windshield wiper arm removal

[Bill Root]

I need to remove the windshield wipers and motors in preparation for painting the window frames and replacing the glass on my 43 DCMY. Before I get up there and start prying the wiper arms off the spindles with a screw driver, is there anyhting I need to know? Is there a clip underneath the arm that needs to be released, or do they just pry off like car wiper arms do. Thanks.

 

[rwetherington]

there is no chip under wiper arm. be careful as some times the salt water will make the two metals almost weld together. take a piece of wood and place under the arm next to the shaft so that you can get better levelage and a straighter angle on the arm. Oh be sure to take the nuts off first and be careful as they will try to jump over board.

 

[sgharford]

If original pantograph wipers like type I have on 1976 43 DC, was really easy. Just take the nut and washer off top of pantograph arm and it pops right off. There is a cone shaped device with splines running down it that engage the pantograph wiper arm behind arm. This allows you to put the arm back on in any position. Behind the cone (which slides off shaft) is another nut and washer – remove these and you are done on the outside. There are two more screws on inside holding wiper motor to inside of frame.

If these are original, be careful with wiper motor covers as they may be brittle from 35 years of sun exposure. They don’t make them anymore and SAMS can’t get them either. Good Luck!

ps: Not sure who is doing your windows, if home/automotive type place make sure they do NOT wear boots on your decks! A-holes made a mess of my decks with black scuff marks last year when I had windows replaced.

 

[jpaddy-MAMT]

They can be very difficult to break loose sometimes. The plywood for leverage is definitely the way to go. Wear safety glasses, I almost took a cone shaped spline to the eye on time. Also, may want to spray some liquid wrench or something like that to dissolve any corrosion.

 

[Brian Degulis]

I fought with mine and finally resorted to heat. Carefull heating with a propane torch poped it off easily.

Brian

 

[aquacraig@shaw.ca]

The arms on my boat had been there for 26 years and a backhoe wouldn't have got them off. I used a hacksaw blade and slit them down beside the spline. Then I was able to break the bond! Took about 1 hour per wiper but no damage to the glass work. Good luck!

 

[Bill Root]

Thanks for your help. I'll be taking them off tomorrow.

 

[Canuck Dennis]

All my pentagraph arms have failed, any ideas where to buy in Ft Lauderdale ?

D

 

[Timm]

I had a similar problem getting mine off.

The solution was a modification to a standard Jabsco impeller puller that I have on board for its intended purpose.

I unscrewed the center section (rotating puller) and inserted a bolt fed from the bottom up. It's a metric size (can't remember). It takes a bit of fanagling to get the bolt head to line up on the shaft and then get the pullers arms under the wiper, but it works. Used a box wrench to turn the bolt and the arm popped right off.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

All my pentagraph arms have failed, any ideas where to buy in Ft Lauderdale ?

D

Did you check with Sams?

 

[Canuck Dennis]

I see some listed at Sams, 45.00 to 65.00, wow.....steep.will modify current to single arm. Here in Florida not much rain in the Winter boating season.

 

[sgharford]

For a (marine) pantograph arm that sounds really cheap! Most others I have seen were $200+. At least given shape of my windows on 43DC - don't think a single arm would work well. It's going to change the sweep angle (think mine is set at 85 degrees) to something like 25 degrees because the bottom of windshield wiper is now going to hit sides of glass rather then move parrellel to vertical sections of window frame. Pretty sure swing arm on wiper motor won't tweak down to this reduced angle, so you will have to get new motor new too - that's serious duckets.

 

[Bill Root]

Got 'em off today - much easier with the glass removed! A good soaking with penetrating oil also helped.