Windshield Wiper Motor Replacement Help

Doc Stressor

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I need to replace the wiper motor on my 226. This was a piece of cake on my older Gradys that had externally mounted wiper motors. But my 2008 has the wiper shaft going through the deck and the motor is located behind a cover on the inside of the cabin.

Before I start taking things apart, has anyone replaced the motor on a Grady with a similar location as on my 226?

It looks like all I need to do is to remove the wiper blade and the nut on the shaft and then remove the single nut on the motor bracket mount on the inside. But it's 90+ degrees outside with stifling humidity, so I'd like to keep this job as simple and fast as possible.


 

DennisG01

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I haven't done it on a Grady, but have done it on other boats. They all seem to be the same and pretty much just what you are thinking - pretty straight forward. Bring a big fan down into the cabin with you! Actually, all of the ones I ave done are mounted "inside" - meaning you access them through a little hole and do most of it blind. Your setup looks MUCH easier!
 

Doc Stressor

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Thanks!

It's funny but when I looked at the pictures when I got inside the house, I thought "nuthin' to it". But outside in the heat, I was confused. I think the brain shrinks in this weather.

Now all I have to do is replace the seacock under my baitwell pump in the tiny little bilge and troubleshoot the automatic pilot. That should be fun with a shrunken brain.

A fan and lots of water sound like the way to do it.
 

ROBERTH

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I know your feeling on the heat/humidity! Thinking of some way to run a fluid IV while working on the boat here in NC!
 

DoctorOctopus

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This had me stumped for a few seasons:
1) there might be a clip (not on mine)
2) There might be a set screw
3) even if there is a set screw you will need to use a wiper remover tool
it has to be pulled straight off and that is not easy to do with a screwdriver on one side only, thus the removal tool. you may have to drill out the hole as the tool your wiper blade may or may not be the same screw size.

look here:

also look here:

It looks like all I need to do is to remove the wiper blade and the nut on the shaft and then remove the single nut on the motor bracket mount on the inside. But it's 90+ degrees outside with stifling humidity, so I'd like to keep this job as simple and fast as possible.


 

Ridge Runner

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I just laid 2 pieces of wood down and pried with two small pry bars at the same time on mine. What did I fill the hole with? Took forever to find the right replacement motor, so...20200602_191416.jpg
 
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everwhom

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I did mine on my 33 express last year and I don't remember the exact procedure, but it was very straight forward. As I recall, I removed the wiper blade and removed the nut that was tightened over a gasket washer. From the inside, I removed the cover and just removed one more nut that held the motor in place.
 

DoctorOctopus

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I just did it yesterday.
My old wiper motor had a ground and two wires. Marinco AFI 34000. Probably original to my 1987 Grady.
The New version (same model number) has a ground and three wired attached.

it turns out the old motor had two live wires coming off of it. I set one to the slow speed wiper, and a second to motorized "park" that send the blade to the home position.

REMOVE WIPER ARMS
REMOVE NUT from protruding wiper arm screw, washer, rubber gasket

I removed the old washer then from the inside, it is held on by one screw and the washer from the other side of the boat.

There was some guesswork regarding the wiring.

Wiring:

Since I had only 2 live wires and not three I chose Slow for one setting (three way switch but only 2 terminals were powered), powered "park" for the center setting. If I had a wire to the third terminal I guess I would have done a fast speed setting, but I am not sure I would have wired that correctly, and most of my wiring is under the interior carpet so.. fuhgettaboutit. in short trial and error to determine the wiring. They are labelled 1-2-3 and I think that is fast-slow-park. I will check again when I do motor #2

How the Blade Arms are attached:
1) some have a set screw in the side
2) some have a screw in the center under the cover
3) some have a tiny clip holding it in on the underside you have to move with a screw driver gently

the blade can only be pulled straight off. A windshield wiper removal tool is helpful here, but it can be pried loose with great effort (not sure how I aim supposed to do that while holding a tiny clip aside)

needless to say, the tiny clip was gone on one arm, and shattered under the screw driver pressure, as it is ancient, on the other. This is why it was so hard to ID the type of arm I had (missing clip!)

What was the answer? I had to PRY the old windshield wipers off and destroyed them

It turns out I had type #4: a wiper arm held on by 3 decades of corrosion. While trying to pry it loose I completely destroyed it with Vice Grips and the base crumbled like broken clay - or old aluminum I guess. anyway TIME TO BUY NEW ARMS.

I am wondering if I can use a modern J-style wiper arm and blade on a Seafarer, because I would prefer it to the ANCO that is a pain to replace.

Once again a 20 minute boat repair became most of a day! But I loved every minute of it.