The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors Finally Figured Out My Vacuum Wipers

I had my vacuum wiper drive rebuilt Ficken a couple years back. Bench tested it, worked perfectly. Installed it , fiddled with the dashboard valve, didn’t work. Forgot about it for 2 years, didn’t need the wipers anyway.

Now I’m getting set to install a radio and dashboard speaker. It occurred to me that my access to the wiper drive will be limited after the tunes are installed, so the time to figure out the wiper problem is now.

I removed the unit and connected it to a vacuum source. (aka shop vac). The arm would cycle over to one end of travel and stay there , over and over. Gee, it worked so well the bench…. guess I need to call Ficken tomorrow.
Just as I was wrapping up for the day I noticed a plastic panel on the top of the unit. I fiddled with it and found that it slides back and forth… never noticed it before. I got to wonder what it is for, plugged in my vacuum source again, moved the slide and VOILA!!! Back & forth , back & forth, back & forth, like clockwork.

All this time I thought that the dash valve was the sole control for the wipers. There must be a small gauge cable that connects to that slide , something I’ll need to source.

As Les Nessman said:
With God as my witness I thought turkeys could fly.

Oh! The humanity!

Nicely done, sir.

Waveski, can you post a pic of your wiper motor? It must be different than mine. The dash control isn't a "valve" but just a lever to actuate the slide switch on the wiper motor through a short pushrod.
Here's a couple pics. The first is of the dash control from the FAM, and the second is showing the operating lever and the slide valve on the top of the motor. I added a couple arrows showing the movementn of the operating lever and the slide switch.
If you just used a valve to cut off the vacuum supply to the motor, the wipers would stop in any position instead of going to a park position.

I'll move this thread over to Interiors. There's another post there with more info on vacuum motors. HERE

I am pretty sure it was Mr. Carlson (played by Gordon Jump) was the one who thought turkeys could fly. Just sayin.........

Twin Jimmys is corrrect. It was Arthur Carlson.
Dr. Johnny Fever: For those of you who've just tuned in, the Pinedale Shopping Mall has just been bombed with live turkeys. Film at eleven.

Klhansen-
It could be that someone prior to me jury rigged the control ; lacking the lever mechanism a valve was put in place.
Aside from getting that vacuum drive rebuilt I didn’t pay much attention to the wiper system until now; it wasn’t high on my priority list. I was focusing on mechanical & body rebuild. I just put it back together the way I found it.
I’ll probably get to the boat shed today for a picture. What we are likely to learn is that I’m missing that entire control assembly. That would explain why my initial search for a cable yielded nothing.

Boy am I embarrassed–- it WAS Mr Carlson who uttered those immortal words , blank stare and tattered 3 piece suit. I can see it now that I have been corrected.
Otto , on the other hand , was spot on with the Nessman line ,borrowed from the live broadcast of the Hindenburg disaster.

There are lots of iterations of the Trico vacuum wiper motors. Maybe yours was changed out for a different version that doesn’t have the lever. If you can live with the wipers stopping at random spots the valve would work. Unless you told Fiken the application, he’d just restore what you sent him.
No worries about the misquote.
Loni Anderson didn’t need any lines. She just needed to be on camera.

Good point about Lori Anderson.

Now, where were we… Oh yeah - my vacuum wipers!
You’ll see from my picture that my motor is missing the entire control assembly. As previously stated, I re-installed it the way I found it without knowing any better.

Mr Hansen, I read in a different thread that you are in possession of some vac wiper components; any chance you have that which I am missing? I also have Ficken going through his spare parts. Controlling with the vacuum cutoff valve is an option too. I don’t really use the wipers ‘cause I don’t drive in the rain (I know, I know) , I just figured I should get them operational since I went through the trouble and expense of getting the motor rebuilt. Also - it’s been over 50 years since I’ve had the pleasure of watching those wipers bog down on acceleration and speed up when letting off the “ foot feed” ; I’d like to have that experience again.

