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1956 Olds Super 88 wiper motor options


Guest Gazoo

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I'm posting for my father who is looking for ways to convert his 1956 Olds Super 88 from vacume, to electric wiper motor. He tells me that it was an option for that car, but he hasn't been able to find an electric motor to do a swap. I thought maybe one of the Olds guys on here might offer some advice about what other year or model of wiper motors might bolt on, and clear the stock air breather/filter.

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After seeing that oddball unobtainium wiper motor vacuum hose Gordon H showed us on Classic Olds, I think an electric wiper conversion would be the first thing I'd do to a vacuum wiper Oldsmobile. Sometimes practicality trumps purist. Plus I remember the vacuum wipers on that old 63 Ford school bus I drove... barely move on a long uphill grade, then flop fast enough to throw the blade off the arm going down the other side. Then we'd have to stop and go find it.

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Glenn, I have fond memories of just that experience in Mrs. Luca's 53 Chevy, when she took all the neighborhood kids to the movies. Going up a hill, the wipers would barely move, and then on the downhill they would flap like mad. I think I want to see that happen one more time before I follow Tedd's long standing advice to convert my 56 Super 88 to electric.

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If anyone decides to do the electric thing there are a few tricks that will save you sometime and grief. First off the wire supplied is to short add about a foot to the wires going to the switch on the dash before you are upside down on your back under the car, lot easier to do on the bench.#2 There are two bolts that hold the wiper motor on, use a stud on the back one rather than the supplied bolt and save your self a ton of grief trying to put a bolt in that blind hole. I found it almost impossible to do it, attaching a stud made it easy, they should put one stud in every kit.#3 You will have to make up your mind if you want to keep the windshield washer element of your switch or use that part of the original switch for the new motor. I chose to eliminate the washer part and use the original switch for the electric wiper motor.To do other wise and you will have to install a separate switch somewhere under the dash or drill a oddball hole in your dash to accommodate it. No extra holes in my dash thank you. #4 Some people have had there batwing just touch the back of the wiper motor on this conversion mine was very close but no problem, your milage may vary. In all its pretty easy and if you remember these few things its a quick clean fix, most will not even know you did it it looks so original. Hope this helps ....Tedd

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OK Tedd, I have found religion. I'm going to do it. From all your notes, I am going to convert to electric for my Super 88.

But I have a question:

With the car not running, I can grab the wipers and move them easily. They move in tandem, all the way back and forth. Does this mean I'll have a problem connecting them to the new electric motor? Is there a gear stripped somewhere?

Thanks, Frank

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Nope Frank,they are supposed to move together. They are bound together by a transmission yoke.That is one reason for using the back stud rather than trying to use a threaded screw in the rear that you can't see the hole.If you use a stud there is enough slack to align the back hole, transmission yoke and finally the front screw all at the same time. You will see what I mean when you pull the old vacuum motor out, hard to explain easy to do.. Drop a line if you have a problem.... Tedd

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  • 5 months later...
Guest dmruschell

Sorry to revive a 5 month old thread, but this thread is where I discovered Newport Wipers and helped me through my just-completed installation on my 56 Super 88. I figured I'd continue the thread so that anyone else searching for information can find it all in one spot.

The rear of the supplied switch where the wires connect looked nothing like the diagram. I figured out where everything went by testing for continuity in each wiper position. The one connection that will have continuity with something else in every position is the power connection, and the other point is whatever mode you want that switch position to be. (I went with the standard left: park, middle: low, right: high, but in theory, you could change the order by switching some of the wires around.)

I also had trouble with interference between the new wiper switch and my headlight switch. At least one of the wires coming out of the headlight switch would be touching the new wiper switch if I had left the headlight switch alone. To fix this, I had been debating filing in a new detent/notch for the headlight switch to fit into. But, I first tried just turning the headlight switch so that the wires cleared the new switch and then tightening the headlight switch in place. That seemed to work. I recommend either removing the headlight switch or turning it before installing the wiper switch, as removing that interference makes it much easier to install the wiper switch.

The stud idea was a life saver. I used studs in both screw holes during my install. I'm glad I did, because the mounting holes in the new motor weren't quite far enough apart. I had to open one of them up a little with a drill to get it to mount correctly. If I had used a screw, I would have been cursing at it for a while.

I discovered during my install that the transmission was binding and needed to be lubricated, and that's why my vacuum wiper motor wasn't working properly when connected to a vacuum pump. But, I also don't think that my freshly-rebuilt fuel pump was supplying any vacuum (or the hoses were dry rotted after 59 years). I'm still glad I upgraded so that I have reliably working 2-speed wipers, and I know the vacuum systems have a reputation for being unreliable.

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  • 11 months later...
Guest rsd9699

The part number for the 56 series is "5047903".  It is very rare.  A better choice is the 55-57 Chevy.  Drill hole in Chevy slide switch.  Thread the existing wiper control cable into the slide switch and adjust as needed to operate the 2 speed Chevy motor.  Add a fused wire to supply power.  I did this conversion back in 1972 on a 56 88 that I still have.  Plug the vacuum pipe that is no longer needed.  This mod works on most gm cars that are 12 volt.  Parts are available to repair the Chevy motor.  A squirt of oil in the vacuum motor will restore a lot of funtionality due to dried out grease. so verify that the vacuum part of the fuel pump  is functioning properly.  A bad diaphragm

Will make for slow wipers and oil use by the engine and an oily exhaust.  Ron

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