The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Electric wiper conversion recommendations?

There’s a bagillion different kits online for changing the vacuum wipers to electric in my 59

What did you use?

I have this one but I have not installed it yet:
https://www.lmctruck.com/1948-59-chevy-gmc/ca-1947-59-wiper-motor-kits

The quality looks good in the kit.

The diagram mount looks potentially right… did you do a guestimate fit to reckon if it needs mods or will bolt in?

That price isn’t too bad… way better than 500

I hate to burst your bubble but I installed the LMC electric wiper in my 54. Not a good product. Go with Newport. You pay more but it is worth the difference. All of the other Stovebolt parts outlets carry the same or similar junk in regards to electric wipers. The first issue I had was the knurled drive shaft striped. I tried drilling a hole through it and inserting a pin but then the arms did not operate correctly. It was just not a good replacement. A little research and I think you will see others have opted to go with Newport for similar reasons.

I guess I got lucky. I bought one from a seller on the big internet auction site and it has worked very well. I think I paid $110 or so including postage. I will mention one thing: please understand if your wiper motor is inside the cab (I can't recall where it was on the 59 but think it may have been inside), you will hear it working. I've asked friends who have bought more expensive conversion kits and they all tell me the same thing: No matter how much you pay for one, you'll hear it. It isn't loud or distracting...I'm not saying that but it is a "different" sound you have to get used to. Sort of like when you first got an icemaker in your refrigerator and you would hear the water valve refilling it and the ice cubes dumping into the bin. After a while you ignore those noises. I have decided that's the reason all wiper motors were moved to the other side of the firewall...so you didn't hear them. The best news is you'll enjoy using your wipers a lot more.

Oh, one more suggestion. If you can, remove your wiper transmission assembly and clean and lubricate the rotating ends (where the wipers connect). Make sure they're not worn too much, also. If you get these working nicely and smoothly it will make a noticeable difference and I don't know about others but mine needed attention. Mine had gotten to the point where they squeaked and sort of "jittered" when they were in use and that translated into poor blade action (and maybe a little noise also). Good luck!

I had the exact same experience with the one I bought from LMC for my 50- worked okay, then stripped the splines off the shaft, then I tried putting a cotter pin through it but it wasn't clocked right. I forget now, but I think I ended up drilling the shaft so the set screw would engage with more bite, and it worked for several test swipes in the garage, and worked for a few more swipes in the mist on the highway on the trip I had been preparing for. I haven't tried it since. When it's "not quite right", it binds up and pops the linkage off. Mine also dripped some grease out of the case onto the floor mat within the first few months of installing it.

Don't know if the Task Force motor is different than the Advance Design motor offered by LMC, but based on my experience, I wouldn't recommend.

I went with the original, Newport. Never an issue.

Xs 2. Newport

I use a Newport on my '52, but when I still had my '57 I found a GM original electric wiper motor that worked very well. But that was probably 30 years ago.

I've never had a problem with RainX brand.

lol I didn’t ask what menthol cigs you smoke.. but newport seems to be the consensus 👍

P.s. noises don’t bother me.. especially if the noise means it’s working. Noises that mean something is broken is a different story though 😾

I have the original ones and just drive faster to clear the windshield when it rains.

I haven't had luck with it on my 50. Maybe my glass has too much texture on it from being in the elements for 73 years. RainX brand washer fluid works great in my daily (13 Silverado) and I often don't need to turn the wipers on at all. I have wondered if the nose of an AD truck does weird aerodynamic things with the wind across the windshield, but I've seen others report good results with RainX in an AD, so I suspect some new clean glass would help mine.

EchoBravoSierra:

Try this stuff. You can get it at most any FLAPS.

https://www.amazon.com/Rain-X-Ounce-Rain-Repellent-PACK/dp/B076YXDCLZ/

You apply it to your windows in good weather and it is hydrophobic so the water balls up and falls off.

The rainx washer fluid is mediocre in my opinion, but this stuff is great. We used it all the time on the commercial boats.

I think you might be right about the glass. I use the stuff that you wipe on and polish like wax so you don't need to bother with wipers at all. I use it on all my vehicles, even ones with working wipers. The water beads up in little tiny balls and blows right off (on the AD and others).

If you're just using the RainX washer fluid, I don't think that will do the trick

The wax-like stuff would fill the voids and uneven surface of your glass. Maybe use it in conjunction with the RainX washer fluid and wipers?

I should clarify: I've used the normal RainX on the 50 with less than satisfactory results. I use the washer fluid on the daily driver, because it has washers...

Gotcha. I use RainX on my '50 because the wipers don't work at all and I've driven in the rain on more than one occasion and it does the trick.

I was told by a counterman at Advance Auto about another product that's supposed to be even better than RainX. I think it's a MacGuire's product but I can't remember for sure.

Please remember this is The Electrical Bay. We're starting to drift off into the weeds here...

One more thing to consider if you decide on electric wipers, is the cheep ones sold on eBay interfere with the choke cable. You have to buy the more expensive ones such as Newport Engineering to be able to install without issues.

........and to get rhe correct one to not interfere with choke the part # has a "letter: in it. Used Rockport on my 52 panel and it worked really smooth and didnt interfer with choke. I can check my records for correct # if needed.