68 Wiper Doors Stuck Open

[Dale C.]

I hate to even bring it up but I've looked at all the threads, the service manual and the AIM and I can't get the wiper doors to close manually. They are stuck open so as to even prevent me from following the service manual steps of 1st removing the 8 screws of the vent grill and then removing the door. See picture of failed door position. I think the door should now actually move open and close freely because I removed the vacuum actuator. Following an incompetent professional alignment (won't go there but he broke the actuator rod and welded it back, it does work OK) I then attempted one normal wiper activation and ended up with the door stuck open. After this actuation the coffee can looked misaligned with a slight unusual nose down attitude (nose being towards thefront of car), and the doors stuck open. I immediately took the actuator can off to relive this binding pressure and also disconnected the wiper activation limit switch. Wipers work fine while holding the limit switch in and also the lower dash over ride knob stops the blade motion and parks fine.
Thanks
Dale


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[Rich G.]

Re: 68 Wiper Doors Stuck Open

You're saying the can is disconnected and the door will not move? Is the half of the shaft that is connected to the door jammed somehow? I broke the rod on the actuator recently and bought a new can. With the can disconnected I could move the door by hand as long as the rod connected to the door had not jammed. Once I connected the new can I did not bolt it into the bracket at first and I could move the door just my pushing and pulling the can. I have to admit I did not use the shop manual to do this. Just took a little trial and error to get the adjustment on the coupler correct.

Rich
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[Henry J.]

Re: 68 Wiper Doors Stuck Open

Dale:

Do I understand this correctly?

The vacuum actuator (coffee can) is off the car. The rod from the wiper door linkage still penetrates the firewall to where the actuator resided. Manually pushing/pulling on the wiper door linkage rod does not result in movement of the wiper door.

[Rich G.]

Re: 68 Wiper Doors Stuck Open

Deleted duplicate message

[Dale C.]

Re: 68 Wiper Doors Stuck Open

Rich and Henry
Thanks for returning my call. Yes, the actuator can is off the car and the wiper motor control switch is disconnected, see pictures. What I think may be the problem is the rod from linkage is over center, see picture taken from pax side at rod to linkage. Can't budge the doors. From AIM and service manual I think maybe the link angle is over center and the elbow is pointing aft (up in picture) rather than forewards. I can't get grill and door off while stuck in this position. The door covers the grill screws and therefore I can't get to the end door bolts (AIM 1,D5 item 4). Can't do much with the dang door on. Does second picture of linkage look correct for door open?
Dale


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[Dale C.]

Re: 68 Wiper Doors Stuck Open

Maybe a better picture as it looks at the actuator shaft (shinny rod) to the linkage from the driver side as is the orientation in the AIM and Service Manual.


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[Henry J.]

Re: 68 Wiper Doors Stuck Open

Dale:

Thanks for the pictures but I can't get to my car to compare the position of your linkage to mine.

What I can tell you is this: I had little difficulty opening and closing my wiper door simply by pushing/pulling the linkage rod manually with the actuator off the car.

If there is no other jam-up of the wiper door linkage elsewhere, you may be absolutely right about the over-center postion of the link angle. Perhaps you can fashion some sort of tool and, by working through the existing hole in the firewall, change the angle.

Best of luck.

[Dale C.]

Re: 68 Wiper Doors Stuck Open

Henry
It was as I suspected. The linkage was over extended. I had to take the whole thing (doors grill and linkage) off from the engine side of the firewall. On the bench I could swing the arms back to the correct position, as in the piture. How can I move that threaded screw out so as to grab onto it better from the engine side? I guess double nut it so as to move it outward. Kind of nice to know this can happen. I bet its broken quite a few actuator arms.


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[Henry J.]

Re: 68 Wiper Doors Stuck Open

Dale:

Congratulations on the successful resolution of your problem. No doubt, you've gone through a lot of work, but I'm certain that your wiper door will work like a charm now!

[Rich G.]

Re: 68 Wiper Doors Stuck Open

Good news. Glad you figured it out, but sorry it took so much work. Now you are the expert!

Rich

[Terry M.]

Re: 68 Wiper Doors Stuck Open

Henry
It was as I suspected. The linkage was over extended. I had to take the whole thing (doors grill and linkage) off from the engine side of the firewall. On the bench I could swing the arms back to the correct position, as in the piture. How can I move that threaded screw out so as to grab onto it better from the engine side? I guess double nut it so as to move it outward. Kind of nice to know this can happen. I bet its broken quite a few actuator arms.

Thanks for posting the solution to your problem. It will help future members searching on this board. Nice job too finding the solution.