12 volt wiper motor for 53 Commander

[dday392]

First time on the site and a new Studebaker owner.
I've tried everything I know to get the original 6 volt pos. ground wiper motor in my 53 Commander Regal Stralight to work with the car being swithed to 12 volt neg. ground. Out of the car, using a voltage reducer and the original switch, it works perfectly. When I put it in the car, it spins backwards and won't park. I know it has something to do with the way the motor is grounded while in the car, but I'm stumped. Does anyone have a later 12 volt wiper motor that will swap easily into my Commander? I've heard 56-60 hawk motors work. Thanks, Dave

[Jeff_H]

I reused the 6v motor in my '53 champion w/o any problem on a voltage reducer. No troubles with it backwards. Have you had the motor apart and perhaps reversed the wires to the field winding? When I rewired the rotted cloth wires on mine I noted that they split into 2 paths inside the motor and one goes to the stator field winding on the outer case, the other goes to the commutator brushes. If you reverse one of those it will run backwards I think. May want to investigate that.



Jeff in ND

'53 Champion Hardtop

[N8N]

actually a 56-? (maybe '60, maybe slightly later) C-K wiper motor will be a bolt in. I'm using a '56 wiper motor in my '55 coupe and it works perfectly.

nate

--
55 Commander Starlight
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

[dday392]

Jeff:

I got the wiper motor and gear case in a box of parts when I bought the Commander. It was already newly wired with good quality green, yellow, and black wires. I suspect you are right about the inner wires being in the wrong places. I will check that out.

Thanks, Dave

[dday392]

Well... It doesn't seem to matter which way the field wire or the brush wire is hooked up. the wiper motor turns the same direction regardless. While I had the entire wiper case and motor apart I did find two cloth covered wires that I covered with shrink wrap just to be safe. Everything else in the whole assembly looks to be in excellent condition, new brushes, and properly greased.

I beleive it is now working properly while being mounted in the car and hooked up to the wiper switch. Looking at the gearbox shaft while under the dash, it turns clockwise (high and low speed, and it parks).

Is that the correct direction it should spin?

One last thing, are these ceramic voltage reducers safe? If I use one on every electric motor in the car I could probably heat the car with them. Thanks, Dave

[JeffDeWitt]

quote:Is that the correct direction it should spin?

Would that really make any difference?

(flop flip instead of flip flop <G&gt

Jeff DeWitt

[dday392]

Funny.

Of course the wipers will work with the motor running in either direction. It just seems the metal armlike brushes for the park mechanism should be facing the opposite direction so they would glide over the circular plate without clicking.

[Roscomacaw]

I've probably got a 12 volt that would be a bolt-in interchange.

Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle


1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe

[dday392]

Mr Biggs, StudeBob if I may:

I'd really rather use a 12 volt unit. I'm interested that you have one. I've sent you an email asking the particulars.

Thanks, Dave

ddavis

[Roscomacaw]

It may be this weekend before I get a chance to dig one outta my stuff. Send me another E-mail on Sunday or so.

Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle


1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe

[stude freak]

Can anyone imagine what Bob might have if he had a filing system and a place to put things instead of chunking them in an old vodka box?[}]

David Baggett '53 coupe

[Jeff_H]

quote:One last thing, are these ceramic voltage reducers safe? If I use one on every electric motor in the car I could probably heat the car with them. Thanks, Dave

I see this sidebar did not get answered.... I suppose those resistors are "safe" so long as they have adequate ventilation. I am not sure how hot they get... Definately the "old" way to drop the voltage for the 6v motors though. Not regulated either. What I did for my car was build a PWM (pulse width modulator) voltage chopper to run the 6v motors off 12v. I don't think these are generally available at all, I designed and built mine (I am a electrical engineer who works with automotive type stuff at my job, we design lots of similar items for little actuator motors with speed control used on some ag and construction equipment). The PWM chopper switches the 12v on and off rapidly to get a average of 6v to the motor. Works fine for inductive loads like motors, not so for other things like the radio or lights.



Jeff in ND

'53 Champion Hardtop

[gordr]

Jeff, I'd bet there would be a ready market for that PWM voltage reducer, either ready-built or simply as construction plans.

And I'm thinking it wouldn't be too hard to add a variable-speed feature, either a potentiometer or a tapped voltage divider that could be accessed by the original 2 or 3 speed fan switch in the car.

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

[Dick Steinkamp]

Here's a voltage reducer that Ron Francis sells...

http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb....Z5Z5Z50000278a

...also some good hints on 6V to 12V conversions.

[dday392]

Thanks to all for the new information, I may have to go with the Ron Francis unit if I can't get the 12 volt wiper motor from somewhere else.

Mr Biggs, StudeBob: Are you out there? I've recieved no replies from my emails.

ddavis