Windshield wiper alignment

[vegiguy]

On the '71-74 B-bodies are the windshield wipers supposed to stay above or ride on top of the large stainless trim at the bottom of the windshield at the bottom of their stroke? If you clock them so they stay above the trim piece they angle up pretty far onto the windshield when they are off, but if you clock them so they have to bump up and down the trim when they are at the bottom of their stroke it seem like it would wear out the wiper blades prematurely, especially considering the trim piece on my '73 RR doesn't sit completely flat on the windshield. I'm leaning towards the latter scenario, but it just seems like a silly way to do the wipers on a car.

Thanks for any insight into this matter.

 

[493 Mike]

The blades shouldn't leave the glass while in operation. Upon parking they will.
Mike

 

[vegiguy]

Mine wiper blades won't drop down off of the glass when I turn them off. does that mean the motor is kaput? The wiring harness on the engine side is new, and I went thru all of the wiring on the passenger side to make sure it was okay.

 

[Paul_G]

When turned off, the wiper blades should retract and go down on to the trim piece. There are stops on the trim the blades should rest against when retracted. When turned on they should rise off of the trim piece and wipe the glass without touching the trim.

 

[vegiguy]

When turned off, the wiper blades should retract and go down on to the trim piece. There are stops on the trim the blades should rest against when retracted. When turned on they should rise off of the trim piece and wipe the glass without touching the trim.

Like I mentioned mine won't do that.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

2 or 3 speeds?

2 speeds gets a parking cam assembly attached between crank and main link. 3 spees parking system is built in

 

[idrivemopar]

Does not necessarily mean the motor is bad. I thought the same thing when i rebuilt my car, but after cleaning the gears and re-greasing, plus cleaning the arms and greasing and putting in new plastic retainers, the motor has no problem parking the wipers. They should rest on or just slightly above the two pieces of the trim that stick up along the bottom edge.

 

[idrivemopar]

 

[Paul_G]

The last two wiper problems I had were due to dirty contacts in the wiper switch on the dash.

 

[vegiguy]

2 or 3 speeds?

2 speeds gets a parking cam assembly attached between crank and main link. 3 spees parking system is built in

2-speed. I'll have to see if it has that cam, but the main link's end keys over a rectangular projection on the shaft (that the threads are on for the nut) that the link goes on so I'm thinking it does. I put the motor back on earlier in restoring the car, but if memory serves I just cleaned and painted the original motor before putting it back on and never replaced it.

One time when I was running the wipers trying to see how they worked the motor pulled the wipers down further than I expected so it might be that the parking feature of the wipers is only working intermittently. Chances are this is the original wiper motor, and it hasn't been used in decades before I tried to get it to work again, so it might have some issues at this point in its life.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

The parking cam assembly can become in a headache! BTDT.

I wrotte a thread FULL OF INFO about 71/74 B/E bodies assembly. Well I actually made for 3rd gen Chargers when first tried to fix my 2 speeds parking system, then searching info to upgrade from 2 to variable or 3 speeds on my Charger ( since got in hands accidentally a 71 only variable switch, got stuck with it, which I love ), but actually applies to all Conceleaded wipers system between 70/74... will search and post. Of course will find mor info than you need

 

[Nacho-RT74]

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?topic=34649.0

There is a thread dedicated exclusively to the 2 speeds parking cam system, but I preffer to post all the info I collected, then you choose.

Some info could be outdated and could be corrected, basically details I could learnt later, but most of them there sums everything and points out to the right info

 

[Nacho-RT74]

Just noticed some pics are missed, the ones from service manual for adjusting. Mostly sure because I took them off from some website or hosting which is not available anymore. But don't worry, I know where get them and I can fix it later.

 

[vegiguy]

What does the cam mentioned previously look like?

 

[Nacho-RT74]

check between the links I posted on the link I posted LOL... the assembly is shown on one of them

 

[vegiguy]

I finally figured out where it was after taking the linkage back off of the motor. I took the cam assembly apart and cleaned and re-greased it as it seemed to be all gummed up and not functioning well. Hopefully that will fix the problem without having to buy anything.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

Becarefull with the grease.. I made the mistake to use grease, which I found later won't allow to get the cam to slide freely into the assembly as must be. It must be lubricated but not with grease.

 

[vegiguy]

Becarefull with the grease.. I made the mistake to use grease, which I found later won't allow to get the cam to slide freely into the assembly as must be. It must be lubricated but not with grease.

Good to know! Thanks.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

The parking cam plate gets in fact an oil hole provision for the lube job without need to get it dissasembled. Of course after all these years, that could be not enough anymore LOL. Specially if the dust boot is not anymore present or in good conditions.