I just purchased a wiper motor for a '55. The instructions say to install the arms to the crossbar on the motor before bolting in the motor. Easier said than done. I know some forum members have done this, so what is the secret to getting the clips on? Tried the search function already. Thanks for any help.
I mounted the motor first, then the arms. But I had the dash out of the car at the time. For the slot in the firewall on a '59, it was very tight just to get the unit mounted by itself, maybe a '55 or '56 is different. I did relieve the slot in the firewall a little.
I I got it in by installing the bolts in the motor first and then using nuts to mount it. I installed the arms first and used the original spring clip from the '55. I couldn't get my hands in to do it by the instructions or use their clips. Thanks for the suggestions.
I have installed 2 in my 54 Merc. tested in the driveway and worked great, didn't work so well when I needed them. wiped across windshield 1 time and stopped. This has happed twice.
I have had Newport wipers in four cars, never one problem and have driven in plenty of rain. Got one in my 55 Sunliner and expect no problems there either.
What went wrong with it? I've been thinking about whether or not to do the conversion or replace the vacuum motor. My car only sees rain by accident so I'm leaning towards the original set up.
If your wagon is not a fairly regular driver then I would think the conversion would not be worth it. On the other hand if you like to take cross country drives, it for sure is worth it.
The original key switch accessory terminal is good for about 20 amps or less if power is coming from there they can fail if you added other accessories I would add this to it as it worked with the add on circuits in my case. You can get the relays and matching pigtails at Fry's Electronics get the 70 amp 12 volt relay, they also have the matching pigtail,if your new wiring harness had a wire lead marked "wiper" a relay like a 40 amp Bosch relay should be added,this should solve the stopping issue. Here is a good explanation on relays: http://www.watsons-streetworks.com/tips Click on "A current topic"
As mentioned, more info needed on what went wrong? Electrical issue/blown fuse? mechanical issue binding up? Have heard nothing but good about Newport previously, I suspect it's not a Newport issue, but elsewhere.
My harness kit had a dedicated wire for the wiper power, easy to hook up. I've used it a few times when I got stuck in the rain.
I never blew a fuse, and seemed like when I needed the wipers I was going down the road at 70 mph. The wiper would go a cross the windshield and never came back, they were locked in that position. They always seem to work in the driveway after installation.
Mine did something funky at the initial try out, shut them off, turned them back on and they've been fine ever since. Newport should stand behind them regardless.
Sounds to me more like a wiper arm (behind the pivot, not the blade arms). Does your car have a cable and pulley setup, or hard arms? Maybe something slipping, and the 70mph wind against whe wiper blades is enough to make that slip happen? What happens after the blades stop in that position? Do they go back to park after you slow down? If the problem is consistent, remove the wiper blade arms and apply some masking tape to the pivots, making a flap, or tail, you can easily see at 70mph and see if it happens again with just the tape on the pivots.
Tie wraps are also good for simulating what position the wipers are in before you hit the switch. I did that with my car, wasn't sure it was parked after I installed it.
I got Newport units on three cars and haven't had any problems wih the. Be sure you got the arms on the correct lugs of the wiper unit. It's easy to get this wrong - I did.
I've installed Newport wipers on 2 '54 fords and in both cases I had a problem with the driver's side wiper going over center (rotating rather than going back and forth). The solution was to shorten the driver's side arm about 1/16". I didn't call Newport about this problem since it was an easy fix but maybe I should since it happened on two different cars.
the wipers are locked in the open position, and cannot be returned to closed. I have another new unit I will install in a couple weeks.
Did you discuss this with Newport? The only time I had an issue they offered to repair or replace the unit. Turned out to be my error and after correction it worked fine. They are great folks.
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