MTFCA Forum

The windshield wiper on my ‘25 Express Wagon fits very loosely in the tube through the windshield frame and just dangles straight down, swinging back and forth as you drive along. Should it fit tighter in the tube?

Also, I noticed a ‘31 Chevrolet at a car show with a similar wiper, and it was “parked” horizontally. Should there be some sort of clip that holds it up out of the way when not in use?

Put a sleeve through the frame to take up the slack and bend the arm to create pressure on the glass.
Ken Buhler

If you solder the sleeve in place that will make the least damage to the frame/paintwork. Rather than load the blade against the screen, you could simply link it to the rear view mirror with a leather thong to keep it up out of the way.

Often such wipers had a spring on the shaft to load the blade against the glass. If yours is missing, that could also help.

Allan from down under.

Thanks for the replies!

Most of the era hand wipers just used the blade arm to keep pressure on the blade so it would wipe tight on the glass and then stay where it was put. The later electric or vacuum wipers did have a spring loaded arm. Condition of blade could be part of the problem, esp if old and dried out.

Is your rubber windshield wiper blade hard or soft? It looks like it is rough and rock hard and doing damage to your glass. New rubber replacement blades are available at the parts supplier places. To make the new blade apply pressure to the glass, remove the handle, pull the wiper shaft from the tube and instead of bending it into an L like it is now, bend it into a 7. Do this only after you replace that old worn out blade (at least it appears to be old and worn out. If it is not, my apologies). Jim Patrick

Thank you. The blade is rough and rock hard, and has done damage to the glass. I was just wondering if it needed more than a new blade. If that doesn’t do it, I like the idea of a light coil spring on the inside, and possibly bending the shaft a bit.

My wiper has a spring on the cockpit side of the shaft and that keeps the blade against the windshield.

Ed aka #4