Windshield Wiper

strangeplant

I don't have one. It was taken out of the car before I bought it.

Several people have suggested not to drive the car in the rain, and thereby solve the problem.

But rain happens in New Jersey, regardless if you want it or not, specially in the summer. To put another one in requires a motor, arm, and wiper blades. They all have to fit together. The problem is that the area is shorter that the available 6v motors, Trico units on eBay have unknown fitment because of many styles, and VW 6v units have the stem too far from the edge to fit into the mounting hole.

What have others done? I'm willing to ignore it for now, but eventually I will need something better than a sponge attached to a piece of string pulled through the front door windows.

54coupe

It would be real helpful if we knew what year and model car you are working on.

cheyenne7271

Until you get all the parts and installation sorted out, Rain-X works great. I don’t have working wipers on my car and I do ok even in moderate rain

strangeplant

Cheyenne7271, thanks for the Rain-X tip. I'll try it out.

My car is a 1928 Hudson Sedan, steel body by Hudson. The compartment over the windshield is shallow, and the wiper hole is close to the bottom. The car came with the wiper motor location cover cut off on the left over the driver's seat, rear view mirror was attached at one time, that was gone too. Made a new sheet metal cover and mounted replacement mirror.

54coupe

My 29 has a vacuum operated wiper motor. I wasn't aware that they came with electric. Have you talked to Ficken Wiper Service? He is my go-to guy for wiper stuff.

54coupe

Have a look at mikes-affordable.com for Model A wiper motors. There may be something there that will work. They are six volt, and not a lot of money, at about $40 for the motor. They sell arms and blades too. Please let us know how you make out.

Jon B

Surely there must be one (two?) 1928 Hudson wiper motors out there, to be had!  My guess it that they might be similar enough to the wiper motors of other car makes, that you could cobble one together using bits and pieces from Brand X motors.  I assume yours would have had a vacuum, not an electric, wiper motor.

The wiper motor for Hudson is listed as "S-52" in a Trico bulletin from 1928.  That's for a closed car.  

Have you attempted to reach other '28 owners about what motor they're running in their cars?  Maybe they know of an interchange.  Maybe they have a spare to sell you.  Maybe a '29 motor fits as well.  Try the roster, to see if a fellow '28 owner lives close enough to visit (at which time you might photograph and dimension his motor).

How about this new 6-volt electric wiper motor for a '32-7 Ford?  (Don't know if it's pos. or neg. ground). https://www.macsautoparts.com/model-a-ford-electric-windshield-wiper-motor-6-volt-stainless-steel-case-replacement-type-28-21830-1.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&adpos=&scid=scplp28-21830-1&sc_intid=28-21830-1&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4JC7tfeP7wIVceW1Ch0EPwz5EAQYBCABEgL1lvD_BwE

Ficken would be the source of fresh blades, and possibly adjustable arms that might fit several 1920's auto makes.

As to Rain-X, I have found that, the more vertical the windshield, the less the rain blows off it.  Rain-X on my 1937 windshield just beads the rain into tiny little drops but they don't blow off as they would in a StepDown.  They just sit there on the windshield, dancing around.  I would assume that the same would hold true for a '28 windshield.

Geoff

Rainex is a marvel!  Both on my Essex with vertical glass and Jet with curved.   The Model A, or any other electric wiper motor will not fit  in the  space under the header          unless you cut a huge chunk out of the header itself and have the motor poking through.   The original vacuum wiper  fitted right against the  frame above the windshield   and was attached by two screws.  The replacement ones will not have the two arms, but only  a threaded centre fitting, which has a nut on  the  the post and the  shaft protrudes through the post.   The motor is fitted inverted (i.e. with the slide control at the bottom).  You will have to fill the two outer holes with screws or the wind will whistle through them.   

strangeplant

Spoke with Rob at Ficken about the Trico S-52 that was originally there. It had a bent shaft that came out through the cover with a knob for the on/off control. What made this motor unusual was the manual operation of the wiper when having low vacuum pressure, for example, when going up a hill. Those parts are unavailable unless taken from old units. I'll let you know what he finds to work with.

