QuestionHi I hope you can help me with this one. I have a
1953 Packard Clipper 2601. My windshield wipers
are slow to no movement. I took the wiper motor
(vacuum) apart and oiled everything up. That seemed
to help for a short while. I would consider 6v dc
wiper motor. jerry
AnswerI too have Packards of the 50s with vacuum wipers, so I know the frustration of trying to see on an uphill pull!
I send my wiper motors off to Kent Jacquith of Zillah WA - he rebuilds them to like new performance. His business name is "Clean-sweep". His phone number is 541-923-4319
There is another vendor who offers the same service; I have heard good reports on David Ficken of Brooklyn NY also, but I have not used his services. His phone is 631-587-3332.
Of course a vacuum wiper is always going to be somewhat subject to engine condition and driving conditions, as it is the intake manifold vacuum that operates the wipers. If the engine is worn, or in a poor state of tune, the vacuum will be too low to give good wiper performance. Also, the car has a vacuum booster pump as part of the fuel pump - that must be in good condition for satisfactory wiper performance.
While the vacuum wiper system has these foibles, electric wiper are somewhat frustrating also, as there are only two speeds, and in light rain they will drive you nutty as the two speeds are: too fast and WAY too fast!. With vacuum wipers, you have continuous control of wiper speed, in fact with careful manipulation of the control, you can get a sort of "interval wiper" performance - years before that was common.
In any case, I do not know of any electrical wiper motor that will interchange.
You can be sure that the buyer of a new Packard in 1951 would not have put up with substandard wiper performance, so if everything is brought back to like new condition, your wipers should work just fine.
Packard did use electric wiper motors in the late 30s, and through 1947. They went back to vacuum operation from 1948 on, due to disatisfaction with the electric system.
Dick
