How do I synchronize windshield wipers?

[cbonner757]

Good morning. I sent my 51 Champion vacuum wiper motor off for rebuild and it works great (Thanks, Ficken!). I left the mechanism as it was when when I removed the motor and didn't move anything around after disassembly. I only removed the clips at the ends of the drive arms and the bolts holding the motor to take it out.

But upon re-installing, the driver's side blade does not come all the way up, and the two blades are out of synch-- as one goes down, the other goes up. When they park, they park vertically, both straight up. Did I hook up something wrong?

Regards,
Clarence

[KGlowacky]

Don't know that type car but I would say one of your arms from the wiper motor to your wiper arm stude is upside down. What I mean is you hooked it up 1/2 a revelotion off. Can someone with that type car confirm this.


1956 Studebaker Pelham Wagon Houston, Texas

[Henry Votel]

Daring to be different. . . eh?


Henry Votel,
Forest Lake, MN
Moderator: Editors & Publishers Forum

[dday392]

My wipers parked straight up when I hooked them up 180 degrees off. KGlowacky is right about that.
I don't think that will solve the one up, one down problem though.

Dave Davis
Bakersfield, Ca.
1953 Commander Regal Starlight
'58 392 Chrysler Hemi powered

[dictator27]

I'm not an expert on 51 Champions, but I have hit on something which might explain the one up, one down situation. I was perusing a 3R truck service manual looking at the illustration of the wiper linkage. The wiper motor installation instructions advised making sure that the short wiper pivot arms both face down when installing the links on the motor. Having the links attached to the wrong pins on the wiper motor and one pivot arm out by 180 degrees could possibly explain your situation. It might also explain why one blade doesn't go through its full sweep. HTIH.

Terry

[cbonner757]

Thanks, folks. I'll try hooking them to the opposite pins. I did take photos before disassembly, which appear to be okay, but I'll have to try it and see.

Regards,
Clarence

[theGman]

In the old days we had a gauge tool to line them up.

[cbonner757]

Thanks to all who contributed. I took loose the vacuum hose to allow me to rotate the part of the arm attached to the motor's shaft, and after two tries I got that piece flipped over to the correct orientation. Wipers now lay flat at the bottom of the windshield when at rest, and are synchronized to turn into each other the same as my 62 Lark's electrics used to.

I experimented with a slide on top of the motor, and verified it has to stay slid to the passenger side to keep a vacuum, but that was not causing the problem.

Many thanks to Ficken. The rebuilt motor is strong and the speed is quick, and the vacuum knob on the dash lets me adjust them as fast or slow as I want. Continuously variable.

Regards,
Clarence