Anyone, and I mean anyone, who has ever driven in the rain in a vehicle that is equipped with vacuum-operated wipers knows they are pretty much useless. Perhaps the only thing that could be worse would be for that vehicle to have only a driver-side wiper. Owners of 1939-46 Chevrolet and GMC trucks know that these trucks came from the factory with both of these not-so-luxurious features. New Port Engineering has recognized this problem with many vintage vehicles and has now expanded their product line to include these vintage trucks. (The Clean Wipe System earned a coveted NSRA Best New Product of the Year Award at this years Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky.)
Many of New Port Engineer-ing's kits are for vehicles that originally had dual vacuum wipers, in which one of their wiper motors were connected to the original wiper transmission for a much-improved electric windshield wiper system. For this particular kit, the wiper motor and linkage for dual wipers are included, as from the factory these trucks were equipped only with a single driver-side wiper. Passenger-side wipers were an option. The downside of this is that a second hole will need to be drilled above the windshield of your truck. This is not a problem, however, as New Port Engineering includes a hole-drilling jig to ensure the new hole is located properly. This is just one of the steps toward ultimate customer satisfaction that causes New Port Engineering to rise above their competition. If you are installing this kit on an already painted truck, it would be a good idea to place some masking tape over the area where drilling will be done to help minimize potential scratches to your truck's finish.
As with all of New Port Engineering's kits, installation is easy and very straightforward. If you can read (detailed, but easy to follow instructions are included with all kits) and can operate basic handtools such as a screwdriver, a transfer punch, a hammer, a drill, and a soldering gun or wire crimpers, you can install this kit.
The first step toward installing the New Port Engineering Clean Wipe electric wiper motor is to get rid of the old vacuum system. Remove the screws securing the header panel to the interior roof of the truck, remove the header panel, and set everything aside. Carefully remove the existing windshield wiper arm. With the arm removed, remove the setscrew that secures the knurled knob to the motor-driven shaft. Remove the escutcheon and washer from the motor shaft. With the header panel out of the way, the original vacuum motor can be removed.
Don't forget to either remove or plug the vacuum line. In preparation for this installation, Bill Huxel's 1946 Chevrolet cabover tow truck served as a perfect candidate for a much-needed update. Installation is simple and photos are worth thousands of words, so follow along to see how you too can easily improve the safety of your 1939-46 General Motors truck. Bill had already routed a power line from the fuse panel up through the A-pillar to the area where the new electric wiper motor will be installed.
Bill Huxel uses this 1946...
Bill Huxel uses this 1946 Chevrolet cabover truck on a daily basis in his salvage yard. From the factory, it was equipped with one vacuum operated wiper on the driver side. Vacuum wipers suck and the occasional passenger might want to see the road if it is raining.
Since most of these trucks...
Since most of these trucks did not have two wiper arms, a hole for a second wiper arm will need to be drilled above the windshield. Insert drill alignment bushings in the drill jig and then slip the drill jig fixture over a 5/16-inch hex head bolt inserted through the existing hole from the inside. Align the small tabs of the drill jig with the bottom edge of the roof just above the windshield to provide the proper alignment for drilling the new hole and secure with a nut. Note: If your truck had the optional dual wipers or if someone has already installed a dual wiper setup, you can use this drill jig fixture to verify proper alignment. If existing holes do not align properly, you will be required to fill an existing hole and drill another.
With the drill jig fixture...
With the drill jig fixture in place and the tabs abutted under the roof edge, insert a 5/16-inch transfer punch through the bushing and hit once with a hammer.
Remove the drill jig fixture....
Remove the drill jig fixture. Use a standard center punch to enlarge the transfer punch mark, and then drill a 5/16-inch pilot hole for the passenger side wiper transmission.
Insert the 5/16-inch hex head...
Insert the 5/16-inch hex head bolts provided with the kit through the roof from the inside of the cab and through the drill alignment bushings in the drill jig fixture and secure with nuts. Align the small hole in the bushings with the small hole in the drill jig fixture, then insert a 1/8-inch transfer punch through to the sheetmetal and tap with a hammer one time.
Remove the drill jig and alignment...
Remove the drill jig and alignment bushings. Use a center punch to enlarge the mark made with the transfer punch, and then drill a 1/8-inch-diameter hole for the alignment pin.
Attach the drill jig to the...
Attach the drill jig to the cab on the driver side using a 5/16-inch hex bolt and nut. Align the drill jig on the passenger side by using the 1/8-inch-diameter transfer punch through the hole just drilled and the hole in the drill jig.
Using the drill jig as a guide,...
Using the drill jig as a guide, scribe the outline of the 5/8-inch-diameter hole. Use your choice of a drill bit, rotary file, die grinder, or hand file to enlarge the 5/16-inch pilot hole to the extents of the line just scribed, which should be 5/8-inch-diameter.
Use a hand file to remove...
Use a hand file to remove the material between the 5/8-inch hole and the 1/8-inch alignment pinhole.
With both the driver- and...
With both the driver- and passenger-side holes drilled and shape to the correct size, insert the wiper transmission from the inside to check for proper fit. If the wiper transmission does not fit through both holes, remove the wiper transmission and remove the interfering sheetmetal with a file.
Use a 3/16-inch-diameter transfer...
Use a 3/16-inch-diameter transfer punch to locate the centers of the two wiper transmission mounting plate holes that need to be drilled, then use a center punch to enlarge the two marks made.
After drilling two 3/16-inch-diameter...
After drilling two 3/16-inch-diameter holes in the inside header panel, you can install the wiper transmission system inside the header panel.
Secure the wiper transmission...
Secure the wiper transmission by installing the gaskets and escutcheon plates on the outside of the header.
Slide the support bracket...
Slide the support bracket between the wiper motor transmission and the header panel from the driver side.
Secure the support bracket...
Secure the support bracket by installing two screws through the header panel and then secure the wiper motor transmission to the support bracket by installing two additional screws between the support bracket and the main bracket.
All that is left now is to...
All that is left now is to connect an electrical power source, a ground wire, and install the wiper arms. Using your choice of a wire stripper, strip the insulation from the end of the power and ground wires. Slip a length of heat shrink tubing over one of the power wires and one of the ground wires before making the electrical connection.
Bill is using the old-school...
Bill is using the old-school method of electrical wiring by soldering the wires together. You can use solderless crimp-on connectors. Bill uses a pair of pliers to twist the wires together, and then applies a small amount of soldering paste.
Apply heat from an electric...
Apply heat from an electric soldering gun. When done properly, the wire will break somewhere else before coming apart at this connection. Whether you solder or use crimp-on connections, heat-shrink tubing to protect the connection. Just be sure to slide it over one of the wires before making the connection. A heat gun or hair dryer is a safe method for applying heat-to-heat shrink tubing.
Before reinstalling the header...
Before reinstalling the header panel, the wiper motor installation is checked for proper operation. (For the curious, the gauge is an air pressure gauge for the on-board air compressor, as this is a working tow truck.)
Spray some water or glass...
Spray some water or glass cleaner on the windshield and turn the wiper motor switch to the "on" position. Verify that there is no interference or binding of the wiper transmission linkage arms.