very easy alternative.

Remove the 4 screws, nut & washer and carefully remove the rear cover being careful not to damage the rubber gasket.

Remove the smaller white idler gear between the motor and large white driven gear (as shown). It will simply lift off it's axle using a flat blade screwdriver or pliers or whatever..

This allows the large white gear assembly to freewheel and you can then remove and refit as the procedure above instructs. Drop the gear back in when you're done.

When reassembling, you may need to make sure the that tab in the center of the large white driven gear is at the 3 o'clock position (as shown), and on the cover, the rotating connection is in the "park" position.
If you look closely, you will see the red-wired connector is "parked" over the nylon window.
That may or may not be important, but it's the position the antenna was in when the cover was removed with a fully retracted mast.

If you want to lubricate, use white lithium based, zinc grease (Castrol's LM) as the factory did.

Hope this helps.

 

[kiwithug]

Cheers BlackoutSteve
That pic was exactly what I was after. Got a bit carried away pulling stuff apart! Could't remember where the tab on big wheel was supposed to be.

 

[Stevey G]

Hey any is there any luck i can get the picture of the orientation of the gears. I pulled mine appart but cant get them lined up again

 

[Stevey G]

Hey Blackout Steve is there any chance u still have that picture of the orientation of the gear tab and rotating conn. Cant find the link to the picture on here

 

[viiking]

I've just replaced my aerial with the following complications.
The old broken bit of the aerial would not could not come out. This negated the simple insert the new aerial rope into the mechanism.

Pulled the inner wheel well cover partly off and this gave room to pull out the assembly. One earth wire screw and one bolt. Inside one screw exposed the extension radio cable off and you can push the wire and its grommet out into the wheel well easily.

I had to remove the motor drive face plate off simply. Nothing flies out or springs disappear into the ether. A round cassette holds the coiled up aerial rope. Inside that there was the broken piece. Pull off the cassette remove the broken piece and replace all done.

The aerial would not fit in through the top because there is a thin metal sleeve which retains the aerial inside the assembly's tube. You have to get this out to install the new antenna and rope into the tube. I just attacked it with some jewellers screw drivers to slip between the tube and the sleeve until I had enough of the sleeve butchered over to drive it out with a punch or do well or small piece of copper pipe. The mast went in then perfectly remembering the toothed section faces the centre.

All good so far. Would not engage the teeth no matter how hard I tried. So I had to remove the motor drive assembly! Don't!

There are two small carbon brushes with tiny springs inside so you cannot withdraw the armature or these springs dislodge. So be careful if you try to fiddle with the worm drive on the end in case you pull the armature out and expose the brushes.They are a real pain to get back inside and in position. Go on. Ask me how I know?

Once the rope was correctly engaged all was simply a re fit job.

Quality of the rope and antenna replacement was as good as the original Japanese Eurovox OEM. $24 on eBay. Aero pro model same as Supercheap has for $45.

Given the hassles I had I wouldn't bother doing this again. I'd just buy the complete new assembly from eBay for $55-75. I reckon I can fit a complete assembly in 15 minutes instead of the 3 hours it took me to pull the motor assembly apart and get that stupid sleeve out. The majority of the time is removing the inner guard screws. Time taken to remove and replace the assembly is literally the time taken to disconnect the wiring connector one screw and a 13mm bolt.
Enjoy

 

[Commo Baba]

Took me about 7 goes to get mine done. As above ^ buy as much of an assembly as you can cos there are some bits THAT DON"T FIT. Yes !, wrong size by about half a mm. Complete mongrel. From Aeropro also as well as 'lesser?' brands. Sealed pack with right numbers containing stuff that DOESN"T FIT !

Yes, half a dozen goes at this got me fired up about it. Can you tell ?

 

[BlackoutSteve]

Hey Blackout Steve is there any chance u still have that picture of the orientation of the gear tab and rotating conn. Cant find the link to the picture on here

Thanks for the heads-up.. I have no idea why the image host site dropped this image. Anyway, thanks again, I've restored it.