Old Fogey UK

I'm afraid I'm not with you on that, Geoff.
There's only one thing worse than Rainex and that's the useless stuff that Rainex make to stop windshields misting up - I can't remember its name, I threw it in the trash.
 I abandoned my vacuum wiper and put in a 6 volt wiper motor I bought on eBay; 6 years later it's still working just fine.
On my 34, it fitted into the gap behind the windshield header panel without any modification.

Geoff

Must be your British rain!  I drove 200 miles through the rain in my Jet and never used the wipers.  Rain just hits screen and beads  and blows off, leaving no distorted vision like you get with wipers.   Screen must be perfectly dry when Rainex applied, and then polished off.   Yes, on  the '34 you have a good space in the header to fit al electric wiper, but on Tom's '28 there is limited room, so the header has to be chopped.  

Old Fogey UK

It might well be the British rain, Geoff !???
Talking to local old car friends, the consensus is that it works best on the vertical windshields of 1920s cars but not so well on later slanted ones - and woe betide you if you switch the wipers on if the screen is Rainex-ed because you're blinded by the smears.
That's exactly my own experience.

Old Fogey UK

If you look at the wiring diagram in the 1934 Hudson Owners Manual, it shows an electric wiper motor not a vacuum one.
According to what Jim Digiorgio told me, Hudson's intention in 1934 was to go over to electric wipers but the bean-counting company finance men vetoed the change on the grounds of extra cost - but by the time they decided that, all the Owners Manuals had been printed !

JACK356

My 34 is well a depression

strangeplant

That's an impressive beast of a car, Jack.

Somewhere I found that the Trico motor number for my 28 sedan is S-52, and is supposed to have a little baseball bat shaped handle inside for default manual operation if the vacuum fails, as in going up hill. As far as I can tell, the splined drive shaft is the same for many years. But looking at the picture inventory of eBay wiper arms, the attachment to the blade varies, with at least three attachment styles. One is called hook and saddle, the others, I don't yet know. And they never post measurements.

So far, I haven't found a wiper arm 7-1/2 inches from pivot to end, and I think I also need a 7-1/2 inch blade for my narrow window. Looks to me that I might have to use available Model A parts here, but will they fit? Usually Ford parts never fit anything else. The upper glass edge is 2" from the pivot, and lower edge is 13-1/4". The motor must install upside down, with the curved part at top, making the vacuum inlet on the right.....and this must feed down the 'A' column to the left, and to the Stewart tank.(Huh?)

Lots of uncertainties for something that looks so simple. And I do know that I can't go to the auto parts store for answers.

Old Fogey UK

strangeplant said:

That's an impressive beast of a car, Jack.

Somewhere I found that the Trico motor number for my 28 sedan is S-52, and is supposed to have a little baseball bat shaped handle inside for default manual operation if the vacuum fails, as in going up hill. As far as I can tell, the splined drive shaft is the same for many years. But looking at the picture inventory of eBay wiper arms, the attachment to the blade varies, with at least three attachment styles. One is called hook and saddle, the others, I don't yet know. And they never post measurements.

So far, I haven't found a wiper arm 7-1/2 inches from pivot to end, and I think I also need a 7-1/2 inch blade for my narrow window. Looks to me that I might have to use available Model A parts here, but will they fit? Usually Ford parts never fit anything else. The upper glass edge is 2" from the pivot, and lower edge is 13-1/4". The motor must install upside down, with the curved part at top, making the vacuum inlet on the right.....and this must feed down the 'A' column to the left, and to the Stewart tank.(Huh?)

Lots of uncertainties for something that looks so simple. And I do know that I can't go to the auto parts store for answers.

It's easy to cut the wiper blade to fit but check the distance between the wiper arm
pivot and the top and bottom of the windshield with the wiper operating before you cut the ends.
Often the two distances are different depending on the length of your wiper arm and  depth of the windshield  - at least they are on 1934 cars.
In the UK, you can get a repro 6 or 12 volt motor with a black casing, built in switch and a driveshaft you can cut to the length you need.
They look authentic and are much more reliable than a vacuum motor.
You can probably get these in the US from the specialist suppliers but if not, have a look at Paul Beck's catalogue -
www.vintagesupplies.co.uk

Jon B

Here's a company in Taiwan that offers antique car wiper arms and blades: https://www.kstar.com.tw/products/clasic-car-wiper-blade-519.htm

I would still think that Ficken ( http://www.wiperman.com/ ) is still a good source for wiper parts.

