The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay The Radio Bench Radio vs wiper motor

I just bought a Custom Autosound radio from Classic Parts (Chevy Duty) for my 57 3100. The radio is nearly 8 inches deep from dash face to back of the big pigtail. It is only 5 1/2 inches from dash face to the wiper motor. The wipers and motor work fine, but I suspect the motor is not original. It is a Delco unit, and some of the mounting bolts fit the original holes in the body, but some of the brackets look very home-made. I just acquired a pair of transmission arms from a 57 with vacuum motor, and they aren't the same as what is in my truck. Furthermore, my arms have been bent a little in addition to the weird bends done at the factory. The wiper motor in my truck is mounted parallel with the drive shaft, whereas replacement motors shown in the Classic Parts and LMC catalogs show the wiper motors mounted perpendicular to the drive shaft, which would give more room behind the dash. Sorry this has become more of a wiper question than radio, but I don't wish to make a wiper problem in addition to a radio problem. Is it possible I have an OEM electic motor from a 58 or 59, whereby some of the mounting holes line up and some don't, and the arms are the same length as the 57, but bent a little different ?? If I order a new wiper motor through the catalog, will my radion fit??

Thanks in advance for your help.

some pictures of what you have would help, otherwise anybody will just be guessing ... the stock radio dimensions don't interfere with the wipers, and the radio is the same 55-59 ... also the wiper motor is slightly above the radio if I remember right

here's the 58-9 wipers, and the factory 55-7 electric wipers

Bill

Bill- I would have posted pics, but I couldn't find instructions on how to do it. Your photos confirm my suspicions, however. My wiper motor is definitely a 58-59, not a 55-57. Your shot of the 57 motor doesn't show the transmission arms , but if the pic is as it would appear through the radio hole, then that would explain the extra room. You are correct that the wiper motor rides a little above the radio, but the big plate between the motor and transmission is in the way of the radio box. The catalogs list the same radio for 55-59. Makes me wonder how the wiper motor is mounted differently in the 58-59 and still accomodate the radio.

I'd have to look, but I think the 5-7 motor mounts the opposite way it's shown in that picture, the side facing out would be toward the front of the truck ... the difference in the 8-9 motor is in the way it mounts as well as the arms, the 8-9 vacuum motor was different than the earlier one too, bigger .... probably if you got a correct 5-7 motor the radio would be OK, and you'd also need those 5-7 transmission arms from the vacuum motor ... I can't find a pic of them right off, but can prolly get a shot tomorrow from the parts stash

[how to deal with pics here]

Bill

Update- I bought a new wiper motor which is specifically intended to replace the original vacuum motor. It fits perfectly, and there is room for the radio.