Wiper Linkage installation Trouble

[Som1else]

So I finished my repaint and decided to put the wiper assembly back into the car. It has been one of the most difficult things for me. To start, its a pain just to get the wiper and linkage underneath the cowl past the heater blower. Once i got the assembly into place then i found that i could only get one spline up through one wiper hole. Once one spline was through one hole the other spline was completely missing the other hole from right to left.

The two splines are a fixed distance from one another so i dont see how the they could be missing the holes. Has anyone else experienced this?

I ended up putting one through the hole and putting the chrome nut on it and then had to force the other towards the hole by pushing the down and back on the motor assembly and use a screwdriver to help slip the spline up through the hole. But now its cocked at an angle coming up through the hole. What am i missing?

[esty]

What am i missing?

lol...i doubt you're missing anything...it's just one of those things that requires a lot of cussing

[Som1else]

I was just surprised that there wasn't any mention of this problem here. You would think that the spindles would just slide up through both holes.

[williamdholmes]

do not draw one side snug first, loosen the heater box and lower it. align rack and insert. clear?

[Som1else]

do not draw one side snug first, loosen the heater box and lower it. align rack and insert. clear?

There was plenty of room around the heater box after i got it wiggled in above it, the problem now became how the distance between splines was a good half inch wider than the distance between each wiper hole so that if you started one spline up through a hole, the other spline misses the other hole by the entire diameter of the spline.

[jgerock]

Are you sure you put the linkage back together properly? They are tricky.

[Som1else]

Are you sure you put the linkage back together properly? They are tricky.

I never took it apart, just removed it to paint. Im pretty sure that if it ever breaks i'd rather just not drive in the rain than have to remove it again. Its like the grey painted part in your pic is too long. Did yours just pop right up through the two holes?

[BillWilliams]

Did it fight you coming out?

[Som1else]

To be honest, i dont remember the part removing the wiper shafts from the holes. Probably because I do remember that getting it all the way out and around the heater box being a huge pain. And it was a pain putting it back in past the box too.

[jgerock]

If you didn't have to fight it, something was wrong to begin with ;-).

The grey painted main section in my picture is the wiper frame - it is welded together. The silver transmission arms are new pieces along with the pivots and motor arm.

It takes quite a bit of maneuvering to get the linkage and frame from around the heater box fan cover. I just did this on the Green '71 and noticed a PO had mangled the driver's side cowl trying to remove it before. I popped one of the transmission arms loose on a '74 before it was able to come out of the car.

If you need to rebuild your heater box - I would remove that first, then the wiper assembly.

[Som1else]

Well that makes me feel a bit better. Im glad it isnt just me. Now the next guy who searches about the windshield wiper removal will hopefully find this thread and know what he is in for. If i had stumbled upon a thread like this i would have left the unit in the car and just taped it off for painting. Thanks for all the reply's

[rctid]

Is the wiper motor installed on the linkage frame? I just re-installed mine as well, and had to leave the motor off to get the frame into place. On my car there was a small rubber block glued to the top of the firewall as a damper for the wiper motor as well, I fought with this quite a bit to get the motor installed again. Once in though, it was tight and well supported.