'66 Wiper Arms - Synchronizing?

[Alex Gilmour]

All,

Well the '66 got caught in a rainstorm on the way home from work. The good news is that I got my wipers to work by jiggling the switch. The bad news is that the wipers were crashing into each other. I obviously need a new switch due to the amount of slop in it, but how do I synchronize the arms so they don't hit each other?

Thanks, Alex

'66 A/C Coupe

[Vinnie P.]

Re: '66 Wiper Arms - Synchronizing?

Alex,

About halfway up the wiper arm, there is an adjustment screw. This will allow you to adjust the wipers about 1/2 inch in either direction. Should be enough adjustment so they don't hit each other.

[Vinnie P.]

Re: '66 Wiper Arms - Synchronizing?

Alex,

About halfway up the wiper arm, there is an adjustment screw. This will allow you to adjust the wipers about 1/2 inch in either direction. Should be enough adjustment so they don't hit each other.

[Alex Gilmour]

Re: '66 Wiper Arms - Synchronizing?

Vinnie,

Thanks, I guess I should have been more clear. The arms are running over each other. I am going to try to remove the arms and park the wiper motor and then reinstall the arms. What do you think?

Alex

'66 A/C Coupe

[Alex Gilmour]

Re: '66 Wiper Arms - Synchronizing?

Vinnie,

Thanks, I guess I should have been more clear. The arms are running over each other. I am going to try to remove the arms and park the wiper motor and then reinstall the arms. What do you think?

Alex

'66 A/C Coupe

[Gary Schisler]

Re: '66 Wiper Arms - Synchronizing?

Before you attempt to remove your wiper arms, spend a few dollars and buy one of the tools designed to take them safely off without scratching your hood grills. I am pretty sure that NAPA carries such a tool for around $10. It is well worth the money.

The Assembly Manual shows the angles and dimensions of where the wiper arms go, but I "eyeballed" it by removing both arms, laying the drivers side about 1/2" about the chrome windshield molding and then placing the passenger side arm about 1" above it and parallel to it. I have good sychronization and they don't interfere with each other. BTW, since the wiper transmission is hooked to both sides, about the only way you can have interference is if there isn't enough space between the arms and they aren't parallel.

[Gary Schisler]

Re: '66 Wiper Arms - Synchronizing?

Before you attempt to remove your wiper arms, spend a few dollars and buy one of the tools designed to take them safely off without scratching your hood grills. I am pretty sure that NAPA carries such a tool for around $10. It is well worth the money.

The Assembly Manual shows the angles and dimensions of where the wiper arms go, but I "eyeballed" it by removing both arms, laying the drivers side about 1/2" about the chrome windshield molding and then placing the passenger side arm about 1" above it and parallel to it. I have good sychronization and they don't interfere with each other. BTW, since the wiper transmission is hooked to both sides, about the only way you can have interference is if there isn't enough space between the arms and they aren't parallel.

[Alex Gilmour]

Re: '66 Wiper Arms - Synchronizing?

Gary,

I removed the arms and reset them. Now they work without hitting each other, but if I adjust the drivers side wiper any lower it crashes into the other one. However, the driver's side wiper is now hitting the left edge of the windshield trim. The passenger side arm is parked perfectly on the very top edge of the lower windshield trim, so I don't see how I could adjust that any lower.

Frustrated,

Alex '66 A/C Coupe

[Alex Gilmour]

Re: '66 Wiper Arms - Synchronizing?

Gary,

I removed the arms and reset them. Now they work without hitting each other, but if I adjust the drivers side wiper any lower it crashes into the other one. However, the driver's side wiper is now hitting the left edge of the windshield trim. The passenger side arm is parked perfectly on the very top edge of the lower windshield trim, so I don't see how I could adjust that any lower.

Frustrated,

Alex '66 A/C Coupe

[Jack H.]

Re: '66 Wiper Arms - Synchronizing?

What does shop manual say? Shark arms have individual sweep adjustments (bracket) on each drive arm off motor crank to spindle hub. This sets relative sweep start/stop geometry and is accessed by removing wiper door. On MY cars the crank assy is inside passenger compartment (under dash)....

