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Wiper Post Nut removal

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69sprite

69sprite

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As posted earlier, my '69 had a boo-boo and I am in the process of having to remove the wipers/wiper posts/windscreen squirters/etc so that the person repairing the bulkhead valance panel can begin his work.
What should have been a simple task has turned into a pain. After removing the wipers, I started work on the nuts to remove the bezels from the three wiper posts. One (driver side) was relatively easy, but the other two (center and passenger side) are being a pain in the backside. They appear to have welded themselves into place over the ages. Repeated attempts at soaking with PB/WD/etc and then attempted removal had results in two seeming non-budging nuts that are close to not being nuts anymore.
I am at the point to where I am seriously considering getting my Dremel took and being cutting them off, but wanted to check with any resident wizards out there that might have any suggestions before I do so. I am working hard to keep from messing up the wheel box/cable/mounts or motor as they are the more expensive parts. I don't mind replacing the nuts/bezels as long at the ones Moss carries are of decent quality.

So, any ideas?

Thanks
Larry Swofford
 
You try alternating Heat and Cold yet. Heat gun and then the freezing spray stuff. If that doesn't work, sounds like it might be time for desperate tactics with Dremel.Careful cutting and a die to reshape any misformed threads.
 
Jim, thanks.... yeah.... me and Mr. Bernz-o-matic, along with the cold spray tried it.... but no joy. I was trying to be careful with the heat, as the glass and the paint were in close proximity. I am kinda wondering if these are brass nuts under that coating...since they seem soft
 
Since the hot/cold did not work, consider heating with your torch, then quenching with PB blaster or your preferred penetrating oil. Wipe the excess oil off and repeat this several times. Then give the stuff time to soak over a day or two. Try tightening the nuts a bit first, then loosening. Basically, do what you can to work the penetrating oil into the threads.

Regardless of what the nuts are made from, the wheelbox posts are some type of diecast metal that can corrode badly. It sounds like the corrosion has really bonded your car's parts together. I do not remember the wheelbox thread size but I don't remember it being a common size. If you have to resort to cutting the nuts to remove them, you might want to invest in a thread file to clean and reshape the threads left on the wheelbox posts.

Since you have tried heat to remove the nuts, once you do get the nuts off you may want to remove the wheelboxes from the car. The oil in their bushings is probably dried, boiled, and thinned by penetrating oil. An overnight soak with 30W oil should help restore the bushing lubricant in the wheelboxes.
 
I put down masking tape around the post, then duct tape on top of that (don't want duct tape on paint) then cut the nut along the side of the post with a hacksaw, the nut seemed softer than the post, the hacksaw just cut the nut through & then it came off with a socket.
 
Thanks for the input. I will be trying this over the next day or so.... assuming the Texas heat doesn't cause me to chicken out. I have to get the posts out by next Thursday, so I can take the car over to the resto body guy.
Larry
 
I cut mine too - hacksaw - the new nuts are cheaper than the effort of trying to keep the old - though I think I did "touch" the threads,
 
Cut as well with a hacksaw.
If you put heat into close proximity of the drive end of the wheel box you will damage the seal on the wheel box shaft and your passenger will get wet in a T storm!
Don't want to get to wild with a wrench either because you can bend the tubes the wiper rack run's in and damage the body where the wheel box's come through.
The nuts are brass and when you get close to the thread you can probably split them with a screw driver.

Kurt.
 
Thanks everyone. I Dremel'd the two nuts off this morning. I will have to clean up the threads, as I ended up touching them slightly due to the angle I had to cut at. I guess was hoping just to get the nuts and bezels off then just sliding the posts back to clear the valance, leaving everything in tact under the dash, but it doesn't seem like I will be that lucky, as the driver side wiper post won't clear completely. I assume it is either due to the valence panel dent, wiper motor/cable restriction, or all the instrument cluster/steering column junk underneath it. I will have to go look at this more in-depth over the next few days...early in the day, due to the heat here in Texas. Yes, I have a nicely air-conditioned shop, but I am letting my Scottish heritage show throw and fighting turning the a/c on.
 
For what it's worth, I noticed on eBay that New Old Stock Locators (NOS) in Rhode Island has replacement reproduction wheel boxes for sale with prices ranging from $50 to $60 per pair depending on which type of wheelbox you need. I was unaware until reading their listings that the wheelboxes that use the 8-sided nuts have a different thread pitch than those using the 6-sided nuts.
 
69sprite said:
I have a nicely air-conditioned shop, but I am letting my Scottish heritage show throw and fighting turning the a/c on.
Click to expand...

I am currently painting the house so the window a.c. unit in the garage is "out" for the moment. Combine that with the unprecedented 3 weeks of non-stop rain we've been having and no car work (or painting) is getting done at all. Hopefully your Texas heat is dry and a box fan or two will suffice to keep you going. Send some dry weather our way!
 
you might as well have been in rainy Seattle....ahh excuse me.... Sunny and in the mid 70's for the past 3 weeks and the next week too.... YES
 
Not a stitch of rain...we just don't get the afternoon thunder. lightning deal...Top stays down for weeks sitting out in the open this time of year with no worries....The conclave's should be here during the summer...just my personal opinion...
 
My son and I were discussing how Seattle and other places in the NW handled building projects with the wet weather. For us, the "standard" daily summer forecast is "hot, hazy and humid with a chance of afternoon and evening thundershowers". For the past 4 or 5 years we have been in a drought. This year, not only is there no drought, for the past three weeks we have had flash flooding and virtually everywhere the ground has turned to mud.

Back on topic, I hope you don't need to replace the wheelboxes but the folks at NOS Locators sell good products should you need to replace the ones you have on your car.
 
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