I finally got my windshield wipers working fairly decent. About a month ago I bought a Vintique brand conversion kit and the thing wouldn't park the wipers. Sent the unit back to the manufacturer and they said nothing wrong with it, but adjusted it and and sent it back to me. Still wouldn't park. Finally they gave me my money back and I bought another brand made by York Industries. Put it on and it parks nice and works perfect on low speed. When putting it on high speed, the right side wiper stops for a moment at 12 o'clock and then proceeds to continue on it's travel. I wet the glass down good when trying them. Anyone know if the cable tensioner can be adjusted, or do I basically use them on low mostly? I have ziltch experience on the wiper drive system in the 57.
Clusterbuster,
I've got the original wipers on my 57 but I use a 57 Chevy elect wiper motor. Don't, Don't let the wipers wipe on dry glass. The tension is spring loaded. There's not much of an adjustment that I can see on it. When that wiper stops you aren't slipping the cable is getting tight in one place and loose in another. I've jumped pully's twice that way. If it jumps it'll probably be the one right there at the motor. Just take your plate off and you'll see it fastned to the other side of the plate. It's easy to fix but it's a pain in the ass. I just wait until I need the wipers all the time to use them. I run Rain-X so I wait until it's comming down pretty heavy. They are old you know.
Thanks Jim. Not sure I know what plate you are talking about. Do you mean the black rubber inspection hole cover on top or something else?
Jim, upon thinking about it a bit, I think you mean to pull the motor off and the plate behind it. Don.
Right.
I had one of the Vintique brand electric conversion motors. The economy conversion motors do not have enough power to pull the wipers back from the wrap around part of the windshield. So the sweep is shorter to offset the weaker motor. Other than that, it worked fine. I dumped the entire OEM system for aftermarket to eliminate the motor from the firewall. As far as adjustment, there is none. The idler pulleys have spring tensioners. The cables are timed and staked in the drive pulleys and transmission shaft pulleys on the cowl. The service manual has a partial page on cable R&R. All the access panels and plugs have to be removed and still challenging. About the only service item would be to make sure the cables are flexable. The cables will corrode and become stiff or take a set.
Curious Gasman of how you dumped the OEM wipers and eliminated the motor from the cowl. Never have have seen that system, or don't you have wipers?
Clusterbuster, send me a e-mail and I'll forward you pictures on how its done with Ford parts, Best done when you're building as it means cutting and welding under the dash. using 58-61 parts. Really the way ford should have done it. IMHO all the aftermarket solutions are adequate at best and anything using a cable/pulley system is a prime target for failure.
Zap- :unitedstates:
I have pictures sent to me by ''e code ragtop'' on the HAMB that cover the 58 conversion. If anyone would like to see them they can be forwarded. Not the easiest conversion but the best out there. Hard to beat OEM engineering even if they missed out on this one.
The 55 chev motor works and its been done forever [did one myself in '69] but you're still dealing with cables and pulleys. plus tri5 parts are seldom cheap.
I'd do a Lucas speedometer wiper conversion before doing the tri5, again OEM quality. Well if quality and Lucas can ever be linked together.
Zap- :unitedstates:
Zap,
As you know my car probably gets more rain on the windshield than any 57 being driven today. The cable system for windshield wipers would be comical to me if there was anything funny about it. But there isn't. I found out that limited use of the system is best and if you'll just buy a little orange bottle of rainX and apply it as recommended, you'll not even need wipers 99.9% of the time. I've driven in some mighty strong rains without needing wipers. The windshield of a 57 isn't like a new car, you've got a limited space that the windshield wipers actually move in to begin with. Now, if I parked it outside in snow and ice and depended on it to get to work every morning I'd put more relivance in having a modern day wiper system. Just my take. And, if I'd known what I do now when my car was going through restoration and my dash was out, I'd revamp it in a heartbeat. Damned old cable system. Jim
Jim, you're absolutely right the time to do it is when its torn down and the dash and windshield are out. Any other time would be bordering on self abuse.
