Peva

'85 F150

Here are my questions: How do I get to the wiper linkage to inspect it? I assume I also need access to the linkage to remove (and possibly replace) the wiper motor. Do I remove the screws along the cowl and remove the cowl to get access to the linkage and its attachment to the motor? Anything to be careful of, or hints to make the job quicker or easier

Thanks for any help and advice.?


Background if interested:

My windshield wipers stopped working last weekend.

I've troubleshot it to either a bad wiper motor, or the motor or linkage is jammed/binding.

(There is power to the wiper switch from the ignition switch. With wiper switch connector removed from wiper switch, and ignition on, jumping +12V to either low or high speed wire of connector creates a small spark, but no wiper motion. Measuring resistance between low speed wire to chassis ground reads a little over 4 ohms, from high speed wire to ground reads a little over 3 ohms - so it appears that wires to the motor are intact and connecting through the motor to ground. Therefore, my guess is that the wiper motor or the linkage is mechanically binding).

Therefore, I need to get to the linkage and likely remove (possibly replace) the motor.

Peva

Never mind. I found a couple of good youtube videos that explain it.

One of the videos mentioned that you might have to remove the hood, and that does appear to be the case now that I have the cowl ready to come off. I could force the cowl out, but it would bend stuff and scar the paint.

Have to take it a step at a time. I was hoping to get the cowl off this evening and determine if a linkage problem or motor binding. If it is a simple fix (i.e., no motor replacement), then should be able to finish it in a Saturday session, but if motor needs to be replaced, then it's part of a Saturday to determine that, order the motor, then another part of another Saturday to install the new motor and button it back up.

Peva

Overnight, I decided that there was a high chance that the wiper motor was bad, so I ordered one first thing this morning - it will be here Monday. I'm off from work all next week, so I can get it back together and working in 2 or 3 hours. We are in the preliminary stages of moving, and need the truck for small trips to storage, so it was important not to have it sitting over the next week or so waiting for me to finish the diagnosis and then wait for the motor to get here if the motor turned out to be bad.

So - this evening, I did get in to disengage the linkage from the motor, and remove the motor. BINGO - motor is locked up. Glad I ordered a motor this morning.