Wiper motor alignment?

[Jpalatinus]

SO I replaced the windshield wiper motor, (car had been in flood and motor was dead) over course of a full restoration. I just put the wiper arms on and the wipers stop in a neutral position in the middle of the windshield. I notice when I toggle the wiper switch the wipers first go down (towards the front of the car) just a touch before they go up, so if I remove the arms and reposition them with a neutral position at the base of the windshield they will flop down under the hood. I believe this must have something to do with the position of the wiper linkage under the dash at the time I installed the wiper motor? I reviewed the work shop manual but this is not super helpful other than install the same way as removed. As anyone replaced the motor and found that the linkage needs to be in a particular position at the time of replacement?
thanks

Joe P.
883
6808
17167

[dn010]

I am not sure about the cable system and all that, but what could be happening is the wiper arms themselves are stripped out and are moving on the wiper arm post especially if you're testing this on a dry windshield. You can try to tighten them down with the nut but if you go too tight the system will not move at all as it will be pinched.

Two tests:
Easy: By hand and with the system/car off, try to move the wiper arm up or down the windshield with a reasonable amount of force and see if they'll move. If they're solid - good to go. If they move - stripped.

Involved: Get the wipers in the stop (off position), loosen the nuts, position them where they belong on the windshield, tighten the nut and then draw a line with something from the arm up to the nut. If your mark is different from the nut and arm after you operate the wipers, they're stripped and you'll need new arms.

Edit: Also, when they go under the hood in the stop position, why not just reposition them to where they belong and see what you get (provided they are not stripped out)?

[Josh]

I have done this before. You have clocked the wiper motor on the other side of the linkage wrong. there is no clocking you can install the wiper arms that will rectify this.
Ill try to dig up a picture of the correct clocking at the motor.

[Jpalatinus]

I should have mentioned i replaced the wiper arms as well. If I adjust the wiper arm lower on the windshield they go into the bonnet. The first "swipe" of the wiper arm is always down instead of up. But if I position the wipers in the middle of the windshield they work normally aside from always comming back to the middle of the windshield when off. I would think the wipers have a way of getting back to the neutral position somehow.
I read on some general automotive blogs that if the wiper motor is replaced and not I. The neutral position it will do this, I actually tried putting the wipers in the appropriate position, disconnecting the motor from the arms and letting it run and reattaching the motor but this too failed to correct the problem. I keep thinking attaching the spindle to the motor in a different position might fix it but have no idea what position that would be.

[Jpalatinus]

I have done this before. You have clocked the wiper motor on the other side of the linkage wrong. there is no clocking you can install the wiper arms that will rectify this.
Ill try to dig up a picture of the correct clocking at the motor.

Thank you! yes please if you have an idea I would greatly appreciate it.

[dn010]

Now that makes it clear what the problem is. Josh has the fix for you.



I should have mentioned i replaced the wiper arms as well. If I adjust the wiper arm lower on the windshield they go into the bonnet. The first "swipe" of the wiper arm is always down instead of up. But if I position the wipers in the middle of the windshield they work normally aside from always comming back to the middle of the windshield when off. I would think the wipers have a way of getting back to the neutral position somehow.
I read on some general automotive blogs that if the wiper motor is replaced and not I. The neutral position it will do this, I actually tried putting the wipers in the appropriate position, disconnecting the motor from the arms and letting it run and reattaching the motor but this too failed to correct the problem. I keep thinking attaching the spindle to the motor in a different position might fix it but have no idea what position that would be.