How to remove wiper arms

[60dgrzbelow0]

This was a Private Message... but it ties the ends of the solution side together like sneaker shoelaces... so it deserves to be aired on the forum... and Kill Two Birds with One Stone.

Hi..Would you allow me to send you all the pictures with text included using Microsoft Picture-it? If you could put together a presentation of this conduit hanger being modified and post it it would save me alot of time. All the pictures are 100kb or smaller.....Tom

Tom... For the moment, let's overlook the possibility that you might unknowingly be suggesting that your time is more valuable than mine... and skip to the part where I recommend that you follow the "KISS" principle here and do what is the accepted method for either comprehensive Project Photo-Displays or Instructional Videos. The best service to do this is available for free via the Internet and is Off-Forum, so it does not tie up any of www.60degreev6.com bandwidth (or make Brad “BSZOPI" Crazy...). Just set up your own free account with www.photobucket.com and then bulk upload your images and/or videos and then drag and drop the links to any unique projects you might have in the future into your postings and when you want anyone to see what you are working on just put the link your related posts and that will do the trick.

Also... while I agree that your WW-Tool project has merit... I really have enough trouble with just making and sharing all of my own numerous Projects and Idea Developments and maintaining them at Photobucket to keep our group here up to speed on whatever one I happen to be working on at the time. I don't use any Micro$oft applications or any of their operating systems... (I am using a Linux Box for my forum activities) and frankly... if I even look at this project of yours cross-eyed... the members will automatically assume I gave you this idea and not pay you the proper credit you deserve. The other benefit is that any one of these projects might get interrupted or staggered or stymied in their development... so using your Photobucket makes it easy for you to add, update or amend them...without having to scour all your prior postings to either edit or eliminate “old and outdated content”.

The best way for you to appreciate these benefits is to visit one of my Photobucket Projects and look at some of the images and instructional videos I have created to walk people through "How- To- Build" of whatever I am working on that they might be able to use. I recommend this format to anyone who does not want to spend too much time and effort trying to write out their How-To-s ...when short and distinct videos will do everything you need to do ...and do it more fluidly and completely.

This is what I mean: (This is the infamous Album that covers the now very successful “FrankInjector EFI Cleaning Machine Project”)

http://s557.photobucket.com/albums/ss19/60dgrzbelow0/HOMEMADEEFICLEANER/

While the folks at www.photobucket.com do have a facility to resize all of your uploading images dynamically... if you let them do this process ...you will die of old age waiting for the files to finally make it into your online Albums. Instead, I recommend the best Windows Freeware Bulk Image and Photo Re-Sizer that can be found anywhere ...here... and it should make your life much easier when taking multi-megabyte sized high quality images from your digital camera(s) and getting them into acceptable clarity and proportions with speed and ease:

http://www.faststone.org/FSResizerDetail.htm

The bottom line here is that if you want to "Take on a Project", I’m suggesting that you do the right thing... and really "Take it All On". This way... Nobody can ever lay claim to your “Inspiration” ...or deny you the necessary “Perspiration” it will take to design, build, test, document and demonstrate it to any success it might have (and or failure if you intend complete honesty to those you hope to help). Good Luck with Your Project...

'Nuff Said.

[bszopi]

We have plenty of bandwidth, so I have no problem hosting the pics. But, photobucket is an easy way to do it and link to the images.

[fastback4]

Photobucket......"Brilliant"...Will do........Tom

[fastback4]

Completed home made wiper arm removal tool...

I have finished the home made GM wiper arm removal tool that i plan to use on my 1997 monte carlo. Here are some pictures i took illustrating what tools i used, some proceedures and stuff like that. I will write out a proper documentation after i try to use this tool to remove my wiper arms. Confidence is high.....Tom

[fastback4]

Tool worked......but

The tool worked but with minor flaws. Please see attachment

[60dgrzbelow0]

Tom... This idea and creation of yours is looking very good...

FWIW... Another possible modification to consider...

You can emulate the K-M Tool "Friction Reducing, Energy Concentrating Hardened Steel Knob" that focuses all the downward pressure into the center of Wiper Armature Knurled Motor Shaft by simply inverting your new 3/8ths " bolt and drilling out a slightly over-sized hole vs. a Hardened Steel Ball Bearing which you can sink down to just above its equatorial line... and then peen the steel bolt around the outer circumference of the nested Ball Bearing to keep it in place. The normal use of the tool with a touch of Moly-D Grease on that Ball bearing will serve to keep the wide face of the end of the screw on your new invention from wanting to "walk off" the top of the WW shaft while it is being turned ...and possibly bending the feet...and cracking the tool.

