How to Replace the Wiper Motor on a Ford Bronco
by Matt ScheerFord produced the Bronco, a sport utility vehicle, between 1966 and 1996, making five generations of redesigns along the way. All Broncos are four-wheel-drive and either compact or full-size. Despite this 30-year history, changing the wiper motor is a similar process for all models. The windshield wiper motor is about the size of a football and resides along the bulkhead underneath the windshield-wiper arms. You'll have to take the arms and intake grating off the Bronco to detach the wiper motor, but all these tasks won't take you more than a solid hour of work.
Instructions
Step 1
Take off the rubber stoppers covering the nuts on the bolts that attach the wiper arms to the Bronco. Insert the head of a flat-head screwdriver under the rubber stoppers and pry them off.
Step 2
Hold the wiper arm and move it backward and forward while pulling upward until the arm comes off the bolt.
Step 3
Use the pick to pop off the plastic cover pins on the intake grating. The cover pins conceal the screws holding the grating to the bulkhead.
Step 4
Lay the intake grating on the windshield and use a blanket underneath it if you're worried about scratching the glass.
Step 5
Unplug the power cord from the wiper motor and lay the cord aside. Unhook the solenoid pack from the top wiper-motor mounting bolt and lay the pack aside.
Step 6
Use the socket wrench to take off the bolts mounting the motor to the bulkhead. Use the long extension accessory in order to reach the lower mounting bolts.
Step 7
Pull the wiper motor off the bulkhead and compare it to the new wiper motor, looking for any differences in shape or hole position, especially for a new motor bought at a junkyard.
Step 8
Insert the mounting bolts into the rubber sleeves of the wiper motor.
Step 9
Install the new wiper motor on the bulkhead, lining up the bolts with the bolt holes. Hand-tighten all the bolts before making the bolts snug using the socket wrench and extension.
Step 10
Plug in the wiper motor to the power cord and hook over the top mounting bolt of the solenoid pack if your model Bronco has one. Replace the intake grating and screw it in. Cover the screws with the plastic cover pins, reattach the wiper arms, tighten on the nuts, and cover the nuts with the rubber stoppers.
References
- "Haynes Repair Manual: Ford Full-Size Pickups and Bronco, 1980-1996"; John Raffa, Mark Christman, and John Haynes; 1996
Things You'll Need
- Socket wrench set with long extension
- Pick
- Flat-head screwdriver
- Phillips-head screwdriver
Writer Bio
Matt Scheer began writing professionally in 2005. His work has appeared in "The Daily Texan" and "The New York Tribune." Scheer holds a B.A. in English and a B.A. in history, both from the University of Texas. He is also a certified Yoga teacher and Web designer.
