Disaster strikes...grrhh...that plastic wiper arm thingy!!!

[M_Body_Coupe]

So I nearly finished the conversion of the old-style wiper motor to the later 90-deg ones, you know, where the wiper motor body is tucked into the firewall recess as opposed to protruding out into the engine bay.

I previously had a NOS wiper motor, looked great, but every time I wanted to pull the MP valve covers off I always had to fight the darn thing, not stuck, but just not a great amount of free space.

Anyways, so I restored the replacement 90-deg motor, started disassembling the one in the car, got stuck on removing the wiper motor arm that attaches to the wiper arm linkage. Stuck on there real good, heck, I looked at that connection between the wiper arm and the linkage, looked like the standard plastic/rubber thing, I stuck a trim screwdriver in-between and gave it a yank...yeah, DISASTER...meaning, the (by now very hard) plastic grommet piece completely fell apart on me...as in pile of crumpled pieces!!!

Sooo...I did luckily read off what appears to be a part number: 3218817, but no-luck finding anything, not yet anyways.

I'm thinking I can't be the only guy to bust one of these...has anyone here located a replacement? If one can not be found, it looks like the pin on the end of that wiper arm might accept a C-style snap ring, has anyone tried that?

Let me know if you have been able to replace this piece...just happened, it's a tad after 11pm now so I haven't hit any local auto parts places yet to score one...keeping my fingers crossed that it's not such a big deal, I gotta imagine there must have been bazillion Mopars with the same style plastic grommet....???

 

[Jonnyuma]

These little guys?

 

[M_Body_Coupe]

These little guys?
View attachment 29645

YES!!! Those be the ones...

I did eventually find some leads, looks like the Doorman products has stuff like this, and even Mopar appears to show a different part number, but presumably something that works equally well (maybe just the part # is superseded). That number is: 3799089

So I'm going to hit up a few local Auto parts, NAPA, etc, etc...let me see what I can find.

 

[Dr Lebaron]

Dorman has/had replacements.

I also just saw 4 in my parts dept. if you are in need.

 

[Jonnyuma]

I think I got some from RockAuto a few years ago, but the local chains might have em too. Get a bunch so if you drop one into the Twilight Zone you're not back to square 1.

 

[Joe12459]

Plymouth Windshield Wiper Linkage Bushings- 1973-1995- Qty.4- #010 | eBay

 

[Dr Lebaron]

Or DORMAN 49440

 

[Joe12459]

Plymouth Windshield Wiper Linkage Bushings- 1973-1995- Qty.4- #010 | eBay

Or if you need a ton of them,
Dodge Windshield Wiper Linkage Bushings- 1973-1995- Qty.25- #010T | eBay

 

[80mirada]

They can be found in 2 packs, 4 packs and a 10 pack. They area also in the variety pack of wiper bushings.

 

[4speedjim]

Good thing you don't need the one with the hidden park-stop wipers like on the J body. That one is $80+. One guy makes and slls them.

 

[Jonnyuma]

Good thing you don't need the one with the hidden park-stop wipers like on the J body. That one is $80+. One guy makes and slls them.

Is that the cure for wipers that won't park themselves automatically? I was thinking maybe it might be in the delay module because that's not working right either.

79 Lebaron.

 

[Dr Lebaron]

Good thing you don't need the one with the hidden park-stop wipers like on the J body. That one is $80+. One guy makes and slls them.

3D printer.

 

[4speedjim]

If its junk you'll have no wipers and yes that's what is required to have the wipers park. I replaced everything but the linkage, pivots, arms because everything was cheap and so worn and deteriorated. That $80 part was more than the motor and everything else combined.

 

[Jonnyuma]

If its junk you'll have no wipers and yes that's what is required to have the wipers park.

They work but only one speed, no intermittent and no high. And, yeah... I have to be quick on the switch to stop them all the way down.
The PO said that sometimes it works, sometimes not (the park feature)... that has not been my experience so far (no worky, period), but is that a symptom of that particular failure?
Sorry for all the remidial questions. My wife is in the hospital and between being there and work I've had 0 car-time to figure it out for myself.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[4speedjim]

If your wipers function, the bushings etc are ok, I wont say good, but there not the issue. And I'm back yard, far from an expert. I would guess your switch is failing. Don't buy a replacement on my word, this is my opinion. It very well could be the box, or a corroded connection somewhere along the way. I would wiggle nd jiggle all the connections from the bottom of the column. (assuming your wipers are on turn signal) Trace it to the delay box doing the same. If you have a test light check for power and grounds. Push and pull up down left right in out on the switch as your turning it on and off. See if you can get it to act up or work correctly. My '81 needed every electrical switch exercised. The contacts were dirty and worked intermittently if at all. Once the wiper switch worked, I discovered how bad all the plastic bushings were. 10 miles from home.

 

[M_Body_Coupe]

SCORE you guys...found the Dorman 49447 kit locally, which happens to have two of the Mopar bushings in it (along with a pile of others). Fairly reasonable price of $6.49 CAD too.

Now comes the next "iffy" part, getting this darn bushing into the linkage and wiper motor arms...LOL, wish me luck, I only have two of these bushings!!!

 

[Oldiron440]

And my Volare hasn't had wipers for 25 years!

 

[M_Body_Coupe]

And my Volare hasn't had wipers for 25 years!

LOL, you know, I've had all the stock linkages, motor, wipers, etc in place since I finished restoring the coupe...truth be told, there hasn't been a single time yet that I had actually used the wipers though...never been caught out there in the rain, and had that happened I would have just sat it out anyways.

Now keep in mind, I put on like 600 miles in a cruising season...

 

[Oldiron440]

Drag slicks and windshield wipers are kind of an oxymoron.

 

[Joe12459]

SCORE you guys...found the Dorman 49447 kit locally, which happens to have two of the Mopar bushings in it (along with a pile of others). Fairly reasonable price of $6.49 CAD too.

Now comes the next "iffy" part, getting this darn bushing into the linkage and wiper motor arms...LOL, wish me luck, I only have two of these bushings!!!

Make sure you grease it up first.