Wiper Arm Removal Confusion

[MasonW]

'93 SHO MTX

Looking in my service manual, I found the following section:

1. Turn ignition switch to the ACC position. Turn turn signal and windshield wiper switch ON. Allow windshield wiper motor to move the windshield wiper mounting arm and pivot shafts three or four cycles, then turn off the turn signal and windshield wiper switch. This will place the windshield wiper mounting arm and pivot shafts in the park position. Turn ignition switch to the OFF position.

2. Remove the windshield wiper pivot arm and windshield wiper blade by first applying downward pressure on the windshield wiper pivot arm head, while holding the windshield wiper pivot arm. Then lift the windshield wiper pivot arm to the highest position and, using finger pressure only, grasp slide latch tab and slide latch out from under the windshield wiper pivot arm head. Remove windshield wiper pivot arm and windshield wiper blade assembly.

3. To remove the windshield wiper blade, insert a screwdriver into the slot provided at top of the windshield wiper blade frame, push down on spring lock and pull the windshield wiper blade from the windshield wiper mounting arm and pivot shaft.

4. Install the windshield wiper blade onto the new replacement windshield wiper pivot arm.

This is all well and good, but as others have said, it seems overly complicated, and when I tried to follow the instructions, I couldn't get past #1 without getting nervous that I would break something.

Could someone break this down in even more simple terms, including potential pitfalls and what I could have been doing wrong? Feel free to ask about how I tried to do it in the first place.

Many Thanks,
Mason

 

[tery]

Life the hood all the way up, grab the wiper arm by the blade and lift it far enough so that you can slide the little locking tab out the sticks out just a little where the arm is mounted onto the splined part that comes through the valance?? that will then hold the part your grabbing so that it won't go all the way back into place, jiggle the wiper arm so that it wiggles kinda at the mounting base place and it will come up. Sometimes you have to kinda bend it back up against the hood to get it far enough up to slide out the tab, but it is flexible, just manhandle it..
*note that the drivers and passenger arms are NOT the same length

 

[demon]

#2 instruction is the one to read carefully. That is how to remove the wiper arm.

The arm is held on the wiper post with the tension of the spring that holds the wiper down on the wind shield.

The tab is there only to hold the spring tension off the post .

Lift the wiper arm off the glass and a little more. The tab will move only a little and it should hold the wiper up just a little. Enough to keep the pressure off the post.

The pressure is relieved off the post it should rock up and off.

Pay attn. to the length and position removed from on the car as stated above.

 

[rubydist]

I find it 10x easier to get the arms off if I turn off the key when the wiper arms are all the way up on the windshield. that way, when I lift the end of the arm, I'm not scratching the arm on the back of the hood to get it lifted up. Special care must be taken when reinstalling the arm, to make sure it is lined up properly, or it will go up too far (off the windshield on the driver's side) or not park all the way (not down far enough), but the actual getting it off/on is much easier.

As was stated above, when the arm is lifted off the windshield, then you can slide that little locking clip out, so that it will both hold the arm off the windshield and allow the arm to be pulled off the hub.

 

[MasonW]

Understood. That is all very useful information.

Based on the description, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be doing this with the hood up, therefore scraping on the underside of the hood, or just using the tiny bit of clearance you get in the park position with the hood down.

The other issue is that I would have to use some external power to get the arms to a more vertical position, as the car has been sitting for quite some time now, and I was trying to do this without the use of a battery (the one that was parked with this guy seems to be dead).

Thanks again for all of the help and not judging my inexperience too harshly!

 

[demon]

Chilton manuals are pretty vauge!!

 

[tery]

Mason, This forum is the best group of people you'll find online. They help everyone with anything and have all the info you need, and I'm still a newbie myself, but seriously, great people here that know everything about these cars, ...tearing up here...sob sob
But for real...Just pure honest help, not judgmental or attitudes