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Square body wiper systems SUCK! Can it be fixed?

I don't have my manuals handy to verify different numbers, but I'm seeing two GM part numbers listed for the 91 motors on Rockauto... 22049809 and 22038804. For an '85 they are showing 22029595. AFAIK '85 would be washer in the washer tank just like the '91.

Amazon images show the same for the first two, Rockauto shows the same part for the two different part numbers, but if there is a different PN (that wasn't due to a change to the PN itself later on) there is a difference.

And yes, I feel the wipers suck too. They are slow and weak. I've seen a 2004 truck have a problem when snow dumped onto the windshield off a tree, but I think that is to be expected regardless. But the velocity and force my wiper provides is lacking.

I swapped the motor out of my 1987 (which is a remanufactured Napa part) and didn't notice any chance in the force or speed. It fixed the problem where the motor would randomly not stop running, but not the speed or force.
 
I assume they purposely made the wiper motors on the weak side,so the wiper transmission linkages wouldn't just fold up if too much resistance from ice,snow,or mud built up on the blades..plus if they stall easily and burn up quicker,they'll sell more of them too..

You'd probably have to invent heavy duty wiper transmission linkages,get some other method to pin the wiper arms to the splined shafts, that will strip out too easily,etc,if you put a stronger motor on it...where would it end ?..billet aluminum wiper transmission?--GM starter motor to power the wipers ?..:screwy:..
 
diesel4me said:
GM starter motor to power the wipers ?..:screwy:..
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Well that just sounds like a good idea! lol

I have no idea how modern vehicles are setup in terms of linkage and powering the wipers, but they are better, with far longer wiper blades. Even a bit of an improvement would be appreciated.
 
If you look at modern wipers the pivot for drivers side is at the far left of the window. Allowing for a longer blade due to the geometry. The squares have the pivot nearly in the middle of your driving position.
 
And my '56 Chevy pickup!...I hated driving that in rain or snow..

The wipers would STOP every time you gave it more than 1/8th throttle,and coasting downhill they would go wild,so fast they blades sometimes flew right off the arms!...the windshield was all scarred up due to that happening several times..

I could only use Trico blades that had metal clips to hold them to the arms--those plastic ones would get flung off like an arrow coasting downhill ,usually the drivers side one too!..a few I never found again..

Maybe you could just add another 12V battery to the wiper motor only--feed it 24 volts instead of 12..that will speed them up and give them more beef...for awhile at least!..but you'd have to isolate the motor from the rest of the truck's wiring to do that..
 
shady said:
If you look at modern wipers the pivot for drivers side is at the far left of the window. Allowing for a longer blade due to the geometry. The squares have the pivot nearly in the middle of your driving position.
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If I remember correctly, he used the newer motor in the original squarebody spot with the older style arms so it kept the same geometry only with the newer motor that was stronger and had better intermittent settings...
 
TommyD11730 said:
Flashback to my IH Scout!
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Exactly what I was thinking of!

diesel4me said:
Maybe you could just add another 12V battery to the wiper motor only--feed it 24 volts instead of 12..that will speed them up and give them more beef...for awhile at least!..but you'd have to isolate the motor from the rest of the truck's wiring to do that..
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I thought of this, but 24V is way too much. Going from 12V to 17V fully doubles the power. You probably want something more like 15-16V, but that's not a convenient voltage if you're talking about a 2nd battery (although you can still get 2V Cyclon cells AFAIK). It's probably possible with the right DC-DC converter and some relays.

But as far as we know, fixing the wiring could help a lot. No matter how many times we discuss wipers, I've never seen somebody measure the actual voltage at the motor while it's running.
 
My brother has a Toyota skid steer,that needed a engine when he got it--he found a nice one on Ebay from a forklift,only bummer was it was set up for 24V,not 12V...he was able to swap the alternator and most of the other electrical parts to the "new" engine,but he couldn't use the original fuel shutoff solenoid,the injector pump was a bit different on the new engine--no 12V one was available for it either..

So in order to make it run,he had to install a second 12V battery and wire it up in a manner so only the fuel shut off solenoid got 24V,and nothing else on the loader--he has to recharge the second battery every so often with a charger,because it would be rather complicated to rig up a way to allow it to be charged by the alternator..

Perhaps adding one of those small 10 amp hour batteries like jump packs use would be enough to give the wipers more grunt without burning the motor up in short order--or maybe a 6V motorcycle battery...
 
I'll be trying the heavier wire w/relay soon.

I would have done it already but stuff came up with my mom's jeep.

When I do have to replace it (kinda looks melted some) ill look into the newer motor route.
 
Blue85 said:
But as far as we know, fixing the wiring could help a lot. No matter how many times we discuss wipers, I've never seen somebody measure the actual voltage at the motor while it's running.
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Tested with truck at idle, only accessory on was wipers, low speed. Dry windshield.

Battery 14.4V
Alternator 14.7V
Firewall Junction Block 14.4V
Wiper Motor 14-14.2V (fluctuated slightly)
 
dyeager535 said:
Tested with truck at idle, only accessory on was wipers, low speed. Dry windshield.

Battery 14.4V
Alternator 14.7V
Firewall Junction Block 14.4V
Wiper Motor 14-14.2V (fluctuated slightly)
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So one could ass-ume ( :whistle: ) bigger wire/relay would have no effect....
 
I would think you are correct, for the most part. Some peoples wiring might be worse than others, those aren't sealed connectors, so people would probably need to check their own. My wiring is still OEM. You could run a wire from the battery directly to the wiper motor to test, I could easily access the terminal by just sticking the multimeter probe in from the back. But if you are already seeing system voltage there, it would be pointless.

I just went through this on the heater...I thought the heater wires were ridiculously small (12 or 14G), but for the amount of current they carry (~10A), and the length of the run, they are within the limits of the wiring. I doubt any of the wiring (other than the battery cables) is really undersized, but I know that people have expressed satisfaction running relays for power windows, etc.
 
Power windows and tailgates benefit from an added relay due to the voltage drop over a long length of wire and more resistance from corrosion all along its length..
The wiper motor is so close to the fuse box and its power source I'd say the wiring as-is will supply sufficient amps to power it as good as any other way including wiring it direct to the battery most likely..

If there were some way to get more volts to ONLY the wiper motor it would work much better--it may shorten its life some,or maybe not..
I ran my '63 VW that had a 6V starter off a 12V battery for a long time,it would whip over so fast it was scary,and started within one revolution,so the motor never really got hot enough to do it any harm,it may have even lasted longer,because low voltage seems to smoke more electric motors than a bit higher than they are rated for..

Someone needs to invent a 12V to 20V DC converter with at least a 5 amp output,that will speed up those lazy wipers..
 
If the length of the run doesn't change, and the wire is properly sized, I'm not understanding how a relay or thicker wire will help?
 
dyeager535 said:
If the length of the run doesn't change, and the wire is properly sized, I'm not understanding how a relay or thicker wire will help?
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Typically because you bypass the mechanical switch and have a clean run from battery to relay.
 
An old corroded switch,yes...the relay takes all the load (amps) off the switch contacts and puts it on its own contacts that are rated for more amp carrying capacity,in effect,its like putting the battery closer to the item being powered..
Of course if the wiring is old and gangrene or too thin gauge,a lot of resistance will sap down the current before it gets to the motor even with a relay..
 
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