Whats the difference between 55-57 and 58-59 Wiper Motors?

[Maximus]

Looking at wiper parts...
the catalogs have motors for 1955-57 and 1958-59, what changed?
I originally thought maybe 58-59 came standard with an electric motor instead of a vacuum, but why would this matter in buying a new wiper motor? so i thought maybe the arms changed...
the reason I need clarification is I have a 1955 cab, but pulled the wiper arms out of a 1959 cab. I am assuming I buy the 1958-59 motor but before I drop nearly $200 I wanted some info behind this topic...

Thanks!!

[Divine 59]

Vacuum or electric. motor?

For vacuum the motors are the same all the way from 55 (2nd) to 59.
For electric the 55-57 motors use the same type of switch and cable to activate the motor. The 58-59 use a different switch that is not cable operated. It is possible to use a 55-57 electric wiper motor on a 58-59, as long as you keep the 55-57 switch or use the 55-59 cable operated switch from the vacuum motors.
Hope that clears it up.

[Rude Dude]

The wiper arms inside that attach to the motor are different on 58-59

Originally Posted by Divine 59

Vacuum or electric. motor?

For vacuum the motors are the same all the way from 55 (2nd) to 59.
For electric the 55-57 motors use the same type of switch and cable to activate the motor. The 58-59 use a different switch that is not cable operated. It is possible to use a 55-57 electric wiper motor on a 58-59, as long as you keep the 55-57 switch or use the 55-59 cable operated switch from the vacuum motors.
Hope that clears it up.

[_Ogre]

i thought they were all the same, same cowl, same switch location

i've had 58-59 trucks with both vacuum and electric
my 58 has electric that i pulled out of my 59 panel
it had the cable operator on it

when i shaved my dash, i used the throttle cable in the hole next to the headlite switch to operate them
you can see the knob is out a bit here, out is off, in is on.
they work, just never used them
rain-ex is your friend

if you buy the motor and it needs a cable operator, i have one you can have

[ChuckDriver]

I thought the arms for the electric ones were different from the vacumn ones?

[1project2many]

Going by memory, many years ago I tried to put a 59 electric motor in a 55 cab. The 59 motor had a square or squared plate that mounted to the cab and it wouldn't fit into the 55 cab so all the bolts would line up. As I remember it the 59 cab was stamped a little differently where the motor mounted.

[Russell Ashley]

Originally Posted by ChuckDriver

I thought the arms for the electric ones were different from the vacumn ones?

The arms must be the same for vacuum or electric. I bought an electric wiper motor off of EBay and used my original vacuum arms. They fit and work correctly.

[buggy5872]

58 - 59 electric wiper motors are different than 55-57. the mounting is a little different and the arms under the dash are different. The 58-59 wiper motor makes the arms go around in a circle where they mount, one on top and one on the bottom. The 55-57 motor has a mechanism that makes the arms go back and forth.

[Maximus]

darn... I dont know if my 59' had an electric or cable switch / vacuum or electric.

anyone have a photo of each wiper arm?

[Steve Laeger]

I have a 58 cab with no wiper motor or brackets, I bought a wiper motor kit from LMC and I am not sure where to mount it does anyone have pictures of a a wiper motor set up in a 58-59

[OrrieG]

Here are two photos of my factory 59 GMC motor mounted in my 59 Chevy. It used the same mounts as the factory vacuum motor. The control is cable. Before I found the stock motor I had adapted a 62 C10 motor to work, had to fab a mounting bracket and modify the arms to the wipers.

[59stepside]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

Here are two photos of my factory 59 GMC motor mounted in my 59 Chevy. It used the same mounts as the factory vacuum motor. The control is cable. Before I found the stock motor I had adapted a 62 C10 motor to work, had to fab a mounting bracket and modify the arms to the wipers.

I have wiper arms that mount vertically on the motor. I don't have original motor or brackets for reference. I bought the replacement from LMC truck but don't see anyway it is supposed to mount. I have not been able to find a pic of how the motor mounted with vertical connections to the motor... Anybody got any ideas?

[OrrieG]

The stock ones are vertical too (motor shaft aligned horizontally and sort of parallel the frame). Didn't they design a mount that uses the two upper bolts and provide the other bracket? If I remember right (it was 25 years ago) making the bracket to adapt the 66 motor to the stock bolts was not hard, piece of bent tin with some holes drilled in it. Getting the arm length was. I would assume the kit you got has the right geometry to use the stock arms??? If they are not selling a complete kit folks need to know.

[59stepside]

I bought the only kit they have listed for 58-59 trucks. It came with a little bracket and the mounting plate holes don't match up to anything. I ordered it a long time ago and to late to return for full refund. It was $150. At this point I think I'm just going to fabricate my own bracket. But with what they gave me it looks like it will be a little difficult since everything is at an angle.

Are these supposed to spin all the way around or forward and back motion?
This LMC motor spins forward and back.

[Daze57]

if that is a factory 59 gmc wiper motor than that is the exact same one i have in my 57
even all the brackets are the same - with all the same hook ups

[Steve Laeger]

Thank you Orrieg! Your the best I love this site!

