How to adjust wiper position?

[ButtonIt]

Hey guys got some new wiper arms and blades and I am trying to get them on but for some reason if you set them where they should be in the off position they go down past the bottom of the windshield before returning up and then they don't go far enough?

Through trial and error I got it to where it stays in the windshield but in the off positions the wiper would have to sit about 6" up into the windshield? Any ideas?

Also I seem to only have one speed and it will only nudge the blade when I pull the switch to the first position then when I pull it to the second it will run is it possible I need a new switch?

Any thoughts?

O yeah, 1978 FJ40 thanks!

 

[emtee]

Easiest way to reposition your wiper arms is to take them off and reposition them on the pivots.

You may need to go through the switch and clean it up some; it's pretty self-explanatory once you get the thing on the bench. Clean up the contacts, give it a dose of dialectric grease and you should be good for another 20 years or so. Might want to also check the blade connections on the switch/motor.

 

[ButtonIt]

I did reposition them on the pivots but it goes down first when starting after it is in the off position? I also did take them off the post and reposition them through trial and error but the off position where they work puts the blades about 6 inches up?

Also if the switch in the first position just barely bumps the blades and then they don't come on until it is pulled to the second would that be a contact issue?

 

[Melloj123]

I am having the same kind of problem. I have repositioned them on the pivots as well and they want to go down instead of up. I'll be watching this post to hopefull get some resolution as well. Good luck.

 

[emtee]

OK, that's a little different, I think. (Someone chime in if I'm off the mark here as I've only done this once...) It sounds like the motor may have been disassembled and reassembled incorrectly; i.e. the park switch contact may be out of synch. It's easy to get the drive gear on the motor shaft misaligned when reinstalling it.

It'll probably take some trial and error to get the gears positioned right, and as long as you're into the motor, you might as well freshen up the brushes as well.

I've got photos of my rebuild at home if it'll help. Spotcruiser helped me out when my motor went south; here's a related thread:

https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/105066-windshield-wiper-motor-rebuild.html

HTH!

 

[ButtonIt]

I will take a look at the motor tomorrow, I may have gotten it 180 out or something I really can't remember it has been a while since I did that.

What about the switch though? These should have a low and a high correct?

 

[emtee]

Correct. I don't have anything here at work right now or I'd snap a pic for ya. It's pretty simple once you get the switch taken apart. If it's like my '75, there's little metal tabs holding the top (bottom?) cover on. Be gentle prying them up & bending them back down. Real basic circuitry inside that may just be corroded some. There'll be hi and low speed contacts. I don't recall the wiring schematic colors; got a Haynes or FSM?

Worst case scenario is you send up a flare to Cdan for a brand-spankin' new one!

 

[starman]

After getting my 78fj40 repainted a evil spirit got in the windshield wiper and made the blades stop in the mid-windhshild also. (I don't have any other explanation) Did you ever get your's fixed?

 

[cruiserbrett]

After getting my 78fj40 repainted a evil spirit got in the windshield wiper and made the blades stop in the mid-windhshild also. (I don't have any other explanation) Did you ever get your's fixed?

What you need to do it make sure you have the wiper blades/arms off the pivots when you set them. Once they are removed, make sure you have the park feature of the wiper motor feature working properly. this means you need to turn the switch on and off really quickly so that even with the switch off, it still travels to a stop point. Once you have determined that it consistently stops in the same spot(use a sharpie and mark it) then you can re-install the wiper arms; you can set the stop spot pretty simply now, since they have lots of splines, so plenty of adjustment to trim it to exactly where you want. So, install them where you like once the wiper motor reaches the stop point.