wiper post disappears

[DH Comet]

My '53 Manhattan's passenger side wiper spindle won't accept the arm;  when you try to put on the arm the spindle just pushes into the housing. I've taken out the glovebox and tried to hold it various ways while someone pushed the arm on, but no go.  How is the wiper assembly (or specifically the spindle) supposed to be held into the cowl?  The driver's side is okay, but I can't see what's holding it in there!

[ldladyvt]

There is a rod that comes through the chrome housing of the wiper, on top of that rod is a pot metal round knob and that is held onto the 'pivot rod' by a set screw,
and then the wiper arm slips over the round knob and a clip at the bottom of the wiper arm holds the piece in place.  Is the round pot metal piece inside the wiper arm?

[DH Comet]

No, the wiper arm is long gone;  I've never seen it. I do have a few wiper arms that might fit, but I'll have to see if they have a set screw - most of them appear to be a "push-on" type.

[joefrazer]

Here's what a complete wiper base assembly looks like. It sounds to me like you're missing the pivot head pictured...it's the splined piece. On some cars the pivot head is held in place with a set screw, but on most they're just pressed in place...which means over time they loosen and come off when the wiper arm is removed.

[DH Comet]

I have a pivot head like the one in the picture, but I can't get it to stay on because the inner spline pushes in when the pivot head is pushed onto it.  Previous owner drilled a hole through the inner spline and had the arm stay on with a screw through the whole assembly, but it won't put any tension on the arm, so the wiper is just barely resting on the windshield.
Are there any set-screw pivot heads around?

[mbflemingkf]

The spring in the wiper arm is what keeps the wiper blade pressure on the windshield not this unit.

Weak or broken wiper arm spring...no pressure.  I believe AL-150 is the Trico arm number...not easy to find but they're out there.  Sorry, cant remember the length of them or the blades.

 

[joefrazer]

The blade length is 11". I believe the common Trico number is RB-11.

[DH Comet]

I looked through my parts, and I do have a set screw pivot head;  it has two set screws, in fact.  I'll give it a try.  The arm has plenty of spring tension - it's the lack of a proper pivot head that's the problem, so it might be okay with this unit.

[DH Comet]

Yes!  The set screw pivot head works great, and I now have two working wipers!  Thanks for the info.