Removing Wiper knurled drive 1950 Buick

[Guest louisrocco]

I am replacing the windshield on my 1950 Buick Sedanette. I have removed the wiper arms but I can't figure out how to remove the knurled drive. It needs to come off to allow the lower windshield trim to come off. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[Guest De Soto Frank]

My experience with 1940's & '50s GM (though not Buick specifically), the serrated drum that the wiper-arm fits-over is permanently attached to the pivot shaft... usually the drum has a flattened0oval hole in the center,the shaft goes through, and is peened / swedged over. The shaft usually appears as a rusty-dot at the center of the drum face.

Usually the wiper pivot / bezel are an assembly, with the crank and drum peened on opposite ends of the shaft. In the case of 1950's Chevys I' ve worked-on, there's a thin chromed nut that screws-over a threaded-nipple coming through the cowl from the inside. There is usually chrome trim that goes under the nut (which is large enough to go over the serrated drum when unscrewed). Once the outer hardware is removed, the nipple / drum and drive pull-through the underside of the cowl, into the cabin or the cowl-plenum (if so equipped).

You might want to tie some baling wire around that drum before slipping it into the cowl, in case access from the under side is limited - you could pull things back into place from the top-side once you're done working on the windshield.

If your arrangement is set-up differently, look around the serrated sides of the drum for a set-screw or cross-pin.

Edited January 11, 2012 by De Soto Frank (see edit history)

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Louisrocco, you need a special tool, as called for in the Shop Manual. I was able to get them off of mine, but for the life of me, I can't remember just how. Be sure to save the burr when you do get it off. I could not find new ones.

Ben

[Guest louisrocco]

Thanks Ben. I don't have a shop manual for the car. It is sitting on an 86 olds chassis (please don't hate me) and most of the body stuff is pretty straight forward. It is crazy how one little part can stop the whole process. Someone else told me that he thought there was a special puller. The burr has a threaded hole in the center. I am going to soak it then attach a puller and lovingly try to extract it. Thanks again for the help.

[Guest louisrocco]

Ben, Now that I know it is called a drive "burr" I did a search and found a previous thread where you were looking for the removal tool. Someone recommended wrapping it in leather and wiggling it off with vise grips. That is what I am going to try. Does that sound familiar?

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

louis, the threaded center is the shaft that the burr goes on. Not part of the burr. The shaft is serrated. I t is also split part way. One of mine broke. I had to replace the "transmisson" the shaft is part of. I think I used some kind of a prying apparatus to get mine off.

Nah, will not get mad at you. In fact, would like ro see the complete package. I did mine because I wanted the straight eight. But to each his own. Are you a Buick Club of America member? If not, you should be!

Sending you a PM{ private message} . In case you are not up to speed on that, when you sign on , underneath your name top right on the screen, private msg in blue. Just click on that.

Ben

[Guest louisrocco]

Victory! I have found a easy way of removing the wiper drive "burrs" without damaging them. When I learned from you that the burr comes straight off I realized that I could use the Chrome base retaining nut to drive them off. I backed off the nut until it contacted the "burr" then put some duck tape around the jaws of my channel locks and continued backing off the nut until both it and the burr popped off. The nut keeps the burr perfectly straight so it doesn't split. It worked great. Quick and easy! Thanks for the help Ben!