The Ford Barn

Colonel Biggs · 09-27-2015, 06:14 PM

I have two Trico wiper motors that I am rebuilding, and both once worked a few years ago. (These are not the early motors, which used two screws to fasten the cover of the reversing lever assembly to the body.) I have used 400-grit paper on the air chambers, and I have blown out the air passages.

I have oiled the paddles and used Vaseline in the air chambers. There does not appear to be excessive resistance when I move the paddles back and forth manually. When I apply engine vacuum to the motors, I do not detect any hissing (leaks), but I don't get any movement of the paddles. Is there a way in which one can isolate whether the paddles are at fault? (Bratton's tells me that they no longer have a supplier for the paddle rebuild kits.)

Gordon

Mitch//pa · 09-27-2015, 07:39 PM

Colonel
give fickens a call,,, its worth a shot
http://www.wiperman.com

Colonel Biggs · 09-27-2015, 08:10 PM

Thanks for the lead, Mitch. I am going to try my best at rebuilding them myself, but if that fails, I at least have place to which to turn.

I like the web site, and I have been told that about 95% of all wiper motor problems are due to faulty paddles.

Col. Biggs

Mitch//pa · 09-27-2015, 08:14 PM

your welcome Col.
maybe he can help you out with some rebuild parts

KGBnut · 09-27-2015, 08:32 PM

I agree with Mitch, if you can't get it going yourself, Ficken is the place to go. Great work, and I got a pretty fast turn around time.

Ken

BRENT in 10-uh-C · 09-27-2015, 09:25 PM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Mitch//pa

your welcome Col.
maybe he can help you out with some rebuild parts

The last I heard, they did/would not sell parts only.

Colonel Biggs · 09-27-2015, 09:39 PM

Hello, Brent!

Their site says that they do not sell parts. I might have to ask that if I wish to keep my parts for spares (except for the paddles), whether they would accept that.

My best to your dad, whom I have not seen in some time now.

Le Colonel

Tom Wesenberg · 09-27-2015, 11:18 PM

I haven't worked on a vacuum wiper in many years, but doesn't they have a piece of leather riveted between two metal plates?
If the leather is worn out, you should be able to grind out the rivets and cut a new piece of leather, and rivet it in.

Mike V. Florida · 09-27-2015, 11:36 PM

Wiper exploded view;

tbirdtbird · 09-27-2015, 11:45 PM

Mike's diagram says to use sewing machine oil

i use vacuum pump oil

Tom Wesenberg · 09-27-2015, 11:56 PM

I agree that a liquid oil would be much better than Vaseline. I think I used ATF many years ago on my 1950 Studebaker wiper.
DO NOT use WD-40, as it can do damage to pot metal parts.

andyfresno · 09-28-2015, 01:42 AM

You should be able to manually rotate the shaft and feel the air flow out of the port. If you don't feel a pretty good air flow when you rotate the shaft, you've probably got a bad wiper.

Mike V. Florida · 09-28-2015, 02:28 AM

Here is some more info;

Lubricating wiper

RJ · 09-28-2015, 07:21 AM

Hi, I had a similar experience rebuilding my wipers. Called Flicken and they were very helpful. Person I spoke with told me to look for wipers with a serial number after 1936 I think . It might be later , the later the better. I was told the early one,s the casting actual warps and they cant be rebuilt.

Bob Bidonde · 09-28-2015, 09:28 AM

Having rebuilt several Trico motors, I can tell you that the paddle should be a very snug fit inside the motor's lower body.

Also wipe a thin film of grease on the sliding parts of the ON-OFF valve.

Lithium grease or a synthetic grease works well. Liquids or greases that revert to liquids are poor choices because the liquid will be sucked into the engine in a short time.

Be especially careful when placing new gaskets between the upper & lower bodies. These gaskets are fragile and must not leak.

Another problem that often arises is the wiper stops at one end of its stroke. There is a round seal on the paddle and this must seal tightly against the upper motor body to cause a reverse movement of the wiper.

Colonel Biggs · 09-28-2015, 12:51 PM

Many good thoughts, for which I thank you all. I especially like the lubrication info (brake fluid would not be my choice!), and the parts diagram.

Is it possible to learn anything, if I were to attach a hand-operated vacuum pump to the inlet nozzle? Should it hold the vacuum, and then release it when the paddle is turned in a particular direction? In other words, can the pump duplicate engine vacuum for testing purposes?

The top of the paddle (installed) fits into the small recess in the upper plate. Is it possible that I don't have a good seal there? Maybe I could place some powder in the recess cavity to see if contact is being made.

Again, my thanks for your inputs.

