Square body wiper systems SUCK! Can it be fixed?

[shady]

OK. Does your motor look like this one?

View attachment 261084

Yep.. but without the washer.

Stock for our squares is 16", and it's really common to run 18's to get a little more coverage. I would think the issue is mechanical as well as electrical. None of the linkage ever gets lubed for 35 years...and people wonder why they don't work worth a crap.

Shady, have you disconnected the motor and run the linkage by hand?

I haven't even run the wipers at all lol. I bought it without them hooked up. There's a bunch of wiper issues. The linkage mechanism is the old style from late 70's. So the pivot posts are too short for the cab they're in. On top of the fact that it has the older wire harness, and newer motor. I have made them move before like twice messing with wires. But didn't wanna fry something hooking power where it shouldn't maybe be.

Reason I made the thread is because I'm debating tearing it all out. Motor, linkages, pivot posts, etc. And starting over. So I figured if I was doing that, I might as well use whatever components people have used to make them better.

 

[AV8TER]

Cool. Hopefully this will help you out. Here is a picture of it's wiring. The only problem is getting the park to work. You put ground to the park plug only when the wipers are in the off position. Hi/low would be easy with a single pole, double throw switch. I think it could be wired with a relay to get ground when switch is off. If you want to go that way let me know and I'll draw it up for you.

 

[GoGoGirl]

For one, I've been reading this thread from the start and I agree that the wipers suck.

I swear, as someone mentioned earlier, that the application book at my local auto parts store said the blades are 14". That's what I've been running.

Now here comes my question...I have an M1009 that's been somewhat "civilianzed" and I don't know the story behind the steering column. The original gauge cluster is gone and the cluster there is for the civilian gas K5. My control stalk has only one speed for the wipers. There is a washer feature that works. So should I have variable speed wipers? Is my stalk original Military and perhaps the K5 has variable speeds?

 

[frankin5]

Where the column bolts to the dash, you will find an aluminum finned box that plugs into the wiper wiring. It can be removed and the two cable assembly's can be directly plugged together. If no box in series, them no variable speed wipers. The stalk should show delay on it also.

 

[campfire]

For one, I've been reading this thread from the start and I agree that the wipers suck.

I swear, as someone mentioned earlier, that the application book at my local auto parts store said the blades are 14". That's what I've been running.

Now here comes my question...I have an M1009 that's been somewhat "civilianzed" and I don't know the story behind the steering column. The original gauge cluster is gone and the cluster there is for the civilian gas K5. My control stalk has only one speed for the wipers. There is a washer feature that works. So should I have variable speed wipers? Is my stalk original Military and perhaps the K5 has variable speeds?

The military trucks came without the variable speed box. No idea what you have in yours, but it seems unlikely that someone would have changed the wiring without changing the lever.

And one more vote for 16" being stock size. I run 18" blades and I've never had a problem with their speed in the stepside. But in both of the other trucks they run pretty slowly. So not all trucks are equal. I'd be looking at lubing up all the linkages and replacing the old motor before I tore the whole system apart.

I "upgraded" two of my trucks by installing the clip-on washers instead of using the nozzleless squirters in the cowling. Took a bunch of pictures for a tech article that I never got around to writing. If I were to redo it I would have used GMT400 wiper arms that fold up to get away from ice. This is hands-down the largest complaint I have with the squarebody wipers. Otherwise they have always kept rain, snow, and ice away from my vision path.

Here's a shot of the tubing routing. I used a Y so the original squirters still function, and I now have four. Slightly low on flow to each nozzle, but it's better than it was.

 

[diesel4me]

Far as I recall 16" was the size of blades listed for the square body trucks in all the Anco & Trico catalogs back in the day..

The first Gen 67-72 trucks may have used 14" blades,but I always put 16" ones on mine,and I tried 18" ones on the square body trucks,they would rub the windshield rubber at the top slightly and were better off not used in winter due to the added drag..

I think the wiper transmission linkages changed when GM redesigned the front clip after 1981,the wipers parked under the hood more than they did on the earlier models..I might be wrong there though,never having tried swapping a later nose on an early one..

 

[shady]

Here what having the wrong linkages and pivot posts for your truck results in

 

[tRustyK5]

the obvious solution is to install a 73-80 front clip...

 

[shady]

Lol... If I wasnt planning on beating the snot out of this truck I'd think about that. I'm reserving that job for the crewcab I have coming

 

[nvrenuf]

@shady Man, that pic opened up the possibilities for all kinds of jokes...

 

[shady]

Shaft to short.... I know . But it's something I just have to deal with

 

[1-ton]

There should be a ground strap on one of the wiper motor mounting bolts. Usually it's brass that gets painted with the motor.

Are you talking about the strap pictured in AV8TER's post that is riveted at one end of the mounting bracket?

 

[shady]

I finally grabbed a pic of what I have to work with

 

[6872xtc]

Are you talking about the strap pictured in AV8TER's post that is riveted at one end of the mounting bracket?

Yes, that's it. I have not checked to see how much it plays into the circuit, but I would imagine that there is a reason for it.

 

[tRustyK5]

Ground strap, as the wiper motor is mounted on rubber grommets.

 

[shady]

If the motor is grounded through the circuit and switch,,,,, what does it need that strap for

 

[6872xtc]

Ground strap, as the wiper motor is mounted on rubber grommets.

While I understand that completely, I have never tested to see what happens if the strap isn't doing it's thing.
I would assume that grounding the motor directly is crucial to operation, but I may be wrong to assume that....
Do you see my angle?

 

[blazer74]

Maybe grounding the case to prevent Radio interference when the wipes are on.

 

[tRustyK5]

Well, it appears to be ground for something. Good point not to ASSUME though.

 

[blazer74]

I believe it’s for the park feature when the switch is off it provides the ground for the park switch until it opens and stops the wipers from what a quick search.