VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 '32 Wiper question

No adhesive necessary. Making gasket is a bit tricky without razor blade or Exacto knife. The slicker types of paper are better as they tend to seal a bit better than the rougher types. A small vacuum leak affects performance.

what about using karropak ??
i get most of my gasket materials from Fel Pro
various materials, various thicknesses

The thickness of the gasket can raise the lid. The paddle needs to seal effectively so too thick gasket can reduce motor power.

I have found that a good pair of cuticle scissors work great for cutting out the gaskets.

Of course you have to do it in the dark so the little woman can't see you using her tools.

Dick

Not really. The scissors came from my grandmother and it adds that little extra satisfaction when using them. Gram drove all over N.H. in the 30's and boosted that her Chevrolet's never left her beside the road. Whenever I visited she always asked what I was driving and until 1980 the answer was a Chevrolet. I purchased a Honda that year. I don't think she approved .

So in these pics, exactly where should I put that ATF?

The ATF is put into the vacuum line to be sucked into the motor to soften the hardened grease inside. With the motor disassembled it can be cleaned and the hardened grease removed. The paddle which is attached to the shaft also needs to be cleaned and softened. Other members may have suggestions for the cleaning and lubricating. I used WD-40 for cleaning and had a leather softener. Not sure of the brand but it was made for baseball gloves and something I had on hand so I used it.. I think Neatsfoot oil is what most would recommend.

Steve,
Do you take the paddle apart or just try to soften the leather that is visible on the sides?

It is best to replace the paddle. Some repair kits contain new paddles (part number A-17500-K from Snyder's Antique Auto Parts https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/...-REPAIR-KIT?fromCategory=SearchByKeyword
is an example). If not replacing then check to determine what is the flexible seal on the paddle. Many are not leather but a rubber type material. Inspect to see if any tares, cracks or excessive wear. If okay then clean well and re-lubricate. If leather then using a low viscosity oil particularly one meant for leather can help. The better the seal the more power from the motor.

As Chipper posted a new paddle would be best however if you decide to re-use your old one I would not take it apart.

Thanks guys, I ordered the kit from Snyder's

yeah on mine had to drill out hte rivets to take the paddle a part
the new kit has hardware to put it back together. also got my kit from Snyders.

I have used wiper parts from Snyder's for the past 40 years. They don't have a lot of parts that fit Chevys but enough to get some of my frogskins.

Well, so I got my kit from Snyders and went through, cleaned up the wiper motor and reinstalled all of the parts. I'm 99% sure I've got it all back together as it's supposed to be. However, when I pull the on/off button I hear some air, but no action in the wiper. I don't know where to go from here, what could be my problems? When I press the on/off switch back to the off position I no longer hear the suction. Is it possible that I'm not getting enough suction to move the wiper?

Could you connect it to a source of vacuum on a more modern car or make an adapter so you can test with a central vacuum system? It would be ideal to find a good strong source of vacuum to test so you can rule out low engine vacuum/plugged vacuum hose contributing to your issue.
I also wonder if the fresh paddle might be stiff in the beginning so might need extra vacuum to wear mate the parts a bit?

Hi Tim,
Definitely the new paddle is a little stiffer, I can move it fairly easy with a pair of pliers, but with my fingers it takes a little more to work the mechanism. Is there a way to measure the vacuum? Not sure how to rig something up to pull the vacuum.

A vacuum gauge available at auto parts stores for <$20 would give you a good idea. 20ish inches is about ideal and a normal running engine you will see 18-22 at idle if all is well. Just connect it to the intake manifold directly on your car and then do the same to the hose inside the car to see if they are the same. Anything lower and the wiper will struggle. see youtube for using a vacuum gauge.

If you have a good vacuum cleaner or central vac, you can buy a $2 drain stopper, and plug the vacuum hose end and drill a hole for for vacuum hose to test the unit. Central vacs are 60+ inches so should overcome any resistance of the new paddle. You might need an additional 1/4" hole in the stopper to let the vacuum cleaner breathe a bit and bleed off some of the high vacuum.

a more modern car you can simply find a vacuum hose connected to the intake manifold and adapt to make it connect to your wiper motor.

If you hear vacuum leaking check the valve parts. Also check the part that flips when the wiper reaches the end of a sweep. When the wiper is operating properly you should not hear vacuum leaking just the clicks when the motor reaches the end of a stroke and starts back the other way. Some motors with wear on parts can have a quick should if the parts don't all fit completely.

i tested mine with a vacuum cleaner and baster i rigged up, worked great, I could NOT turn the rod by hand, had to use the wiper arm to turn it, also i lined the inside with a nice coat of grease as well as the paddle, put a good layer of grease on the paddle. grease helps to seal it up !!

posted a video of mine testing with the vacuum cleaner in my posting earlier (linked to my rebuild)

testing vacuum is best done with a vacuum gauge, bought mine via amazon :) posted the numbers i got on my 5 gal and 14 gal