54 wiper motor

[Brad H.]

Just getting to address the motor thing. Can loose cable's cause slow wiper speed? I checked vacuum and it is good. cable's seem a little loose and also noticed my wiper shaft's don't push down that 1/8 to 1/4 to tighten the cable's, if that is how the 54's tighten the cable's. I can also help the wiper's a little by hand and they work fine until letting go. Thank you, Brad.

[Gary C.]

Re: 54 wiper motor

Brad,

Joe Calcagno's website has info on wiper transmissions. http://rarecorvettes.com/RARE/WiperTrans.html

Joe's last comments about wiper transmissions; "Sometimes the wiper transmissions are frozen in the operating position and the cables cannot be lengthened as described. If this is the case the transmission will have to be over- hauled since new ones are no longer available. Fortunately, there are specialists who do this type of work."

I've had good luck in soaking the wiper transmission with Kroil Oil to free up the transmission tension adjustment. Tom Maxwell fellow NCRS member, might rebuild them. Tom's a Discussion Board member and is listed in the Community tab. Good luck,

Gary
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[Peter R.]

Re: 54 wiper motor

Brad, It's been a number of months since I dealt with mine, but if I remember correctly, the '53 and early '54 wiper transmissions have a screw on the exterior end of the transmission shaft. These shafts don't push in to disengage the clutch. Instead you loosen the screw about a quarter turn and that will allow the clutch to slip so the cable can be extended (this will take two people); then retighten the screw to hold the cable in the extended position until you've installed the cable on the motor pulley; then loosen the screw again to allow the cable to tighten; then re-tighten the screw and you're probably done. If the cable still seems a little slack after you've allowed the transmission to take up the slack, you can loosen the exterior lock nut and the screws holding the interior bracket and turn the transmission slightly so that its pulley moves away from the wiper motor, thereby tightening the cable, and then re-tighten everything with the transmission in this new position. I hope this helps.

[Brad H.]

Re: 54 wiper motor

Thank you Gary for the reply. Brad.

[Brad H.]

Re: 54 wiper motor

Thank you Peter, I will look at this. Brad.

[Guy M.]

Re: 54 wiper motor

Great thread, is there a spring in the early transmissions too or is the screw doing all the work to release and tighten?

[Peter R.]

Re: 54 wiper motor

Guy, it's been some months since working on mine, but there must be an internal spring that provides torsion to take up slack in the cables when the clutch plates are released with the screw, but I don't think there was any spring pressure holding the clutch plates together.