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Trico Wiper Motor


DoubleG

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Does anyone have a vacuum wiper motor for a 1924 DB touring? Or even a picture of one? Mine is missing and I have no idea what I'm looking for. I have all the vacuum lines that go down the windshield post and that lead to the vacuum tank. Also it appears the mounting holes are not equally spaced from the wiper shaft hole. This is a tough one. I would appreciate any help I can get.

GG.

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I will try and attach 3 photo's of the wiper motor for my '25 Coach --- have no idea if this will fit a touring car. There is a bracket that mounts above the windshield (outside) and this vacuum motor mounts to this plate.

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Is your wiper mounted on the inside or outside? I have a similar vacuum motor currently mounted on the car --- believe it is for an interior mounting since the wiper arm shaft is rather long.

Edited by FMF (see edit history)
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Thanks for all the info so far.

FMF,

Thank you for the great photos! I'm 99% sure the wiper motor mounts on the inside. The existing vacuum line runs to the inside of the car. According to your photos, the distance between the mounting holes looks as though it would fit my car perfectly. I had no idea the motor casing was cylindrical. I assumed it would be the half round type. I will try the dealers mentioned and hopefully they'll have what I need.

If anyone else has some info on this please let me know.

Thanks again guys!

GG.

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Double G,

I am attaching before and after restoration photo's of the Trico motor presently mounted on my car. This motor was broken --- the internal serrated rod connecting the vacuum plungers (at each end) was cracked. I did manage to repair it using Devcon plastic steel epoxy with stainless steel screening embedded in the epoxy to hold the ends together. As you can see from the photo, I had to shim the motor away from the mounting plate to get it to fit on the outside of the car. I believe this motor was intended to be mounted inside the car especially since there is a knob on one end of the shaft so it could be operated manually. The mounting holes are approx. 3 1/8" apart. Would this fit your car?

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Edited by FMF (see edit history)
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  • 1 month later...

Great day at the swap meet today, found some great litearature, another DA tire pump and this wiper motor, I dont even know if it is Dodge, looked similar to the one here but I havent examined every detail, guy said he wanted 5 bucks and I remembered it looked similar to what was posted here so if I have to throw it in the trash it is no big loss. I thought Id take a chance and see if it would help someone here. Yep its pot metal and yep its pretty ruff but for 5 dollars and the shipping cost someone can have it if they want it. Let me know

post-48869-143138464398_thumb.jpg

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It has a pad that may have something stamped into it, I got it maybe an hour before making the post so I havent messed with it and wont at this point. For 5 bucks Gman cant go wrong I guess

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  • 1 month later...
  • 11 months later...

Not to beat an old horse but here is another tubular Trico-Folberth wiper motor on "The Bay" right now. Guy says he has two, one better than the other. Came off a Sterling truck. Is similar to some of those pictured above. May be right for someone??? 290659422102

1930-1940 Sterling Big Truck Window Wiper Motor Regulator Original Vintage | eBay Twelve days left on a "BitN".

Good luck!

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Guest Foggy norm

On the bay now, three days to go. This looks interesting...370 591 285 141. Hard to find cause there not listed correctly?

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Whoa... My 25 touring car came with one of those half circle shaped wiper motors... It appeared to fit properly. Did someone update it with a later model at some point? I'm sure it is a Trico. I'll get a photo tomorrow.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Should a 25 touring car wiper motor look like this one? Mine came with a Trico but it is one of those semi-circular jobs.

I know its a long shot Mike but can you post a picture of your wiper motor, semi circular jobs showed up on 28s and up, maybe prior but I am not familiar with much before 28.

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  • 4 months later...
Guest krewat

I know this thread is old, but I have to chime in... these cars use the old Folberth vacuum wiper motors that are cylindrical. Manufactured by Folberth, not Trico. Trico bought Folberth after these types of motors were no longer used. As you guys already know, these motors are made of pot metal that has deteriorated so much over the years that if you have a complete one, you're lucky. Getting them to actually function is almost impossible.

If the wiper motor you are looking at says "Trico Folberth" on the cylinder, it is an air-powered (not vacuum) wiper motor that is generally used in heavy-duty applications like trucks, boats, industrial vehicles like fork lifts and even diesel locomotives. They require air pressure, not vacuum, and because diesel trucks usually have air brakes, there is a ready supply of pressurized air to use.

One of the motors above is actually a Trico-Folberth motor, looks to be a 50's-60's, not the original equipment Folberths you guys are looking for. Even this one is air-pressure and not vacuum, and the style was used from 1946 through the 50's, but only on trucks:

fp-style.jpg

Another one that looks like the one above, and again is an air-pressure motor, not vacuum:

fpdp-style.jpg

Now, I've never actually tried it, but there is a good possibility that if you apply vacuum to one of these motors they will actually run. Slowly.

To the uninitiated, they do look somewhat like the original equipment, and because it says "Folberth" on it somewhere that just makes it more likely that people would believe it's original. But in reality, it's not ;)

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I know this thread is old, but I have to chime in... these cars use the old Folberth vacuum wiper motors that are cylindrical. Manufactured by Folberth, not Trico. Trico bought Folberth after these types of motors were no longer used. As you guys already know, these motors are made of pot metal that has deteriorated so much over the years that if you have a complete one, you're lucky. Getting them to actually function is almost impossible.

If the wiper motor you are looking at says "Trico Folberth" on the cylinder, it is an air-powered (not vacuum) wiper motor that is generally used in heavy-duty applications like trucks, boats, industrial vehicles like fork lifts and even diesel locomotives. They require air pressure, not vacuum, and because diesel trucks usually have air brakes, there is a ready supply of pressurized air to use.

One of the motors above is actually a Trico-Folberth motor, looks to be a 50's-60's, not the original equipment Folberths you guys are looking for. Even this one is air-pressure and not vacuum, and the style was used from 1946 through the 50's, but only on trucks:

fp-style.jpg

Another one that looks like the one above, and again is an air-pressure motor, not vacuum:

fpdp-style.jpg

Now, I've never actually tried it, but there is a good possibility that if you apply vacuum to one of these motors they will actually run. Slowly.

To the uninitiated, they do look somewhat like the original equipment, and because it says "Folberth" on it somewhere that just makes it more likely that people would believe it's original. But in reality, it's not ;)

Lots of great info, thanks

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I was hoping someone would point out, as Krewat has, the later Folberth units operate on PRESSURE not vacuum. It is possible to scratch build one. I did it for a 28 Nash. Wonder what the owner paid for that, then NEVER drove in the rain ! I'm sure it was several thousand dollars, but....he got what he asked for.

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Here's a snapshot of what vacuum motor came with my '25 Dodge touring car. I was under the impression it was the original type Trico that went on the touring car windshield frame. The Dodge car is new to me since last April, so I'm still learning too. That funny looking bracket to the left of the motor is the driver's side sun shade.

Edited by Pete K.
picture (see edit history)
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I was hoping someone would point out, as Krewat has, the later Folberth units operate on PRESSURE not vacuum. It is possible to scratch build one. I did it for a 28 Nash. Wonder what the owner paid for that, then NEVER drove in the rain ! I'm sure it was several thousand dollars, but....he got what he asked for.

The original FOLBERTH were ALL vacuum. TRICO FOLBERTH created the pressure motors for the military and large trucks.

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