Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Wipers stopped working after I did an adjustment to transmission linkage yesterday. While I was doing the adjustment, my arm caught the hose that runs from the water reservoir to the wiper mechanism and pulled it off. I reconnected the hose, and that was that.

Today, te wipers don't work. They used to work, but only okay and not real great. I am wondering did I lose a vacuum or something and how to fix this. Thanks.

It's a nice car; I just need to address some little issues to make it right.

Jeff, The model and year of your Packard would be helpful.

Sorry about that. It's a 1956 Clipper Deluxe.

Here is the hose installation info. You didn't say if you had a washer or not. When you turn the knob, does it move the slide on top of motor? That is the actual valve that turns things on & if you have the washer co-ordinator and that is the hose that was pulled, was anything bent. That black plastic cylinder has to slide along with the valve. Otherwise, just follow the hose diagram.

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Thanks, HH. You guys really are up on these Packards. I am surprised at the responsiveness I get here on this forum.

Anyway, there is a washer. The hose that dislodged was the one from the middle of the top of the jar. It seems it connects to the middle of the washer mechanism at the bottom of it. THe pics you posted are hard for me to decipher. There is only one large hose coming from the jar. The others are either very small or electrical wiring. It is dark out, but I am still going to try to figure this out.

Have I described the hose in issue where you can understand which one I am referring to?

Also, I turned the knob, and it does control the slider that is between the motor and assembly.

Done! I reconnected the hose to the wrong place. It should have gone to the balancing valve.

Now, I found the SB describing the need to regularly lubricate the wiper assembly to keep the wipers moving fast. Mine are sluggish. Here is the link to the SB.

https://www.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/SC/SC-VOL23NO10.pdf

I am slightly confused about what it is saying, but has anybody tried this successfully to make sluggish wipers fast again?

Also, what about the recommended oil? Is it still easy to get, or is something else recommended nowadays?

The confusing part of the SB instructions is where it talks about moving the wiper blade until it clicks. Are we supposed to have the wipers turned off and just move the blade manually?

Glad you got things working. The original oil mentioned is probably NLA but I believe one person suggested vacuum pump oil as a substitute and another suggested air tool oil when this came up a few months ago. I haven't tried either but see no reason why they wouldn't work. You move the blades manually. If you listen carefully, at almost the end of the stroke in each direction, there will be a faint click from the front of the motor when the direction valve switches position. That is what they refer to. Here's a crappy pic of the jar hoses.

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Okay, I can try pneumatic air equipment oil. Here's what I am not sure of....

It says to move the blade to a position just before the click. I suppose what I can do is "eyeball" the position where that is and then come back to it but stop a little early.

From there, it says to move the blade rapidly back the opposite direction and then, move it back and forth a few times. What it doesn't say in this instruction is whether, when moving it rapidly and then back and forth, you should (or can) move it beyond the click position.

For example, there is a click at wide open, and another at closed. I can move it to just before the click at wide open, then insert the hose into oil, and then move back rapidly toward closed position. However, do I move it all the way to the click position at closed, or not that far?

You're exactly right. Find the clicks then eyeball where the blades are just before. When you rapidly move it, the direction valve hasn't changed so you will suck up some oil. You move it back and forth in the area between the clicks a few times to move the oil around. After that, expel the excess and do the other side. Essentially, the motor is two separate chambers with the direction valve being the only inlet to either. What you're doing is sucking up oil on one side, sloshing it to coat all those surfaces, then changing the valve and repeating so the other side is treated.