Zap- :unitedstates:
Quote from: Zapato on 2013-01-17 15:18
I have pictures sent to me by ''e code ragtop'' on the HAMB that cover the 58 conversion.
My Ranchero is actually a '58, so what did he use for a wiper motor once the '57 is converted to a '58 system?
I hope it's something cheap & easy to get. My '71 Bronco wiper motor burned up somehow & I took it out. Whenever I get around to it I want to see if it can be adapted to the 58. The 58s vacum one is about shot.
Tom, you need a 59 thru 61 electric motor, 59 was an option so its really 60-1 where you should focus on. shaft will need shortening a bit. send me an e-mail address and I'll forward the pictures. I believe that I have a 58 motor [not 100% sure] that you can have for postage. Came out of the car that supplied me the needed 58 hardware. I for sure will ever use it can only guess if its good.
Zap- :unitedstates:
Here is a shot of the 60 motor in my Wagon. Used a spacer, longer screw and a short sleve to bush the mounting hole on the 60s mount. Used the stck 57 control cable from under the dash, just routed it out a different hole in the firewall.
This time around, I am changing out the entire system and using Speciality Power Windows (SPW) wiper kit. With new transmissions, cable in tube drives, and adjustable swipe motor, this system is very smooth and quiet. A add-on intermittent upgrade is also available. I have mocked up the kit only...no windshield. I have no more water diverters, no cables and pulleys, no access panels in the firewall, and no wiper motor hanging on the firewall. All access is through the fresh air intake panel and under the dash. Unfortunately, it does require modification to the car. I would not recommend attempting an installation on a finished '57 Ford.
ssince i have lots of time, nothing to do, i like using rain x, even though i changed my wiper motor system to a newer aftermarket, the car never gets driven in winter, has only seen rain once since i owned it, stays in the garage winter and summer, covered, only thing i have to wash r the white walls, could have left the orig vacumn system in, but it probly was one of those times i had time to kill, just like now, wish i had something more constructive to add, jerry
Quote from: JimNolan on 2013-01-17 15:53
Zap,
As you know my car probably gets more rain on the windshield than any 57 being driven today....
mine ie probably a close second :001:. I have been folowing this thread closely. I too have rain-x my windshield.
Has anyone looked at the late 80s or 90s ford mini-van? they sweep like the 57s. But I haven't looked into the
linkage and/ or motor setup.
I am curious how Gasman converted the two wiper transmissions on his Specialty Power Windows Wiper Kit. I could not get them to fit in the cowl space. Because the 57's rest position is pointing to the center, one of the transmissions has to be upside down from the other. I finally just used one of the transmissions and mounted it in the center with linkage going out to each of the wipers. So I have one transmission driving both wipers. I would prefer to use both transmissions as it was designed. Do you have any pictures that you could share? I know that it is in an area that is hard to get at for picture taking.
I am using the specialty wipers also.My car is still under construction. We have had installed but because we doing other things to the car. W e have taken it back out. I have been using this same system on my 36 Ford 3w coupe for about 16 years and it works good. Gasman is right. Its better to install wile you are building.
The SPW system to me is really not much different from the Lucas system. So it probably works better than some others and allows the motor and gearbox to be mounted away from the masts simplifying things under the dash.
And as has been stated most of these improvements are better [easier] done during construction and with the dash out. For many different reasons.
Zap- :unitedstates:
Doing it for the first time, I tried straddling the fence and not do anything that I couldn't undo. I got pretty frustrated and finally jumped in with both feed. There is barely room for the SPW transmissions to fit between the inner cowl and the outer cowl. I finally had to go ahead and drill out the OEM transmissions like the directions said. I also trimmed the SPW boxes as much as possible to get them to fit without cutting or bulging the inner cowl. Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures during mock-up of the transmissions. I will take pictures when I do finally assembly which I am getting very anxious to start. This system is very flexible. For early cars with no under dash space, one can get optional kit accessories to put the wiper gear box motor in the trunk! If you squint your eyes at the picture, my location for the wiper motor may infringe on the OEM glove box space and I had to cut a little access space out to allow for installation of the transmission cable to the transmission box on the left side. I will take some pictures of the firewall. NO HOLES!!! It is all smoothed and there will be an injector stack right where the windshield wiper motor used to be.