[_Ogre]

i think all the tf trucks had the washer nozzle option built into the bezel
some have a plug some have the nozzle all have the tube attached

can't tell you about the 57 electric motor, my 59 panel had electric wipers that i moved to 58 truk
the switch is on the motor and uses the same cable controller as the vacuum wipers
my 58 electric wipers had the same controller as the vacuum in the pic posted



when i shaved the dash the cable wouldn't work as it had no hole to mount
i used the stock throttle cable controller mounted next to the headlight switch
and bent the cable to work with the switch on the motor
out is off, in is high, sort of in is low

[57taskforce]

Hmmm. Very interesting. I've honestly done about zero research on the wiper motors so this is the first I've heard of the cable switch, as mine has been missing from the wiper motor from the time I got the truck. I always figured the motor was grounded to the cab and the 12v supply came from a switched circuit. I guess I'll need to find a new to me jy motor or parts to replace what is missing from mine. Or I'll have to figure a way to wire mine to a switch. A few years back I was able to get mine to run off an old battery but I don't honestly really recall how I did it.

[dew468]

does anyone have a wiring diagram for the wiper motor in a 59 truck. it's a 2 spd motor. any help would be appreciated.

[dsraven]

The firewall area behind the motoris stamped different on my 2 cabs from 57to 58.

[trucktony]

For DEW468

If I think what can be in your truck must be the same wiper motor as in the 58-59 impala's.
There is one (red) hot wire going to the motor from the ignitionswitch and two (black and white) from your switch.
the switch wires work on the negative coming from the switch via the dashbord.
(so make sure they make a good contact)
There are about three relais in the motor which are a bit sensitive.
In first (1e) on the switch both(black and white) get negative pulse to the motor making it turn slow
In second (2e) on the switch one of the cables (black OR white)(cannot remember which) gets pulse and make it go faster
In rest (0) the motor still feeds negative to the motor that makes it turn backwards until a canceling cam on the motor (which only gets triggered in reverse mode)
pushes a rod that interrups the circuit and(the canceling cam) makes the wipers stop on there lowest point.
There's a dragsystem (screw with tightning nut) on the motor that when it's to loose make the motor run over the canceling cam and make another reverse cycle on and on. So if the motor does not stop this can be the problem.(happens after no good setup after maintenance or overhaul)(just make some more drag by turning in the screw and tightning the nut)(the nut puls the screw a bit backwards and altering the drag again,so you have to fiddle a bit to get the right portion on it)

I had to figure it out without any manual and it took me awhile.
Do not try to figure out the working of the relais (it wil give you a headache)
VERY IMPORTANT. the switch aswell as the motor MUST make good negative/ground
sometimes a negative wire to the motorbody will help as there are tiny grabbers that make the actual negative/ground on the motor because the motor is hanging in rubbers against sheetmetal/bracket fatigue
Basics :
1 hot wire to motor from ignition/fusebox
black and white wire from switch carrying negative/ground only
good negative/ground on motor and switch
drag systeem to make motor stop

Hope this will help

[QBRacing]

@TruckTony
I fear that I may actually have a late 57 cab on my early 58 chassis. This is the second thing I have been caught out on now, the first being some aftermarket bonnet hinges I scored cheap over here (and sold again for a profit mind you).
I now know the 55-57 have narrower smaller bolt holes for the hinges and the 58-59 they are wider apart and larger.

This pretty much confirms it for me that at least the firewall section is from 57.

In saying that my control arms aren't labelled like on the first page... mine are 353 Left and 342 Right which dont even get mentioned.

I would rather find a 57 wiper switch in that case than to try and find then test a 58 sedan over here given my arm numbers dont match that solution.

Q

[dsraven]

The sites for replacement cabs show the same cab for all
I know my 57 gmc was different in the wiper motor and the related bump in the firewall than the 58 chev.

[_Ogre]

look at post #11 by orrieg, there is only one hot wire to the wiper motor
the switch is mounted on the motor controlled by a rotary cable control
look towards the bottom of the picture on the motor, that is the switch
the lone brown wire is power to the motor

our trucks had the cable operator, when the wiper knob is rotated it runs the cable in/out to operate the switch
2 speed motors had the same operator and same rotary cable control
i believe all electric wipers on task force truck are 2 speed: slow and slower

[trucktony]

If I think what can be in your truck must be the same wiper motor as in the 58-59 impala's.
There is one (red) hot wire going to the motor from the ignitionswitch and two (black and white) from your switch.
the switch wires work on the negative coming from the switch via the dashbord.
(so make sure they make a good contact)
There are about three relais in the motor which are a bit sensitive.
In first (1e) on the switch both(black and white) get negative pulse to the motor making it turn slow
In second (2e) on the switch one of the cables (black OR white)(cannot remember which) gets pulse and make it go faster
In rest (0) the motor still feeds negative to the motor that makes it turn backwards until a canceling cam on the motor (which only gets triggered in reverse mode)
pushes a rod that interrups the circuit and(the canceling cam) makes the wipers stop on there lowest point.
There's a dragsystem (screw with tightning nut) on the motor that when it's to loose make the motor run over the canceling cam and make another reverse cycle on and on. So if the motor does not stop this can be the problem.(happens after no good setup after maintenance or overhaul)(just make some more drag by turning in the screw and tightning the nut)(the nut puls the screw a bit backwards and altering the drag again,so you have to fiddle a bit to get the right portion on it)

I had to figure it out without any manual and it took me awhile.
Do not try to figure out the working of the relais (it wil give you a headache)
VERY IMPORTANT. the switch aswell as the motor MUST make good negative/ground
sometimes a negative wire to the motorbody will help as there are tiny grabbers that make the actual negative/ground on the motor because the motor is hanging in rubbers against sheetmetal/bracket fatigue
Basics :
1 hot wire to motor from ignition/fusebox
black and white wire from switch carrying negative/ground only
good negative/ground on motor and switch
drag systeem to make motor stop

I hope this helps
Tony