Noisy windshield wipers

Sealife · Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 4:51 pm Post subject: Noisy windshield wipers

It seems to me when they were new, the wipers were almost silent. They quickly started making rumbling noise.....not from the blades, but within the motor housing. They work fine, just noisy. Anybody experience this and discovered why, and a solution?

JamesTXSD · Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 6:06 pm Post subject:

Hi Mike,

Right from the get-go, our starboard wiper motor was noisy; much more so than the port side. I had to replace the motor after a year when it completely quit. When I opened the old one up, there was a piece inside that had sheared off. My guess is that the arm that rotates inside the housing was never positioned properly and with enough use, it wore through the metal.

Removing the motor is easy... getting the wiper arm off the motor was a giant pain in the rear (I finally had to cut it off)... and you have to do that to get at the opening side of the motor.

You may be due to replace the motor before long.

Best wishes,
Jim B.

Sealife · Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:20 pm Post subject:

Jim,

Sounds like my identical problem, right down to the difficulty in getting the wiper arm off. I tried and failed, finally gave up frustrated. When you finally cut the wiper arm off, did you discover what was holding it on so tightly? Was it just friction and corosion?

JamesTXSD · Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:44 pm Post subject:

Hi Mike,

Two set screws are what is supposed to hold it on. The corrosion had pretty much fused the arm to the motor shaft. Even when I cut it off (at the shaft), I couldn't get the wiper arm off. When I installed the new one, I put some white grease on the shaft and inside the fitting on the arm. It may make it easier the next time.

A while back, someone posted about a battery terminal tool that would work to help pull the wiper arm off. I tried a search and didn't come up with it. Anyone else?

I reset the sweep to 110º before reinstalling - works much better on the window on our 25. Finding just the right position for the arm so that it parks at the side of the window is a trial and error solution. Allow yourself plenty of time for this project... I figured an hour or two to pull and replace the motor... figuring time allowed for a stiff drink, some swearing, having to dive under the boat to get the wiper arm I dropped, more swearing, the cutting, the bandaging, pulling, more swearing, grunting, stopping to catch my breath... about 2 days +/-. Crook

Sea Wolf · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 12:00 am Post subject:

Sealife · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 12:02 am Post subject:

Thanks, Jim looks like I'm in for a bit of "fun". BTW, my starboard wiper is the one giving me problems, and it's installed upside down from the way the port one is installed. You think that makes any difference? The sweep and park is ok.

Sealife · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 12:14 am Post subject:

You guys are the greatest. Battery puller is the right tool for this job. Will try to locate the set screws then use the battery puller. Thank you all.

Of course, once I get it off, I'm not sure if there is anything I can adjust to make it run quieter. I don't want to buy another one of the same make, since this one went bad very quickly.....perhaps shoddy construction.