wiper motor replacement

[dougsoldcars]

I would like to hear from someone who has replaced the wiper motor in a 57 TBird. I have to do this because my wipers only work half way. They go upright but won't come back down unless I turn the switch off.

I've got the radio out and the defroster tube out so I can see the motor but can be sure how it is attached to the car or to the wiper transmission. I'm not sure what needs to be done to remove the unit and reinstall the new one. Can anyone help?
Thanks,
Doug

[Vintage Merlot]

Re: wiper motor replacement

Doug,
I suggest you contact Paul Prokop. Paul is a member of our Acadian Vintage Thunderbird Club in New Orleans and has great resources and knowledge on vintage Birds. You can find him on the TBN Membership Page under "pjprokop"

[0bird2]

Re: wiper motor replacement

Doug,
The wiper motor is held in place with just two screws that are located on the bosses that are are the sides of the wiper motor. The arms are held on with clips that are easy to get to once the wiper is loose of the two mount screws. The switch cable and washer cable (if equipped) is held in place with one or two small screws on the top of the wiper motor.
I don't know how limber you are, but if the car has a manual seat (not electric), I'd remove the seat to make things more comfortable while working under the dash.
The aftermarket and parts dealers have an electric (two speed) kit that can be installed and eliminate the vacumm motor. The switch will use the original knob for turning it on and off.
Be glad you don't have aftermarket A/C, as that makes it real difficult to get to the wiper motor.
Before you get too deep into this, go to and click into Gil's Garage and read the info on improving windshield wiper motor action.
If you don't belong to CTCI, it might be a good idea to join as there is a lot of good info available from the club members. Information on joining is on the same web site.

[Steve Legel]

Re: wiper motor replacement

Before doing much else, check the vacumm coming off the fuel pump by pulling the vac hose from the wiper mechanism and turn the thing on and see if it "sucks"...might be simple vaccum leak from dried out hose...

Check classic car websites, or Fiken (old school, long time wiper motor rebuilding family) for advice, but I think you can...Consider lubricating the inside of the wiper motor gear box. The leather strap inside dries out and then won't move. Since you have access, pull the vaccuum hose and replace with a short stub of hose. Put one end of the stub in a pan of brake fluid, then manually operate the wipers. This will draw the fluid into the mechanism to lubricate the leather strap.

removal is simple, though difficult access, remove the seat...only 4 bolts

[dougsoldcars]

Re: wiper motor replacement

Thank you to everyone who took the time to answer me. I followed the vacuum leak advice to no avail. so I hooked up my new vacuum motor to the vacuum line with out replacing it for now. The new one runs fine but I can't shut it off. There seemd to be a cable hooked up to the old motor that's still installed in the car. Am I correct in assuming that is what controls that on and off with the dash switch?
Thanks again,
Doug

[0bird2]

Re: wiper motor replacement

doug,
The cable you see is the switch. It is a slide switch that controls the amount of vacumm to the wiper motor. There should be a black plastic
piece on top of the new motor that the cable hooks to and it should slide side to side (toward and away from the mount bosses).

Have you tried the brake fluid in the old motor yet? That usually is all it takes to get the old motor working again. I still have the original motor in our '57 and have done the brake fluid trick twice in 30 years. The wipers work as well as can be expected for a vacumm system.



It has all you need to know for lubing the wiper in the old motor.

[dougsoldcars]

Re: wiper motor replacement

Thanks again to all who posted ideas. I followed all of them. Unfortunately after 3 large bottles of brake fluid didn't get thing going I ended up changing the motor. To get the new one in I removed my hardtop so I could get my legs on a movers quilt on the trunk, my back on the seat and my shoulders on the floor. That gave me room enough to get both hands up in there to work. I discovered the cable can go on with the motor not installed but had to install the motor before I could get the arms attached and clips secured. An interesting aside is that my car had individual clips on each arm rather than
the single spring loaded clip that came on the replacement motor.
If anyone ever needs to know how to do this in detail they should feel free to contact me.