One last thing... like the axle in the middle of a spinning wheel... the angle of the bolt will not be so important with all the force being concentrated on the face of the Ball Bearing... so it may not even be necessary to change the angle of the threaded hole...as long as the Ball Bearing sits out enough to allow the bolt to rotate without the outer edges of the bolt-screw part touching, dragging or grabbing hold of the face of the armature bolt when the tightening begins. See the above image of the K-M tool in my hand to eyeball the ball bearing component... Got a link to your PhotoBucket on your Home Made WW-Removal-Tool Project?

[pocket-rocket]

The tool worked but with minor flaws. Please see attachment

[ATTACH]3669[/ATTACH]

Doh! Maybe putting some tension on the bolt there, and give it a firm smack (not brutal) with a hammer would have made it pop off?

[60dgrzbelow0]

...and then the glancing blow went... PhuuuuuuuK.... (Queue Music...Go to Commercial...)

"Safe-Light Repair... Safe-Light REPLACE...!"

[kerno]

GM wiper arms used to have a larger spline and were retained with a clip underneath the arm. There was never much of a problem removing them. The new style, with the nut on top, seems a lot more prone to seizing than the earlier design. I went out and tried to remove one of mine, which has never seen snow or salt and it might as well be welded on. It looks like I'll be shopping for one of the K-D tools, something I never thought I'd be looking for.

[60dgrzbelow0]

GM wiper arms used to have a larger spline and were retained with a clip underneath the arm. There was never much of a problem removing them. The new style, with the nut on top, seems a lot more prone to seizing than the earlier design. I went out and tried to remove one of mine, which has never seen snow or salt and it might as well be welded on. It looks like I'll be shopping for one of the K-D tools, something I never thought I'd be looking for.

X2 ^....The problem with these WW Motor Shafts is that they are shaped like a Naval "Fid" (Similar to a MarlinSpike...but with a symmetrical row of vertical "teeth"), where it has an extreme taper that starts on the narrow end at the top of the threaded post and expands in size like a cone as the WW matched angled hollow moves further down the shaft. The shaft is also made of a fairly hard steel to be able to withstand the constant torsional motions and changes in direction as the WW motor works under the cowling to overcome the resistance caused by the friction and surface contact area of the WW rubber blade and not snap off. When the WW Armature is aligned in the proper position and that small 9mm or 10mm hold down nut/washer is properly torqued down... it is there for good.

To prevent a breakdown in how it manages to hang on to the WW armature...this tapered metal motor shaft is also vertically splined. The WW armature seems to be purposely made of some kind of softer, extruded aluminum or pot-metal amalgam that easily yields to shaping and fitting over the stronger metal shaft. Also, when the two dissimilar metals are in such close contact with each under under such great pressure ...electrolytic corrosion can occur. Because this fix happens so rarely, since the multiple components that make up this mechanical system that are, for the most part, invariably very reliable, the parts tend to be in contact with one another, undisturbed for a decade or even longer. These are the conditions that will cause screwdrivers used as pry bars to be bent to the point of breaking and set the stage for the invention of brand new curse words, should the WW arms remain intractable and held fast, turning what should arguably be such a simple repair turn into such a huge nightmare. Sometimes...only the "Factory Tool" will do the job... All That Said... Props to Tom for actually designing and building (and sharing) his own clever device and getting it to work right... at least for the one time he needed it to get the job done.

[Azrael]

I wonder if windshield repair/replacement shops would have this tool. You might be able to convince one of them to pop the arms off for a small fee or let you borrow it on site.

[60dgrzbelow0]

Tom... This idea and creation of yours is looking very good...

FWIW... Another possible modification to consider...

You can emulate the K-M Tool "Friction Reducing, Energy Concentrating Hardened Steel Knob" that focuses all the downward pressure into the center of Wiper Armature Knurled Motor Shaft by simply inverting your new 3/8ths " bolt and drilling out a slightly over-sized hole vs. a Hardened Steel Ball Bearing which you can sink down to just above its equatorial line... and then peen the steel bolt around the outer circumference of the nested Ball Bearing to keep it in place. The normal use of the tool with a touch of Moly-D Grease on that Ball bearing will serve to keep the wide face of the end of the screw on your new invention from wanting to "walk off" the top of the WW shaft while it is being turned ...and possibly bending the feet...and cracking the tool.

One last thing... like the axle in the middle of a spinning wheel... the angle of the bolt will not be so important with all the force being concentrated on the face of the Ball Bearing... so it may not even be necessary to change the angle of the threaded hole...as long as the Ball Bearing sits out enough to allow the bolt to rotate without the outer edges of the bolt-screw part touching, dragging or grabbing hold of the face of the armature bolt when the tightening begins. See the above image of the K-M tool in my hand to eyeball the ball bearing component... Got a link to your PhotoBucket on your Home Made WW-Removal-Tool Project?

The Last Thoughts of a Ball Bearing... upon being brought into this Project..."Uh Ohhh... I think I'm SCREWED!" .............> (Credit to "M.S. Escher" ...duly noted...)

http://spot.colorado.edu/~mcmorran/Hand_with_reflecting_globe.jpg