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1980 - 1986 Bullnose F100, F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks Discuss the Early Eighties Bullnose Ford Truck

windshield wiper switch keeps falling apart

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Old Sep 15, 2009 | 08:00 PM
  #16  
86sixbanger's Avatar
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no offense but dude have you ever actually seen the switch in question???
 
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Old Sep 15, 2009 | 11:06 PM
  #17  
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If that was directed at me, yes I've seen the switch in question, on several vehicles, including my own.

Without Intermittant:
http://c2c.activant.com/ctoc/index.j...oVYFUMUHAiBQAA

With Intermitant:
http://c2c.activant.com/ctoc/index.j...oVYFUMUHMiBQAA

And the govenor:
http://c2c.activant.com/ctoc/index.j...RGVRoVYFYLUngf
 
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Old Sep 15, 2009 | 11:29 PM
  #18  
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I have an 85 F-150 and my wiper switch broke of as well. Only mine just broke off the ****. But, I can't seem to get it back on. It has the 'D' lookin' pin thingy. But it won't stay on for nothin'. It won't even slide back on enough to use the wipers. I've been using a pair of pliers to turn them off and on. Tried gorila glue and I guess it cant get enough of a bite from the **** to the pin to hold well enough. Any suggestions?
 
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Old Sep 16, 2009 | 07:26 AM
  #19  
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The D-lookin' thingy is a spring-loaded retainer. What seems to work for me is to first attach
the **** at an angle, then straighten it out and push it all the way on. I think Franklin2 has
a drawing in his gallery...
 
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Old Sep 16, 2009 | 01:12 PM
  #20  
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It sounds like you need a new **** for the wiper switch.

They are abundant in the wrecking yards.

If you don't care if you get either chrome, or Black *****,

1980-1983: F-100
1980-1991: F-150/F-350 and Bronco
1980-1999: F-600/F-900

Wiper ***** are interchangable with each other.
 
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Old Sep 16, 2009 | 05:33 PM
  #21  
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Originally Posted by 81-F-150-Explorer
If that was directed at me, yes I've seen the switch in question, on several vehicles, including my own.

Without Intermittant:
http://c2c.activant.com/ctoc/index.j...oVYFUMUHAiBQAA

With Intermitant:
http://c2c.activant.com/ctoc/index.j...oVYFUMUHMiBQAA

And the govenor:
http://c2c.activant.com/ctoc/index.j...RGVRoVYFYLUngf
Yeah that little pain in the @$$ thingy. The thing that falls out is that plug-in back half of the switch where the wires for the switch go into it.
 
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Old Sep 16, 2009 | 06:34 PM
  #22  
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Ah, I think you are talking about the main part of the main underdash harness. The wiring connector that plugs into the switch, and/or the intermittant govenor pigtail. Correct? Or is it the switch itself that split apart?

If you look at the female spade terminal that fit into the harness connector, you can remove them from the plastic by prying out the little tab that holds it in the connector. After you get a wire out, you can lightly squeeze the female terminal closer together with pliers or a small screwdriver. This way the male spade terminal will fit tighter into the female terminal, and wont seperate or pull apart as easy. Make sure you do one at a time, and put the wire back into it's connector, to keep from messing them up. If you squeeze the female terminal too much, it won't lock into the connector anymore.

If you are talking about the black plastic piece that hooks to the back of the switch, with the male spade terminals inside held on with hollow rivets, then that is a part of the switch itself and has to be replaced as a unit.
 
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Old Sep 16, 2009 | 06:54 PM
  #23  
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all that male female gently squeezing stuff....what is this thread rated, anyway?
 
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Old Sep 16, 2009 | 07:09 PM
  #24  
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Originally Posted by 81-F-150-Explorer
Ah, I think you are talking about the main part of the main underdash harness. The wiring connector that plugs into the switch, and/or the intermittant govenor pigtail. Correct? Or is it the switch itself that split apart?

If you look at the female spade terminal that fit into the harness connector, you can remove them from the plastic by prying out the little tab that holds it in the connector. After you get a wire out, you can lightly squeeze the female terminal closer together with pliers or a small screwdriver. This way the male spade terminal will fit tighter into the female terminal, and wont seperate or pull apart as easy. Make sure you do one at a time, and put the wire back into it's connector, to keep from messing them up. If you squeeze the female terminal too much, it won't lock into the connector anymore.

If you are talking about the black plastic piece that hooks to the back of the switch, with the male spade terminals inside held on with hollow rivets, then that is a part of the switch itself and has to be replaced as a unit.
Yeah, it's that female spade terminal that falls out. But how do you get that sucker out from under the dash? you'd have to undo all those wires from god knows where...
 
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Old Sep 16, 2009 | 08:00 PM
  #25  
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Originally Posted by 86sixbanger
Yeah, it's that female spade terminal that falls out. But how do you get that sucker out from under the dash? you'd have to undo all those wires from god knows where...
Man, it's pretty easy... If you look at the pic of the governor box, you'll see that
it has two pigtails on it and it merely goes inline between the truck's main
wiring harness and the dash-mounted switch. Apparently, the wiring from the
governor to the switch is what is causing you problems, so I suggest you
remove both the switch and the governor so you can more easily work on them.

I've seen two mounting styles of those governors in the junkyards but they're
both effectively the same, the only difference is the number of screws. On that
black box governor is attached a metal extension, that extension screws to the
lower edge of the dash panel, right near the hood & parking brake release
handles. Unscrew one or two screws and that governor should be free. Might
need a 1/4"-drive socket set.

The governor has two pigtails; one that connects to the main harness, one that
connects to the switch. Unplug them both and remove the governor from
underneath (might be easier to unscrew the hood release handle EDIT: MIGHT BE
METRIC BOLTS HERE, DON'T REMEMBER FOR CERTAIN).

The switch itself is held on with just one nut-like device on the front of the
dash, I've always used needle-nosed pliers or vice-grips or sumthin' but I'm sure
Ford made a special tool for it (Rotunda Wiper Switch Securement Extraction
Tool E0TZ-10001-AC).


Here's a pic from the front:


 
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Old Sep 16, 2009 | 09:57 PM
  #26  
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Yeah I fixed it now, so I'm not gonna mess with it, but thanks anyway..
 
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