Hubba, hubba!

Waveski
Your wiper is a totally different style than mine. It looks like yours is missing part of the slide switch that goes under that shiny cover. It moves in a different direction. I haven't seen one of those in my travels thru eBay, etc. Maybe it's supposed to be that way since it's your truck is a '54 and slightly different with the one-piece windshield. I do have a couple spares of the style I showed in the pic above, but you'd have to swap the top cover so the actuator lever is operational. I'll send you a PM.
[on edit] Looks like the wiper motor changed for '54, so what I have probably won't help you.

Just to add some more confusion to this thread. My '57 LCF came stock with electric wipers, the control knob is not an electric switch, it is a knob that pushes or pulls a cable by rotating the knob. The cable then pushes the slide switch on the wiper motor, 3 positions, park, slow, fast. Also, for those not experienced with the Low Cab forward, V8 engines were the only choice.

Another twist. The parts listing has an electric wiper motor for the '54 trucks as well. Apparently an option.

I had to look up low cab forward.

Regarding electric wipers, a couple years back during the build I decided to stick with vacuum, for old times sake. Now that I have a “Ficken job” I m committed.

1957 Chevrolet Low Cab Forward, 5700, 161.5" wheelbase, 15 ft. grain box, original 283, SM420, now 2 speed rear end.

I, too am a proud member of the Royal Loyal Order Of The 283.

In 1955, the 265 V8 was Chevrolets intro into the modern V8, that basic block configuration was the great Grandaddy of millions of small block Chevy engines with untold interchangeable parts. It grew from the 265 into the 283, and 327. Then in the sixties and seventies the 267, 302, 305, 307, 350, 400, and with swapping factory parts you could build a 372, and a 383. The outside dimensions of the block, heads, water pump, timing cover, oil pan mounting, intake and exhaust manifolds, all remained the same.

Getting a little off topic of wipers, guys.
Interesting stuff, but better suited to the Engine forum.

My fault.
My radar trips every time there’s mention of a 283.

I apologize Kevin, my fault also.

It takes a fair amount of chutzpah to own , maintain and operate a 70 year old truck , yet we are oddly submissive at times…

Mine isn't 70 yet, only as old as my wife and she's not old, she's married to a young buck that's 1-1/2 years older than her. I can hardly stay away from tinkering on the truck, out of all my old toys it is the most fun and satisfying. Maybe because I like jammin' gears and listening to the truck work, it's gets in your blood if you are inclined that way. Are you making head-way on the vacuum wiper issue?

I am waiting to hear from Ficken ; he is searching his parts stash for a control unit for my wiper motor.
If he doesn’t have one I’m fairly comfortable reassembling the system the way it is , using vacuum control in leu of the proper control link to the slide atop the motor. I’ll just fix that slide in the operating position, knowing that the wipers won’t automatically “park” when shut off. I can live with that given the fact that my pampered semi rat-ish hot rod is never exposed to rain anyway. I just want to play with the vacuum wipers like I did in my yout.
(with apologies to Joe Pesci…)

–- And before anyone rags on me for me not being more truck-like in my usage- my drive time since getting that bucket out of the shop has been just the fall of ‘22 and 1 Wisconsin driving season in ‘23 , and I’ve piled on over 1,800 miles!
My truck is 69 years old and I’m 72. ; we both pick our days but we make darned good use of them.

Wowie AND Gadzooks –-
Rob Ficken has done it again!

He came up with the components to make up an entire control assembly for my wiper motor. He also confirmed that those parts , including the motor, are ‘54 - ‘55 s.1 specific, and the only part of the control assembly that is available after market is the dashboard knob.
No wonder my searches were futile.

The Wiper Guy is an amazing individual.
Need a vacuum wiper motor for a ‘37 Bentley?
No problem!

Good news. He's the man when it comes to vacuum wiper motors.
I figured he'd come up with what you needed.