Care and Feeding of Trico Vacuum Wipers
 

I have a chrome Trico vacuum windshield wiper in my 31 Victoria. Is there general maintenance that a person should do with these vacuum wipers? In other words, lubrication, cleaning, all that sort of thing.

Re: Care and Feeding of Trico Vacuum Wipers
 

I have seen a page showing how to lube a wiper motor. It shows sucking lube by moving the arm with the vacuum hose in some light oil. Best way to keep your motor happy is use it at least a few swipes whenever you're driving the car.

Re: Care and Feeding of Trico Vacuum Wipers
 

If the vacuum motors sit for a long while they can become gummed up and corroded. The only solution is to take them apart and rebuild them with new gaskets. If they are still working, spray a light oil or 3-in-one oil where the air goes into the motor and do that while they are operating. Do not use WD-40 as it will evaporate over time.

Re: Care and Feeding of Trico Vacuum Wipers
 

Maybe I am dense, but how do you spray a light oil into the unit when it is operating?

Re: Care and Feeding of Trico Vacuum Wipers
 

take the hose loose and work the motor by hand while adding the lube.

Re: Care and Feeding of Trico Vacuum Wipers
 

Add lube exactly where?

Re: Care and Feeding of Trico Vacuum Wipers
 

i put a few drops of fine oil into the vacuum tube connector and the manually moved the wiper back and forth...

Re: Care and Feeding of Trico Vacuum Wipers
 

I forget where the air inlet is. Here is a good article on how to lubricate the motor using a hose: http://modelabasics.com/wiper.htm.

Paul Shinn may have made a video about the motor.

Any excess oil remaining in the motor will be sucked out by the vacuum when operating.

Re: Care and Feeding of Trico Vacuum Wipers
 

Don't need any fancy modern "up to date" windshield wipers. I'll stick with the hand operated one, works every time, variable speed too.

Re: Care and Feeding of Trico Vacuum Wipers
 

Variable speed and intermittent as needed!!!

Re: Care and Feeding of Trico Vacuum Wipers
 

The hand wipers were generally only supplied with the light commercial pickups and trucks. Most other cars came with either electric or vacuum wiper motors depending on year of manufacture.

When the on/off valve is placed in the ON function, the vacuum is introduced to the shuttle valve chamber. Two of the ports are already open to allow vacuum to draw the paddle off the park chamber and start the oscillating function. Just before the paddle reaches the opposite side, the shuttle valve rocks over to close off one port and open the opposite port to start the paddle back the other way and so on. When the valve is placed in the OFF position, then the vacuum is stopped to the shuttle chamber and the port is opened to the park chamber which allows the paddle to be drawn back to park position and hopefully seal off on the park seal, that is a part of the paddle, to stop the vacuum draw from the engine.

A lot of folks lube the paddle & chamber with vaseline and then use light oil or even brake fluid. The shaft and oscillating components can then be lubed prior to reassembly when they have it all apart. Some folks use ATF or brake fluid as a lubricant if going the service method route. It's up to the owner on what they want to use but I prefer ATF myself.

Re: Care and Feeding of Trico Vacuum Wipers
 

I was told by the person that I bought mine from to smear a light coat of Vaseline on the bottom bowl surface every few years or when needed.

Regards
Bill

Re: Care and Feeding of Trico Vacuum Wipers
 

My wiper was not working, so I followed the lubrication advice and it is moving now. My question is: Is the wiper suposed to continuously move? I am having to push the rod in to move it one way, and pull to move it back. Is that the way it is designed?

Re: Care and Feeding of Trico Vacuum Wipers
 

There is a pneumatic switch that flips back and forth to change the direction of movement. It may just need a little oil. Look at the exploded drawings of the vacuum motor.

Re: Care and Feeding of Trico Vacuum Wipers
 

Yes, the wiper will continuously move.

Re: Care and Feeding of Trico Vacuum Wipers
 

The shuttle valve controls the wiper's constant reversing motions. When the unit is turned off, it should be drawn to the park position.

Re: Care and Feeding of Trico Vacuum Wipers
 

I use a little smear of NAPA "Sil-Glyde". A silicone grease. Doesn't run, gum or melt.