1965 wiper upgrade

Hobbes · Veteran Member

1965 wiper upgrade

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Interesting question.

I went to the books to make sure 66 is the same because I was fairly sure it would be.

The Hollander interchange shows the wiper motor being the same for 2 speed wipers on a 65-66 full size Chev, Cutlass or Chevelle. Hollander doesn't do Canadian Pontiacs but I used the GM parts books to confirm the Canadian 65-66 Pontiacs use the same 2 speed motor assembly as full size Chev and they do.

I checked the 65-66 Pontiac 2 speed dash switch and it interchanges between the 2 years.

Based on that my thinking is you need a 65-66 Pontiac 2 speed switch, a motor assembly from any of the vehicles I listed above plus the appropriate wiring. Would you like me to post the wiring diagram for a 66 Pontiac with 2 speed wipers?

unruhjonny · Guru

I am replying, because I am pretty sure I came across this morning exactly what you might be looking for:

www.ebay.ca/itm/325534400259

Hopefully this helps... or at least sets you in the right direction :)

unruhjonny · Guru

hmm, small corretion... maybe that wasn't what you were looking for(?);
I thought that was a kit for upgrading to a two speed wiper setup...

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

For the 2 speed depressed park wiper switch, the two terminals side by side are the low and high speed grounds from the motor resistor block. The motor is always live. The switch body to dash is the ground.

The center terminal of the switch is the washer pump connection to ground.

The wiring itself to the switch is separate from the dash harness. So you'll need an additional 2 wires back to the switch. The schematic for 65 shows only the single speed system, order the two speed/wash and you get a different aux harness.

Here's the 2 speed recessed park with washer, wires,

Black/Yellow = Main power feed

Black/Blue = High speed/Low speed to switch ground

Black = Low speed/Park to switch ground

Black/Red = Washer pump power feed

Dark Blue = Washer pump to switch ground

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Basically those two side by side switch terminal grounds are fed off the "A" and "C" terminals of the resistor seen here.

"B" will feed power up to the washer pump, with a ground off of that back to the switch.

An individual single fused plug feeds the motor. So you'll see 4 prongs on the motor.

To find the correct prong on the switch. Looking from the top down, prongs facing away, the left ground prong has continuity to ground when the switch is in the off or park position. First position low speed, both prongs have grounded. 3rd position, high speed, right prong has ground.

Hope this helps

Hobbes · Veteran Member

Yes, that totally helps.Being the base model stratochief Im not sure I have the correct under dash harness, I know theres a bunch of unused terminals under the dash. I am not sure if they did the same harness for all models. If you could post the wiring diagram I can see where I may need to splice in. But possibly the unused terminals under the dash will help me out.It is odd they only show the single switch terminal in the manual. Thank you for your crosschecking for me. The photos are fantastic as well as the diagrams of the wiper assembly. And I am ever grateful to Pontiac GM for the excellent colour coding of all the wires.
Thanks
Bob

Hobbes · Veteran Member

Oops , I see the new thread for 66 and Lo and behold a 3 wire switch, thanks

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

For the lack of a better description.

You'll need two additional wires to pass through the firewall to the switch. You have one right now.

You also have a black/yellow hot wire.

In 65 at least, the wiper wiring but for the power, is not part of the main harness. It's a small aux harness that passes through a firewall grommet.

a421cat · Guru

Nice schematics Mark. You can also use the schematics to bench test your wiper motor.

LT1Caddy · Poncho Master!

Mark...outstanding instructions

DonSSDD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

In older models, the arms were different on a single and 2 speed wiper, is that an issue here?

Hobbes · Veteran Member

I havent gotten that far, I didnt realize there was 2 different blade sizes

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

DonSSDD wrote:
In older models, the arms were different on a single and 2 speed wiper, is that an issue here?

I think that is only on the US models where the linkage was completely different on the one speed vs two speed wiper assemblies on the B bodies. The US two speed wiper B bodies used opposing wiper arms where the outer tip of the blades started in the center, then went to the outer edge of the windshield and back again. If they had single speed wipers then the arms were parallel to each other as they moved. Hoping I explained that correctly.

On our Canadian Pontiacs (65 and up at least) the wiper arms were always the parallel style.

I know at one point a few years back there was a lengthy discussion here on this topic and my search for it just now failed. Maybe someone can find it?

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Here's two different 1965 US Pontiacs. The one with the parallel arms has single speed wipers.

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I never knew that Carl. I thought all the big US cars had the opposing wipers until they went parallel in 1970.

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Thats' news to me too Carl. Can't use that as a sure identifier anymore!

It's interesting to note that the cowl stamping has provisions for both, at least on the 65-66 as far as I can tell. So PMD and CP shared the same stamping.

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I confirmed this with my buddy in the USA. His wife's 64 2+2 had single speed wipers that were parallel like ours, he's upgraded them to 2 speed. His 65 2+2 has 2 speed opposing wipers, has checked his manuals and verified 65 also has parallel 2 speed wipers available as seen in Carl's photo.

-- Edited by seventy2plus2 on Wednesday 15th of March 2023 04:59:13 PM

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

When we last discussed this I remember getting out the US parts manual and looking at the wiper linkage drawings to confirm it.

At that time what started it was there had been a car advertised as a US model and someone commented something to the effect that it had to be a Canadian model, not a US model because it had parallel wipers. We started digging into the ad and indeed it was a US model. Some sharp eye on this site noticed it had one speed wipers and that got the ball rolling to figure out what was going on. I can't recall now who the site member was who commented though.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

cdnpont wrote:
Thats' news to me too Carl. Can't use that as a sure identifier anymore!
It's interesting to note that the cowl stamping has provisions for both, at least on the 65-66 as far as I can tell. So PMD and CP shared the same stamping.

And I haven't checked for the 66 US models but it appears in Canada single speed wipers on B body were not offered, 65 was the end of it. Although that didn't affect the wiper linkage on the Canadian cars in 65 anyway.

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I was always intrigued by the stamping. It appears that 65-67 PMD, CP and Chevrolet used the same piece. The Chevrolet less the knockouts for the USA opposing (dual speed) configuration .

Wonder if Olds and Buick used it as well?

But the question begs, Why the "Chevrolet" style for single speed in the PMD? Were those linkages also cheaper that way? A cost savings maybe to go along with the cheaper motor and switch?

65 CP top, 65-67 Classic industries Impala part, bottom. Arrows show the PMD opposing style knockouts and blank dimples.

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

How about taking the guts and outer cowl/vent panel out of a USA 2 speed Opposed wiper car and putting it all in a CP? Watch the frustration.

The opposed wipers really do look a lot nicer parked.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

cdnpont wrote:
How about taking the guts and outer cowl/vent panel out of a USA 2 speed Opposed wiper car and putting it all in a CP? Watch the frustration.
The opposed wipers really do look a lot nicer parked.

I like your thinking!

DonSSDD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Is there only 1 part number for the arms inside the cowl for say a 62, 63, etc which has single and 2 speed wipers?

DonSSDD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!