JACK356

On the highest site is the right attachment on the arm. But there is no possibility of putting the small reminder rod as original on mine

JACK356

strangeplant

Jack, thanks for posting this. I've never seen a set-up like that before, although I've seen the main wiper arm. My window frame doesn't have the extra holes for the reminder pivot.

JACK356

For the recall axes I had only one. I've been refabricated with velo rays, even a diameter. For the rubber pass; a cut has carried the piece in an old durite. A throat has the dremel and a small hole in the middle. An absent broom; I could find one. For broom rubber;taken two new willys brooms and recovered the rubber. It's exacrement the same length.  

Old Fogey UK

strangeplant said:

Jack, thanks for posting this. I've never seen a set-up like that before, although I've seen the main wiper arm. My window frame doesn't have the extra holes for the reminder pivot.

My '34 Hudson 8 had the same wiper set up as Jack's car until I fitted an electric motor and I've kept all the parts in case a future owner wants to go back to the original.

dholck

I've got the Trico wiper catalog covering Terraplane 32 - 38 and Hudson 28 to 54, if anybody needs part numbers or diagrams.  They do not give the blow-up diagrams for Hudson until 1935.
Just part numbers for 1928 Hudson closed cars:
Motor, part # S-52
Arm, 1898-6-1/4"E [6-1/4 inch arm]
Blade, 850-8"E [8-inch blade]
Hose; 846

In 1929 the arm was longer and blade shorter.  Continuing for 1930 and on up, everything seems to be different most every year.

JACK356

Here for 34 35 with the back axes.....


http://hudsonterraplane.com/tech/1930/1930-39TricoBulletins.pdf

strangeplant

Thanks for the catalog info, dholck, however, the geometry doesn't make sense. With this arm and blade combo, the upper end of the blade will rotate on and off the window frame for most of the stroke. If the blade lifts at the top edge, then the rest of the length will not contact the glass to wipe the water away. And the bottom end of the blade is one inch from the glass edge. My conclusion is that this combo is not meant for my sedan.

I can't modify the arm unless is is an adjustable type. But I'm armed with a cutoff saw for the blade if it offends me very much.

strangeplant

This sounds like "The Wiper Blade Mysteries, Episode 28"

dholck

Well - there is a lot above to digest.  I have nothing further other than that's what Trico says was for a 1928 closed car.

strangeplant

Dholk, if I'm armed with your arm part number, where would 6 I go to find one? The Trico 1898-6-1/4E?

Geoff

Tom, I have wiper motor, in perfect working condition, that will fit your car.   Contact me if interested.
Geoff 

dholck

Strange:  I'll take that as a rhetorical question, since people who have old documentation with part numbers normally do not have parts ...I'd be offering wiper arms rather than part numbers.  If Geoff Clark can't tell you where to find a wiper arm, that far exceeds my reach.  My thought was that at least you know for sure what Trico says it was supposed to be and maybe you'll find some Ford 6-1/4" reproduction arm out there.

strangeplant

The package came from Ficken and I installed the S-52 vacuum motor with some wiggling and jiggling. It's just a very tight fit. It has a shaft with a baseball bat shaped handle for using the wiper when there isn't enough vacuum. Made holes in the cover for handle and the on-off pull arm. Wiperman included two adjustable arms and slot type (aka saddle) blades. With the 7-1/2" blades. works out perfectly. 

Because the motor goes in upside down, the vacuum tube is on the right. There isn't enough room even for the hose to wrap around, so it's now down the right hand side 'A' pillar, then snakes across under the dash to connect to the 'T' on the vacuum tank fuel pump. Took a long time to install for something so simple.

When you turn it off, the blade parks pointed to the left, just like in the pictures.

This is what it looks like, and it goes in this way with two 10-32 screws:

Bottom view: