Wiper Problem

[Oren09]

I'm having a bad issue with my driver's side windshield wiper.

When the wipers are running, the driver's side one will go to far to the edge of the window and will eventually wrap around the A pillar and get stuck.
When I release the wiper, it only goes halfway down the windshield.

If I push the wiper all the way down manually, it will work normally for a minute or so then gradually work it's way farther out again.

The base where the arm mounts is very loose and the cowl metal appears to be cracked.

Would the bad mount cause this issue? And if so, how can it be fixed?

[Prafeston]

Mine does this too. It gets worse the faster I'm going and when the car is off I can wiggle the wipers up and down way too much. I'd like to find a fix as well!

[GenevaDirt]

I'm having a bad issue with my driver's side windshield wiper.

When the wipers are running, the driver's side one will go to far to the edge of the window and will eventually wrap around the A pillar and get stuck.
When I release the wiper, it only goes halfway down the windshield.

If I push the wiper all the way down manually, it will work normally for a minute or so then gradually work it's way farther out again.

The base where the arm mounts is very loose and the cowl metal appears to be cracked.

Would the bad mount cause this issue? And if so, how can it be fixed?

Mine does this too. It gets worse the faster I'm going and when the car is off I can wiggle the wipers up and down way too much. I'd like to find a fix as well!

sorry to say it guys....time to get rid of the cars....let me know when is good for you and I will be by to pick them up.

[Oren09]

I'm not scrapping my car for a bad wiper mount.

Mine was also affected by speed, but now it does it no matter what.

[Bert]

GenevaDirt is just joshing you guys, but it does sound like time to get new gears and/or linkage.
Wiper assemblies do come apart (hey, they are Festys!) and first off directly under each wiper arm is a plastic cover and then a fastening nut that needs to be removed. I've managed to break or strip every one that I ever tried to get loose from parts cars in Ontario so all I can say is best of luck. The wiper motor and an access cover to the linkages are on the firewall. Sock the penetrating oil to this stuff before you start, and get assembly knowledge and intact replacement parts in advance of dismantling your own car.

And for the benefit of other almost-classic old car owners facing the same dilemma, take lots of pictures.

[scitzz]

sorry to say it guys....time to get rid of the cars....let me know when is good for you and I will be by to pick them up.

I ain't saying a thing, since I messed up your last purchase

[georgeb]

The splines on the arms might be stripped. Also the large nut under the arms comes loose sometimes.

[FestYboy]

^ tighten the nut at the base of the arm, it's loose.

[Oren09]

The nuts that hold the arms on were tight. And I couldn't get any wrenches on the large nut on the base, but it felt tight.

Here are some pictures of the driver's side base:



There are cracks around the holes and at the top of the base hole. (sorry about the lack of technical terms)


Here's a video showing the movement of the base:

[TominMO]

These cars are too old and need fixing all the time. Plus they're no fun to drive. Next October: Smartcar Madness 1!

[denguy]

The body metal down in the cowl that the arm mounts on is stretched thin and mine rusted through allowing the drivers side arm to break loose and flop around. I cut a 6"x5" access hole in the firewall at that point. I went in and bolted a fresh piece of metal to a solid part of the inner cowl and re-mounted the arm mechanism to it. Back in business.

[Prafeston]

Pics! I might be in the same boat. I need to have a better look at it.

[denguy]

I have a pic looking down into the cowl hole around the arm but I don't know how to put it on here. I could email it to you.

[gtalbot]

Mine just let go all the way the other day. The whole drivers side ripped apart and the linkage fell down under the cowl... If you come up with a way to fix it, take some pictures...

[crazyrog17]

I took out the windshield wiper motor from the firewall to gain access to the bottom of the driver's side wiper pivot. I then sandwiched the broken metal with two 1/8" thick pieces of aluminum. I drilled a big hole in each piece and put one on the bottom of the stock cowl and one on top once it was poking through. They're squeezed together by the big nut on the top and then the wiper can be reattached.

It still moves some and never parks in the same position, it even moves up the windshield at speeds but hasn't bothered me enough to go back in and fix it. I think using some epoxy on the aluminum in the first place, before they're sandwiched to the broken cowl would keep it all in place so it has no chance to slide back and forth when the wipers are going. I also thought of drilling a hole through the three pieces (aluminum/stock cowl/aluminum) and installing a machine screw and nylock nut.