While the weather is too cold/wet to work outside, I'll ask another question.
When I got my truck the passenger side wiper didn't work. I found the linkage bushing had fallen out. I removed the cowl, and had to remove the wiper motor to get the linkage out to replace the bushing.
I re-installed the linkage, but now am having great difficulty getting the linkage bolted back to the wiper motor. I have old dudes thin skin, which is easily torn or bruised so easily I usually look like an advert for bandaids. My forearms look like I was beaten with a baseball bat from reaching under the hood and into the cowl openings trying to bolt the linkage back on the wiper motor.
Anyone know the secret? Do I/can I assemble the linkage to the motor outside of the cowl and get it back in reasonably easy without looking like I'm trying to push cooked spaghetti up a straw? I have no one near to help me. I'm about ready to take an angle grinder to the cowl to make a large access hole.
Chuck

 

Don't use your angle grinder.

I can't help or give you any tips as I've never done this before. I suggest taking a break for the rest of the day. Working while you're fatigued or your truck is fighting you is a receipe for disaster.

Good luck.

 

I'm not working on the truck today because of the weather, I'm inside warm and dry...just looking for suggestions. And yours was a good one that I have used many times working on ol' Red.
I took the wiper pivots loose to get the motor out, to get the linkages out, to replace the bushings and lube them, so probably that is what I'll have to do to put it all back. I had already re-installed the pivots and linkage.
It's amazing how posting a problem and having to think about how to word the question or describe the problem usually leads me to see the solution.
Chuck

 

I can’t answer your question about the linkage, but this thread should be of interest:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...orial-ish.html

Before reinstalling the wiper motor, do this simple mod to make your life easier the next time the wiper motor acts up:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...or-change.html

 

Thanks, Karl. I already have the cowl off, but I will drill that hole. My linkage does not come out enough the re-install the bolt in the motor arm. I think I'll have to drop the wiper pivots again to get enough room to install the bolt for the arm.
I do know about running the motor for a minute with the blade arms off, and then shutting it off to 'park' the motor, then install the wiper arms in the park position.

 

Update:
I got the wiper system re-installed. Even managed to get the wipers clocked and parking correctly!
The solution to my problems was to exactly reverse the disassembly process. I will write up the process in case anyone else has to replace the wiper linkage bushings.
Chuck

 

Replacing wiper linkage bushings on the 80-86 F-150.

This write up resulted from my struggle to replace the bushings in the wiper linkage of a 1983 Ford F-150 4wd. My truck was missing a bushing on the passenger side wiper when I bought it. I searched this and several other forums before I started this repair, but everything I read missed a few critical steps/information.

1. Use a sharpie, tape, or something to mark where the wiper blades sit on the windshield as a reference for reassembly. Remove wiper arms from their pivots.

2. Carefully pry off the chrome antenna base cover, and remove the screws holding the antenna base to the cowl.

3. Remove the cowl. On my truck, the radio antenna cable pulled out of the base, allowing me to set the cowl and antenna in the bed of the truck. Some folks say this isn’t supposed to happen, so I may be replacing the antenna. There are several screws, including 2 in the louvers of the cowl that could easily be missed. I did not remove the hood, as the paint is rough on my truck and I wasn’t worried about scratches. Some people say remove the hood, some say to loosen the hood to hinge bolts and pull the hood forward to provide clearance. It takes some wiggling and wobbling to get the cowl to clear the hood if you don’t remove it.

4. Remove the 3 screws holding the pivots in the body. Carefully push them down under into the body. You may have to loosen/unbolt the wiper motor to do this.

5. Remove the cover plate above the wiper motor. This is needed because one of the wiper motor mount bolts was obscured by it.

6. Remove the bolts securing the wiper motor and pull it out of its mounting hole. If you haven’t pushed the pivots down into the body, do it now. Remove the bolt securing the linkage to the wiper motor, and disconnect the linkage. I had a hard time getting the wiring to the motor unplugged, but there is enough slack in the harness to just set the motor down on the valve cover.

7. Now the linkage and pivot assembly can be maneuvered to get it out of the cowl. Pry the wiper pivot links out of the linkage. Knock out the plastic bushings. Install the new bushings using a socket to support the link arm and gently drive the new bushing into the link arm. Lube the joints with your favorite lube.

8. Reverse this procedure to re-assemble. Remember to run the motor for a few seconds and shut it off to put it in ‘park’ position.



My issue with this repair was that I installed the pivots and linkage before I connected the linkage to the motor. It was near impossible to do that way. In all the other discussions I read on this repair, this step was not mentioned. I hope this write up makes this repair easier for the next guy. I bruised and cut my forearms and elbows trying to put the wiper system back together. I did not take pictures. The wiper system is re-installed, but I have not reinstalled the cover over the motor, or the cowl yet as I need to vacuum out the cavity under the cowl, and I want to figure out a screen to prevent debris getting in there. I may even paint the cowl.
Edit: I took the motor link arm off of the motor because I couldn't get the linkage appart where the spring clip was. I got the clip off but the linkage wouldn't separate there.
Mods, feel free to move this procedure to the 'How-Tos' section if yo think it should be there.

Chuck