Wiper motor crank arm nut 1988 5th Ave.

Master M

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Finally after 32 years the pass side wiper stopped wiping. The bushing failed and the arm connecting the pass side to the drivers side dropped down.
The entire wiper system is original to the car. I watched a video and searched the forum and have a 1988 FSM. The nut on the crank arm turns in
either direction with some resistance like I am turning the motor but does not unscrew. The crank arm does not move when I turn the nut in either direction. The FSM says to hold the drive crank with a wrench while removing the crank nut (to prevent overloading the gears). I would appreciate any advice on removing the nut.

Chrysler 5th wiper motor crank arm.jpg
 

Aspen500

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You need to hold the crank arm with a wrench, pliers, vise-grip, anything that works to hold it. Then the nut can be cracked loose. It's right hand thread (loosen CCW). The FSM is correct. Manually turning the motor can break the plastic gears. Make note which way the arm is pointing for reassembly.

You could also pop the linkage off the crank arm and leave it (the arm) attached to the motor but it's easier to take the whole works out. It's a good idea to replace all the nylon bushings at the same time anyway. The wiper pivots are held with a 12pt nut to the cowl. You probably know that though.
 

Master M

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Thanks for the reply. When I turn the nut, the crank arm does not move without me holding it. The nut just turns
and does not thread off. I cycled the wipers and it all is working like it should. Would it hurt anything to try and wedge the
crank arm against the nut and try and turn the nut off?
 
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69-

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If I remember correctly, that should be a hollow nut, just pressed out of some thin steel. Not a solid nut.
If you have a replacement, press it hard (destroys old nut) to get it to thread off.

Otherwise, just pop the linkage off the short arm and replace the nylon bushings.
 

Mikes5thAve

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I think it's a normal nut. I remember having trouble trying to get it off before and disconnecting the linkage instead.
 

BudW

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The nuts came two different ways.
Some solid with captive washer and others are a stamped steel (and flimsy looking) nut.

Some wiper motors - the shaft shoulder extended past the nut - so using a normal (solid) nut, the nut would tighten leaving the arm loose - so those motors, the stamped steel nut is what you need:
6026687.jpg

The ones used for Wipers are usually gold in color.
I "believe" the older cars (like my '77 wagon) uses the stamped steel nut and new cars uses the solid metal version.

The solid nut (with captive washer) looks like the one pictured on post #
BudW

Edit: this is the shoulder of the shaft (red arrow) that some wipers need the stamped steel nut for:
6016_ULTRAPOWER CARDONE_85380_2.jpg
 
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Master M

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I have just tried to put some pressure against the crank arm pushing it towards the nut. I can turn the nut
but it won't come off. It doesn't look real easy to put a plastic bushing on to the crank arm when installed.
Looks like the other option is to pop off the crank arm bushing and remove the wiper motor and see if I can remove it
on the bench.
 

BudW

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Those bushings are not easy to pop on or off (on or off car) - but they do stay put after being popped on.

I prefer to remove the entire transmission assembly from car (including wiper pivots and motor arm) and replace the bushings on the bench. Trying to replace the bushings with linkage in car is a royal pain in the (fill in the blank).
Especially popping those bushings back together, with hands inside of cowl, is not fun.

I generally also, take the nut off of the wiper motor, and remove the wiper transmission with motor arm still attached (but removed from motor).
As mentioned above, pay attention to position to motor lever position for that arm can be placed 180 degrees off (sometimes) - which makes wiper parking way off.
BudW
 

Master M

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Those bushings are not easy to pop on or off (on or off car) - but they do stay put after being popped on.

I prefer to remove the entire transmission assembly from car (including wiper pivots and motor arm) and replace the bushings on the bench. Trying to replace the bushings with linkage in car is a royal pain in the (fill in the blank).
Especially popping those bushings back together, with hands inside of cowl, is not fun.

I generally also, take the nut off of the wiper motor, and remove the wiper transmission with motor arm still attached (but removed from motor).
As mentioned above, pay attention to position to motor lever position for that arm can be placed 180 degrees off (sometimes) - which makes wiper parking way off.
BudW
Do you know if I would be able to remove the wiper motor with the crank arm attached to it?
The crank arm nut is turning but not unscrewing off. Thanks for everyone's help
 

Camtron

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I replaced the bushings just removing the linkage. Little grease on the studs the bushings mount to and wrapped a pair of pliers with a little paper towel and electrical tape to keep from damaging/marking the bushings or wiper linkage with the pliers when squeezing everything together.
I hardly remember doing the job really. Couldn’t have been too terrible a task.
 