The wiper motors in these conversion kits are just boat wiper motors. Mine was about $75. 2 speed
110 degree sweep, self park left or right. Just had to make my own mounting bracket.
Quote from: Ford Blue blood on 2013-01-18 08:08
Here is a shot of the 60 motor in my Wagon. Used a spacer, longer screw and a short sleve to bush the mounting hole on the 60s mount. Used the stck 57 control cable from under the dash, just routed it out a different hole in the firewall.
Great picture of the '60 wiper motor conversion. I think the '58-'61 or the '57 Chevy wiper motor conversions are the cleanest and quickest conversion out there. I would have went this way except for the injector stack thing.
Did mention injector stacks before????? May need to add a breathalyzer on the login page!
Guys:
Over the years I've heard a lot about the electric windshield wiper motor conversions, both positive and negative. I've had the one offered by Concours Parts on my 57 since putting it on the road after its first rebuild in 2004. It is the two speed version and I've never had any problems or difficulties with it. I consider it one of the better upgrades I've done on 57 AGIN. The only negative goes back to the fact that the modern wiper systems have the blades working in tandem with each other, both going to the left together and to the right together. This seems to give a much wider field of view than does the old style having come on our 57's.
Through out this post there have also been numerous references to using Rain X on the windshields. It is a great product, but if you plan on taking your 57 and running it on the drag strip, it causes a problem. Not because it makes the windshield slicker and the car go faster. But, when the track officials try to put your class and competition numbers on the glass, the shoe polish used just won't work very well. No really big deal, but something to add to your field of knowledge. lol
Bob
57 AGIN
Here are some shots of what is needed to use the 58 linkage arms, bezels,and inner cowl section. You also need to modify the defrost duct to put the motor under the dash. I have decided to cut my losses with this rust bucket body, in favor of a cleaner Nevada body.When I install the cowl piece I'll post pics. Mark
Finally some pics...thanks for posting those Mark. As often as we've talked about that conversion, I don't think anyone has ever posted pics of it before.
Quote from: Zapato on 2013-01-17 23:37
Tom, you need a 59 thru 61 electric motor, 59 was an option so its really 60-1 where you should focus on. shaft will need shortening a bit. send me an e-mail address and I'll forward the pictures. I believe that I have a 58 motor [not 100% sure] that you can have for postage.
I should probably take you up on that 58 motor. At least I'd have a spare to look over & see how it works & about rebuilding it if doesn't work any better than mine. But I'm still thinkin' about it. (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y146/TomIII/smilies/shog.gif) There is a very good chance that I have another 1 or 2 vacuum wiper motors buried in my tons of junk.
That 71 Bronco wiper motor I mentioned goes round & round not back & forth but I still may see if I can adapt it since it's fairly compact. I can get a new one for ~$50 to $75. Those 59 to 61 electric ones seem pretty scarce & or pretty spendy & the aftermarket kits are even more spendy.
In fact, I can't find a 59-61 wiper motor on line right now.
Almost forgot! Is there some reason you can't post those pix on this board?
I'm sorry my memory is getting so bad but I don't remember my last 57 (1971) having vacuum wipers, where they all vacuum? My present Ranchero has electric, looks stock, no mods that I can see. It has one wire and the cable actuates the off/low/high..
Yup...all were vacumn from the factory
Quote from: RICH MUISE on 2013-01-22 18:20
Yup...all were vacumn from the factory
Thanks Rich. I was only able to recall my 54 Chevy and how I hated them, don't recall hating the Ford, I guess they worked ok. I sure wish I had taken more pictures back in those days..