09-27-2015, 06:14 PM	#1
Colonel Biggs Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Madison, NJ Posts: 156	Rebuilding Vacuum Windshield Wipers I have two Trico wiper motors that I am rebuilding, and both once worked a few years ago. (These are not the early motors, which used two screws to fasten the cover of the reversing lever assembly to the body.) I have used 400-grit paper on the air chambers, and I have blown out the air passages. I have oiled the paddles and used Vaseline in the air chambers. There does not appear to be excessive resistance when I move the paddles back and forth manually. When I apply engine vacuum to the motors, I do not detect any hissing (leaks), but I don't get any movement of the paddles. Is there a way in which one can isolate whether the paddles are at fault? (Bratton's tells me that they no longer have a supplier for the paddle rebuild kits.) Gordon

09-27-2015, 07:39 PM	#2
Mitch//pa BANNED Join Date: May 2010 Location: Bucks County, PA Posts: 11,454	Re: Rebuilding Vacuum Windshield Wipers Colonel give fickens a call,,, its worth a shot http://www.wiperman.com

09-27-2015, 08:10 PM	#3
Colonel Biggs Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Madison, NJ Posts: 156	Rebuilding Vacuum Windshield Wipers Thanks for the lead, Mitch. I am going to try my best at rebuilding them myself, but if that fails, I at least have place to which to turn. I like the web site, and I have been told that about 95% of all wiper motor problems are due to faulty paddles. Col. Biggs

09-27-2015, 08:14 PM	#4
Mitch//pa BANNED Join Date: May 2010 Location: Bucks County, PA Posts: 11,454	Re: Rebuilding Vacuum Windshield Wipers your welcome Col. maybe he can help you out with some rebuild parts

09-27-2015, 08:32 PM	#5
KGBnut Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Southwestern Connecticut Posts: 931	Re: Rebuilding Vacuum Windshield Wipers I agree with Mitch, if you can't get it going yourself, Ficken is the place to go. Great work, and I got a pretty fast turn around time. Ken __________________ Style beats speed any day, and with a lot fewer tickets.

09-27-2015, 09:39 PM	#7
Colonel Biggs Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Madison, NJ Posts: 156	Re: Rebuilding Vacuum Windshield Wipers Hello, Brent! Their site says that they do not sell parts. I might have to ask that if I wish to keep my parts for spares (except for the paddles), whether they would accept that. My best to your dad, whom I have not seen in some time now. Le Colonel

09-27-2015, 11:18 PM	#8
Tom Wesenberg Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mpls, MN Posts: 27,582	Re: Rebuilding Vacuum Windshield Wipers I haven't worked on a vacuum wiper in many years, but doesn't they have a piece of leather riveted between two metal plates? If the leather is worn out, you should be able to grind out the rivets and cut a new piece of leather, and rivet it in.

09-27-2015, 11:45 PM	#10
tbirdtbird BANNED Join Date: May 2012 Location: inside your RAM Posts: 3,134	Re: Rebuilding Vacuum Windshield Wipers Mike's diagram says to use sewing machine oil i use vacuum pump oil __________________ '31 180A

09-27-2015, 11:56 PM	#11
Tom Wesenberg Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mpls, MN Posts: 27,582	Re: Rebuilding Vacuum Windshield Wipers I agree that a liquid oil would be much better than Vaseline. I think I used ATF many years ago on my 1950 Studebaker wiper. DO NOT use WD-40, as it can do damage to pot metal parts.

09-28-2015, 01:42 AM	#12
andyfresno Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 39	Re: Rebuilding Vacuum Windshield Wipers You should be able to manually rotate the shaft and feel the air flow out of the port. If you don't feel a pretty good air flow when you rotate the shaft, you've probably got a bad wiper.

09-28-2015, 02:28 AM	#13
Mike V. Florida Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: South Florida Posts: 14,054	Re: Rebuilding Vacuum Windshield Wipers Here is some more info; Lubricating wiper __________________ What's right about America is that although we have a mess of problems, we have great capacity - intellect and resources - to do some thing about them. - Henry Ford II

09-28-2015, 07:21 AM	#14
RJ Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 61	Re: Rebuilding Vacuum Windshield Wipers Hi, I had a similar experience rebuilding my wipers. Called Flicken and they were very helpful. Person I spoke with told me to look for wipers with a serial number after 1936 I think . It might be later , the later the better. I was told the early one,s the casting actual warps and they cant be rebuilt.

09-28-2015, 09:28 AM	#15
Bob Bidonde Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 3,472	Re: Rebuilding Vacuum Windshield Wipers Having rebuilt several Trico motors, I can tell you that the paddle should be a very snug fit inside the motor's lower body. Also wipe a thin film of grease on the sliding parts of the ON-OFF valve. Lithium grease or a synthetic grease works well. Liquids or greases that revert to liquids are poor choices because the liquid will be sucked into the engine in a short time. Be especially careful when placing new gaskets between the upper & lower bodies. These gaskets are fragile and must not leak. Another problem that often arises is the wiper stops at one end of its stroke. There is a round seal on the paddle and this must seal tightly against the upper motor body to cause a reverse movement of the wiper. __________________ Bob Bidonde

09-28-2015, 12:51 PM	#16
Colonel Biggs Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Madison, NJ Posts: 156	Rebuilding Vacuum Windshield Wipers Many good thoughts, for which I thank you all. I especially like the lubrication info (brake fluid would not be my choice!), and the parts diagram. Is it possible to learn anything, if I were to attach a hand-operated vacuum pump to the inlet nozzle? Should it hold the vacuum, and then release it when the paddle is turned in a particular direction? In other words, can the pump duplicate engine vacuum for testing purposes? The top of the paddle (installed) fits into the small recess in the upper plate. Is it possible that I don't have a good seal there? Maybe I could place some powder in the recess cavity to see if contact is being made. Again, my thanks for your inputs.