Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Does anyone have any pictures of the wiper system under dash.I am having a hard time putting it back together and can't seem to figure out the procedure to adjust it.I read the manual and it's Greek to me.Any help would be great,thanks

Pictures from the 55-6 manual are not too bad and I think the assemblies are about the same in design. The written description in the instruments section of manual might help. Those later cables have different colored ends but not sure about the earlier. Basically you attach the cables in essentially a circle on the middle pulley -- one cable from the outside pulley wraps from top and down to it's anchor point and other one wraps from the bottom going up. Individual groove for each cable and the orientation controls direction of the outside pulley rotation.

The tensioners need to be pinned in their full cable loose or highest spring tension position when cables are placed over those. There is a pair of holes where after you release the flat spring latch mechanism and twist against the spring (very strong spring and sharp edges) you can insert a pin or nail to keep them locked. Once the cables are strung and anchored in the middle, the tensioner assembly is held with your hand (again, very strong spring) and the pin holding it locked is removed. You hold the assembly and gently allow the spring to tension cables. You do need to keep the spring from snapping it back.

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That helps ,thanks.My 54 has 4 different pulleys on each side.The tensioner looks simple but,I think I need to pull it back off the car to see how it works.It appears they are maxed out on tension but cables are still loose.Im thinking the cables are routed incorrect or the pulleys on the pivot are backwards.

Ok,I have worked on wiper cables for two weekends and have come to the conclusion to either build the car without wipers or torch the car and find something else to work on.All of this just to remove windshield trim to paint the body.Ver frustrated

Know the feeling about wanting a very large hammer or torch at times--sometimes two. Been there, done that, still do, but hang in. Has been many years but as I recall, other than trying to fit myself into a confined space and see the mechanism at the same time and some sore & cut hands from holding the heavy spring on the tensioners, not too much else went wrong when I did a couple.

Packard was less than spectacular with their written instructions in many cases. Other cars used a very similar system--albeit with detail changes for their models--but the basics remained the same. Here is a halfway decent writeup from a Corvette site explaining their version. Aside from the shape of some components and lack of the same type tensioners we use, the workings are similar. Their description may help but ours added the tensioner as a separate piece because we dropped down and changed cable direction 90 degrees. Ours adjusts differently but same idea.tech.corvettecentral.com/2011/01/1956-1962-windshield-wiper-transmissions/

Please! No torch!! Patience!!

I've removed them from a couple of 54 - 56 Packards, and a 50. Other than the discomfort of being under the dash, I don't recall that it was anything complicated at all, really kind of intuitive. So just take a break for a while, go back under and just study it first for a few minutes - I suspect on another look-see it will become pretty obvious.

As per wife's instructions I'm takin a break.The two biggest things I can't seem to figure out is how to keep the cable ends attached at the motor while dealing with the pulley system.Second is once everything is hooked up,the cables are way too loose.Im wondering if I have the cable routing correct.I am usually good at documenting disassebly with pics but now wish I had pics and maybe hand drawn diagram.I also wished I would have color coded some of this.thanks for the help,I'm going to give it another try next weekend