Rebuilding Vacuum Windshield Wipers

C

Colonel Biggs

Senior Member
I have two Trico wiper motors that I am rebuilding, and both once worked a few years ago. (These are not the early motors, which used two screws to fasten the cover of the reversing lever assembly to the body.) I have used 400-grit paper on the air chambers, and I have blown out the air passages.

I have oiled the paddles and used Vaseline in the air chambers. There does not appear to be excessive resistance when I move the paddles back and forth manually. When I apply engine vacuum to the motors, I do not detect any hissing (leaks), but I don't get any movement of the paddles. Is there a way in which one can isolate whether the paddles are at fault? (Bratton's tells me that they no longer have a supplier for the paddle rebuild kits.)

Gordon
 
Thanks for the lead, Mitch. I am going to try my best at rebuilding them myself, but if that fails, I at least have place to which to turn.

I like the web site, and I have been told that about 95% of all wiper motor problems are due to faulty paddles.

Col. Biggs
 
I agree with Mitch, if you can't get it going yourself, Ficken is the place to go. Great work, and I got a pretty fast turn around time.

Ken
 
Hello, Brent!

Their site says that they do not sell parts. I might have to ask that if I wish to keep my parts for spares (except for the paddles), whether they would accept that.

My best to your dad, whom I have not seen in some time now.

Le Colonel
 
I haven't worked on a vacuum wiper in many years, but doesn't they have a piece of leather riveted between two metal plates?
If the leather is worn out, you should be able to grind out the rivets and cut a new piece of leather, and rivet it in.
 
Wiper exploded view;
 

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I agree that a liquid oil would be much better than Vaseline. I think I used ATF many years ago on my 1950 Studebaker wiper.
DO NOT use WD-40, as it can do damage to pot metal parts.
 
You should be able to manually rotate the shaft and feel the air flow out of the port. If you don't feel a pretty good air flow when you rotate the shaft, you've probably got a bad wiper.
 
Hi, I had a similar experience rebuilding my wipers. Called Flicken and they were very helpful. Person I spoke with told me to look for wipers with a serial number after 1936 I think . It might be later , the later the better. I was told the early one,s the casting actual warps and they cant be rebuilt.
 
Having rebuilt several Trico motors, I can tell you that the paddle should be a very snug fit inside the motor's lower body.

Also wipe a thin film of grease on the sliding parts of the ON-OFF valve.

Lithium grease or a synthetic grease works well. Liquids or greases that revert to liquids are poor choices because the liquid will be sucked into the engine in a short time.

Be especially careful when placing new gaskets between the upper & lower bodies. These gaskets are fragile and must not leak.

Another problem that often arises is the wiper stops at one end of its stroke. There is a round seal on the paddle and this must seal tightly against the upper motor body to cause a reverse movement of the wiper.
 
Many good thoughts, for which I thank you all. I especially like the lubrication info (brake fluid would not be my choice!), and the parts diagram.

Is it possible to learn anything, if I were to attach a hand-operated vacuum pump to the inlet nozzle? Should it hold the vacuum, and then release it when the paddle is turned in a particular direction? In other words, can the pump duplicate engine vacuum for testing purposes?

The top of the paddle (installed) fits into the small recess in the upper plate. Is it possible that I don't have a good seal there? Maybe I could place some powder in the recess cavity to see if contact is being made.

Again, my thanks for your inputs.
 
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