underdash wiper motor

[rmk57]

  Anybody tried to mount an electric wiper motor underdash? My 58 Edsel was a breeze, but looking under the dash under my 57
all the defrost ducting is in the way. I have a  spare set of linkage arms from a 1958 Edsel to replace the cable system but I can't see
where it would mount to.

[JPotter57]

I am getting ready to do this to mine,  I have the cowl tank assembly cut from a `58 Ford which uses arms.  There is a recess made into it for the motor, and I will be grafting it into the `57 tank.  I have never been able to keep the pulleys from freezing up on the cable assemblies, and usually, it is the driver side that quits.  The arms will cure that methinks.  You will need the defroster duct from either an Edsel or a `58,which is split for the wiper motor.  I live on the Gulf Coast, where it doesnt really get that cold, and if there is frost, I probably wont drive the car anyway.  My car was everything delete anyway, and I dont plan on adding any of that stuff to it.  I will take some pics when I get the dash out to do the swap.  I was planning on doing it this week sometime.
Another plus is that it will clean up the firewall.  My last `57 had a 351W with tall valve covers, and I used the Newport Engineering wiper motor.  To take off the driver side valve cover, you first had to remove the wiper motor and move it out of the way.  Not cool...  Just one less unsightly item in the engine bay...

[rmk57]

   I don't want to start grafting different cowl tanks at this point. I was looking for an easier solution, doesn't look like there is.
The defrost ducting on my Edsel was made out of cardboard like material and very fragile being 50 years old. I think I'll mount it
on the firewall like everyone else. I would'nt mind seeing the photo's of it when your done anyway.

            Thanks Randy

[JPotter57]

The main reason for the graft, is that the motor mounts in a depression in the cowl tank.  If you could just cut a hole and bolt it up, that would be great, as the depression is only about 7 inches long and 3.5 inches wide.  But, to mount the arms without a lot of mods, and reverse engineering, I will just use what Henry's boys designed a year  later.  And it is a much cleaner look.  I think Hoosier Hurricane bought a kit and converted his cable wipers to arms, using the stock motor location....

[Hoosier Hurricane]

James:

I didn't use a kit, I made my own.  Real nightmare, and the end result is less than ideal.  Used a '59 motor.  Wouldn't do it that way again.  Didn't know about the '58s having arms, or I would probably have gone that way.

John

[rmk57]

  I have the arms and the bracket that the arms attach to I'm just not prepared to start cutting up my cowl tank.
Also, I've heard that a 1957 chevy wiper motor is a bolt in,is this true?

[BAMA_57]

Mine had the '57 chevy wiper motor on it when I bought it. It is electric but still uses the cable system. I was told it was a direct bolt-up.
Ron

[bagboy]

I have my 55chev wiper motor bolted up to my 57RW [ford]. Works fine , you can lube the cable ass.I did that when I had the heater box out .

[smurfee]

  The 55-56-& 57 wiper motors will bolt right up & you can use the original cable to operate it & it will be variable speed, SMURFEE 

[BAMA_57]

bagboy, What did you use to lube the cables?

[KULTULZ]

I would suggest LUBRIPLATE (white grease).