BudW

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It depends on the (clock) position of the arm. In most cases, yes, the wiper motor can be removed with the short arm still attached, but there has been a few times I had to rotate the arm a short bit to get motor to clear the studs.
 

volare 1977

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Maybe I`m not understanding what he is saying. Are you saying the nut is stripped and just spins on the wiper motor stud or does the crank arm stay in position and the nut and motor drive stud just spins together.
 

Master M

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Maybe I`m not understanding what he is saying. Are you saying the nut is stripped and just spins on the wiper motor stud or does the crank arm stay in position and the nut and motor drive stud just spins together.
The nut turns independently, but does not unscrew from the threaded shaft. If it is a speedy nut I think it was threaded on past the threads and now just turns without unscrewing. I have tried a small wedge to put some outward pressure on the crank arm thinking it would push against the nut and start it to unscrew. That has not worked but I do feel a little more resistance when turning the nut.
I may try popping the plastic bushing off of the crank arm and seeing if I can remove the wiper motor with the crank arm attached.
 

Ele115

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If it were me, I would pull the whole yitazghul out, put it on the bench and slice the nut. Replace the nut and get a set of Mopar (not Dorman or Hochiminium) bushings and recondition the whole set up. Take pics of how everything was aligned with your phone before you take it apart, that may make it a few minutes easier. Then you have good fokking for years, not problems'
 

Aspen500

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To get the new bushings in, it helps to put them in hot water first. That'll soften them up some so they will pop in much easier. Alternative is a heat gun, being careful to not heat them too much. Of course, that's after you can get it apart.
 

LSM360

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If I remember correctly, that should be a hollow nut, just pressed out of some thin steel. Not a solid nut.
If you have a replacement, press it hard (destroys old nut) to get it to thread off.

Otherwise, just pop the linkage off the short arm and replace the nylon bushings.
You're correct, at least as far as the ones I've had on my vehicles, regarding the type of nut.
 

LSM360

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If it were me, I would pull the whole yitazghul out, put it on the bench and slice the nut. Replace the nut and get a set of Mopar (not Dorman or Hochiminium) bushings and recondition the whole set up. Take pics of how everything was aligned with your phone before you take it apart, that may make it a few minutes easier. Then you have good fokking for years, not problems'
This is good advice, including use Mopar ones only.
 

Master M

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Thanks for all of the help. I am waiting for the bushings. I plan on removing the whole wiper system, and am curious as to why the nut won't unscrew off the motor.
 

volare 1977

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I appears to be the wrong nut. It is maybe the wrong thread or size or metric or stripped.
 

MoparMuscleMan440

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You need to hold the crank arm with a wrench, pliers, vise-grip, anything that works to hold it. Then the nut can be cracked loose. It's right hand thread (loosen CCW). The FSM is correct. Manually turning the motor can break the plastic gears. Make note which way the arm is pointing for reassembly.

You could also pop the linkage off the crank arm and leave it (the arm) attached to the motor but it's easier to take the whole works out. It's a good idea to replace all the nylon bushings at the same time anyway. The wiper pivots are held with a 12pt nut to the cowl. You probably know that though.
Finally after 32 years the pass side wiper stopped wiping. The bushing failed and the arm connecting the pass side to the drivers side dropped down.
The entire wiper system is original to the car. I watched a video and searched the forum and have a 1988 FSM. The nut on the crank arm turns in
either direction with some resistance like I am turning the motor but does not unscrew. The crank arm does not move when I turn the nut in either direction. The FSM says to hold the drive crank with a wrench while removing the crank nut (to prevent overloading the gears). I would appreciate any advice on removing the nut.

View attachment 46627
Finally after 32 years the pass side wiper stopped wiping. The bushing failed and the arm connecting the pass side to the drivers side dropped down.
The entire wiper system is original to the car. I watched a video and searched the forum and have a 1988 FSM. The nut on the crank arm turns in
either direction with some resistance like I am turning the motor but does not unscrew. The crank arm does not move when I turn the nut in either direction. The FSM says to hold the drive crank with a wrench while removing the crank nut (to prevent overloading the gears). I would appreciate any advice on removing the nut.

View attachment 46627
I'm kind of curious,.....if the wiper motor is still working, and all that is wrong with the assembly, is the bushings have failed, why are you wanting to remove the motor itself, anyway? The bushings can be replaced with the wiper motor on the car. Have done it several times myself. And by the way, the motor can be removed without having to remove the cam on the motor shaft. You just have to apply voltage to it intermittently, to get it in the right position for removal.
 
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