Re: 1934 vacuum wipers lube

Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2012/4/17 10:38:05

Your vintage wipers probably have leather seals on the paddles (if they haven't been updated) so Neatsfoot oil would be a good choice. Also a good vacuum motor oil like Mobil's is a good choice.

I've never had occasion to work on the ones on my 34 and they still work like gangbusters so no advice on how to administer the lubricant but the same method used on the postwar Trico motors and described somewhere on this site might work well although the wipers are mounted very high above the windscreen. A couple of screws on the fascia panel above the windscreen and the motors are right in front of you - you might consider just taking them off and cleaning and oiling, it would give you an opportunity to replace that 80 year-old rubber vacuum tubing at the same time.

Also, if they've slowed down you might check the vacuum booster pump, and also look for vacuum leaks. The most common point of vacuum leaks is the Bragg-Kliesrath power brake control valve and cylinder, and the Stromberg automatic choke gasket. Another candidate would be the vacuum pump in the Bijur. New diaphragms and seals for the power brake unit are available from Classic & Exotic.