51 Kaiser Wipers...electric or vacuum?

[konrad]

How do I tell whether I have electric of vacuum wipers on my car?  I know both versions were installed on 51's within the production period.  I would estimate (based on vin) that my car was produced about 75% of the way through the 51 production run.

They don't currently work, and I have no real experience with troubleshooting either.

My first point of attack will of course be the wiper switch, assuring it is getting power and the contacts work, but thence?  If they're vacuum of course I'll need to track down vacuum leaks 1st, but if they're electric and the switch is good, then what do I look at?

[joefrazer]

Are there wires running to the wiper switch?  If so, the car has electric wipers. Vacuum units use a mechanical switch.

[rrdcorvair]

A 51 Deluxe (wide stainless) should have had electric, a 51 Special (narrow or no stainless) should have vacuum.  Electric wiper cars have a single pump fuel pump but vacuum wipers require a double style fuel pump.  Lower pump is fuel, upper pump is vacuum pump.  Plus a rubber vacuum line enters the firewall near the heater box on firewall.

[Fid]

A 51 Deluxe (wide stainless) should have had electric, a 51 Special (narrow or no stainless) should have vacuum.

Actually, according to the club handbook and other KF literature, "Kaiser Deluxe automobiles built through August 1950 had vacuum wipers rather than electric types."

Another way to tell is... do they work?  If not, likely vacuum  but one good way to tell is there will be a vacuum line out the top of the fire wall which goes to a line out the top of the fuel pump? See picture, vacuum line marked with red arrow.
If that vacuum line is present, then it has vacuum wipers.

[joefrazer]

I once owned an early production 51 DeLuxe and it, much to my surprise, had vacuum wipers. Fortunately, they worked because the car was my only transportation for almost a year.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

If in doubt on a 1951 Kaiser Deluxe and its wipers, check the Accessory Group # on the Body Information Tag (the large tag on the firewall).  Cars with AG 2, 4, 4A, 6 and 6A should have vacuum wipers.  Cars with AG 9 or AG 9A are supposed to have electric wipers. 

[konrad]

Many thanks guys!

Below are the 2 pics of the engine bay of my car, as taken by the dealer I bought it from.  It appears from those pics that I have electric wipers.  So if the switch on the dash board checks out and is getting current...what's the next thing to look at for getting them operational?  Is there an in line fuse behind the dash on these?  Oh please, oh please...that would be the easiest. 

[Gordie]

The Service Standards books for 1951 and 1952 do not list a fuse for the windshield wipers.

[konrad]

Crap...

If not the switch, then what?  My inference would be an electric motor for each wiper...meaning two bad motors since neither wiper works...or is it possible there's a single motor for both?.

Unless there's some electrical junction point where it/both operate from, and that is the problem...

Twould be nice to know I can drive my car if a summer cloudburst came along... 

Okay...now I'm almost wishing I had to track down a vacuum leak...lol!!

[joefrazer]

There is one motor located under the center of the dash that controls both wiper arms. The wiper switch has one post that gets 6V supplied to it when the ignition switch is not off. Simply jump a wire from it, with the key in either the run or accessory position, to another post and if the wipers start working, the switch is defective. If not, it's time for another wiper motor. The good news is that either is not difficult to change.