Anyone, and I mean anyone, who has ever driven in the rain in a vehicle that is equipped with vacuum-operated wipers knows they are pretty much useless. Perhaps the only thing that could be worse would be for that vehicle to have only a driver-side wiper. Owners of 1939-46 Chevrolet and GMC trucks know that these trucks came from the factory with both of these not-so-luxurious features. New Port Engineering has recognized this problem with many vintage vehicles and has now expanded their product line to include these vintage trucks. (The Clean Wipe System earned a coveted NSRA Best New Product of the Year Award at this years Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky.)
Many of New Port Engineer-ing's kits are for vehicles that originally had dual vacuum wipers, in which one of their wiper motors were connected to the original wiper transmission for a much-improved electric windshield wiper system. For this particular kit, the wiper motor and linkage for dual wipers are included, as from the factory these trucks were equipped only with a single driver-side wiper. Passenger-side wipers were an option. The downside of this is that a second hole will need to be drilled above the windshield of your truck. This is not a problem, however, as New Port Engineering includes a hole-drilling jig to ensure the new hole is located properly. This is just one of the steps toward ultimate customer satisfaction that causes New Port Engineering to rise above their competition. If you are installing this kit on an already painted truck, it would be a good idea to place some masking tape over the area where drilling will be done to help minimize potential scratches to your truck's finish.
As with all of New Port Engineering's kits, installation is easy and very straightforward. If you can read (detailed, but easy to follow instructions are included with all kits) and can operate basic handtools such as a screwdriver, a transfer punch, a hammer, a drill, and a soldering gun or wire crimpers, you can install this kit.
The first step toward installing the New Port Engineering Clean Wipe electric wiper motor is to get rid of the old vacuum system. Remove the screws securing the header panel to the interior roof of the truck, remove the header panel, and set everything aside. Carefully remove the existing windshield wiper arm. With the arm removed, remove the setscrew that secures the knurled knob to the motor-driven shaft. Remove the escutcheon and washer from the motor shaft. With the header panel out of the way, the original vacuum motor can be removed.
Don't forget to either remove or plug the vacuum line. In preparation for this installation, Bill Huxel's 1946 Chevrolet cabover tow truck served as a perfect candidate for a much-needed update. Installation is simple and photos are worth thousands of words, so follow along to see how you too can easily improve the safety of your 1939-46 General Motors truck. Bill had already routed a power line from the fuse panel up through the A-pillar to the area where the new electric wiper motor will be installed.