The small screw in the side of the wiper arm Vinnie talked about is a 'fine cant' adjustment. It's intended to skew the blade relative to the arm to absorb discrete geometry dictated by notches on arm to drive hub mount.

Last, my shop manual ('63 with '65 supplement) talks at length about troubleshooting wiper/washer sub-assy components. One big caution (nicely buried well into the text) is to first make sure the wiper switch is fastened TIGHTLY to the instrument cluster. Seems this is electrical ground for the primary side of both wiper motor and washer solenoid control subsystems.

Your initial post mentioned a 'loose' wiper/washer switch. Shop manual for '66 (as motor system is similar/identical to earlier MY cars) might well tell you to address this fault first....

[Jack H.]

Re: '66 Wiper Arms - Synchronizing?

What does shop manual say? Shark arms have individual sweep adjustments (bracket) on each drive arm off motor crank to spindle hub. This sets relative sweep start/stop geometry and is accessed by removing wiper door. On MY cars the crank assy is inside passenger compartment (under dash)....

The small screw in the side of the wiper arm Vinnie talked about is a 'fine cant' adjustment. It's intended to skew the blade relative to the arm to absorb discrete geometry dictated by notches on arm to drive hub mount.

Last, my shop manual ('63 with '65 supplement) talks at length about troubleshooting wiper/washer sub-assy components. One big caution (nicely buried well into the text) is to first make sure the wiper switch is fastened TIGHTLY to the instrument cluster. Seems this is electrical ground for the primary side of both wiper motor and washer solenoid control subsystems.

Your initial post mentioned a 'loose' wiper/washer switch. Shop manual for '66 (as motor system is similar/identical to earlier MY cars) might well tell you to address this fault first....

[Alex Gilmour]

Re: '66 Wiper Arms - Synchronizing?

Thanks Jack. I looked in the shop manual, but it didn't cover any adjustment of the arms, just how to rebuild/remove the motor etc. I think that my switch is sloppy due to advanced age, I just rebuilt my cluster and did fasten the switch tightly. Once I replce that though, I want to get the wipers working correctly. I'll look in my old '69 Shark manual to see if there is a similar adjustment for the midyears. Its pretty close, if I could just somehow stop the arm before it hits the left edge, I would be happy.

Alex

'66 A/C Coupe

[Alex Gilmour]

Re: '66 Wiper Arms - Synchronizing?

Thanks Jack. I looked in the shop manual, but it didn't cover any adjustment of the arms, just how to rebuild/remove the motor etc. I think that my switch is sloppy due to advanced age, I just rebuilt my cluster and did fasten the switch tightly. Once I replce that though, I want to get the wipers working correctly. I'll look in my old '69 Shark manual to see if there is a similar adjustment for the midyears. Its pretty close, if I could just somehow stop the arm before it hits the left edge, I would be happy.

Alex

'66 A/C Coupe

[Jack H.]

Re: '66 Wiper Arms - Synchronizing?

That's what the individual nut/bolt/crimp plates do on Shark drive arms -- let you tailor LH/RH sweep start/stop. As you can see, I'm giving general 'go dos' because my MY shop manual and AIM aren't here. I know on Sharks, the tech coverage of wiper/washer motor is in one section of the Chassis Service Manual, the arm/sweep adjustment is covered under Corvette Body, and the wiper door is a separate section. So, don't give up because you don't find arm drive adjust in the shop manual's wiper/washer motor section....

[Jack H.]

Re: '66 Wiper Arms - Synchronizing?

That's what the individual nut/bolt/crimp plates do on Shark drive arms -- let you tailor LH/RH sweep start/stop. As you can see, I'm giving general 'go dos' because my MY shop manual and AIM aren't here. I know on Sharks, the tech coverage of wiper/washer motor is in one section of the Chassis Service Manual, the arm/sweep adjustment is covered under Corvette Body, and the wiper door is a separate section. So, don't give up because you don't find arm drive adjust in the shop manual's wiper/washer motor section....