The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Wiper arms 1950 1/2 T

I have a 1950 1/2 T. I have the stock vacuum wipers. I have old Tico arm and wanted to replace them with new arms and blades. So I ordered up a set of aftermarket arms and blades. They arrive and look nice and shiny. Only problem is I can’t get them to slide far enough down the wiper post to get the little clip to snap and hold the arm on. I manhandled it so much that the knurled shaft came off of one of the post assemblies . So I had to take the post out to reassemble the wiper post and repeen the post. I just hope it holds. Any way I need a good set of arms. It shouldn’t be rocket science. Has any one found a good supplier for wiper arms?

I had the same experience. The arms came from "Counterpart Automotive". The springs bent out of shape when I installed the arms making them useless. The arms are jammed onto the posts now - if I have to take them off it will be fun.

Mine too. Junk.

Anco 20-11 wipers and Anco 41-02 arms. Any and every where online.....as good as they get.

Bicounty, I did the same as you.....those really are flimsy.

You will not be disappointed in the Anco, I promise you.

I found the new arms had too much tension for the vacuum motor to operate.

I put the old Trico arms and blades back on. They are just like the Anco blades. The vacuum motor gets a half a revolution and stops even when I spray it with water. Working wipers are for sissy's anyway. Actually who am I kidding, I’ll never drive this thing is the rain anyway. Thanks for the Anco tip.

Ficken Wiper Service (https://rebuildingtricowipers.com), aka “Wiperman”, is just down the road from you in West Babylon. I just had my motor done and it’s real strong. I payed $135 shipped with a 1 week turnaround. A dry windshield won’t stop it! Highly recommended!

Excellent advice, Phak1

Lubricating and/or "oiling" does not always solve the problem.
And, often lubricant was was put in the wrong hole/holes.

Taking the vacuum wiper apart and cleaning out dried lubricant does not always solve the problem,

Sometimes seals are bad.
Unfortunately, rebuild kits are not available.

Wiperman sends back to you an almost good-as-new wiper motor.

I have the wiper motor connected to the vac I on the fuel pump. How much vacuum should I have? I’m only getting 5-6 inches of vac. Is that enough?

If the new wiper arms have too much tension against the glass, consider installing a softer spring or trim the current spring down.

I have been down this path and screwed around with old wiper motors and vacuum pumps until I was blue in the face. The little bakelite parts in the motor distort over the years and it they're too distorted you can't file them flat. A good vacuum pump should give you whatever the manifold vacuum is plus whatever the pump can add. At idle it should be like 15 inches or so. There is a spec for what it should be when disconnected from the manifold, 8-10 in Hg @ 25mph according to the Chevrolet truck service manual for 1948-51. So climbing a hill at 30 mph and like 2-4 in. manifold vacuum the wipers should still work.

The problem with the repop pumps is that not only are they expensive but they begin to suck oil after a few thousand miles. I went through two of them before I gave up. I bought the electric wiper kit and never looked back. Absent the electric wiper you can fit a vacuum tank somewhere with a check valve between it and the manifold. I saved one off an old Studebaker but traded it off at some point. I was able to get an NOS vacuum/fuel pump for the Studebaker and drove it without problem for many years in rainy Seattle. So when in good conditions the vacuum system works pretty well.