C3 Wiper door removal
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,482
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
FWIW: there are no wiper door bolts under the dash; everything is under the hood. You can lube and make adjustments with the mechanism in place. Keep in mind that if you remove it, you'll have reinstall it. Do you have the AIM? It can help and has notes on how to adjust the door.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,153
Likes: 341
FWIW: there are no wiper door bolts under the dash; everything is under the hood. You can lube and make adjustments with the mechanism in place. Keep in mind that if you remove it, you'll have reinstall it. Do you have the AIM? It can help and has notes on how to adjust the door.
Ditto for the wiper pivot points?
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,729
Likes: 267
From: Austin Texas
Corvette of the Year Winner 2017
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
remove the grill vent, then remove the 4 screws holding the Wiper door in place.
these shoulder screws are difficult to access, use a long extension with allen driver.
watch out for the bushings on the screws, they will drop into the unreachable areas.
these shoulder screws are difficult to access, use a long extension with allen driver.
watch out for the bushings on the screws, they will drop into the unreachable areas.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,189
Likes: 830
From: Chapel Hill NC
2025 c3 ('68-'73) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
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Most of the pivot points should have plastic bushings. Some of mine were missing so I had to take the wiper door out. The process (including reinstallation) was not what I would call fun. I would try to do any adjusting/lubing etc with the mechanism still on the car.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,057
Likes: 421
From: BC
These are special bolts and bushings and if you drop one it might disappear forever. I found this out the hard way doing mine and have still never found it... Bunch up a rag or towel and stick it down into,or behind the fender so nothing can get in there while you are working.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,253
Likes: 768
From: Waterford WI
The chance of breaking off one of those special bolts is fairly good. So then you send the door in to have it repaired in a jig, because if you don’t have it done in a jig, it will be out of alignment and bind. In the process of repairing it in the jig, the door gets scratched. So you have to get it repainted. Now the paint doesn’t match the rest of the car. $12000 later, the area under your wiper door looks nice. ��
If you drop something into the abyss, you can always retrieve it by removing the kick panel (and of course the sill plate in order to get the kick panel out.) Then remove the vent flapper door and fish around behind it for what you dropped (bolt, socket, box end, etc.). By the time all is done, spring, summer, and fall will have passed, and you have all winter for your next project.
I personally would rather take the grille off and then remove the entire assembly from the firewall. Take digital pics of exactly where each stud is located and how high the oval plates at each firewall hole are. Watch for shims as you disassemble so you can reassemble exactly in position.
If you drop something into the abyss, you can always retrieve it by removing the kick panel (and of course the sill plate in order to get the kick panel out.) Then remove the vent flapper door and fish around behind it for what you dropped (bolt, socket, box end, etc.). By the time all is done, spring, summer, and fall will have passed, and you have all winter for your next project.
I personally would rather take the grille off and then remove the entire assembly from the firewall. Take digital pics of exactly where each stud is located and how high the oval plates at each firewall hole are. Watch for shims as you disassemble so you can reassemble exactly in position.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
Lots easier to stuff a towel into that area so parts CAN'T fall in there. There should be little torque on those wiper door bolts. If you attempt to remove them and there is even a little resistance, STOP!! Shoot them with lots of penetrating oil...even into the backside of the threaded hole. If you don't loosen corrosion between bolt and door, those bolts will snap right off at the shoulder and you will have one He1! of a problem getting the broken studs out and re-machining the threads with proper alignment.
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Dr. Detroit
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 10,097
Likes: 4,027
From: New Braunfels Texas
My 72', as clean as it is..., had a wiper door stuck in the up position. Everything was there so I pulled the top piece off (lid/painted part) and proceeded to lube everything by putting a bunch of rags in there and flooding Blaster in the pivots and cycling the frame by hand...up and down a million times. I then finished with a Silicone Oil.....doing the same thing. After replacing the vacuum relay and the wiper park interlock, it works great!!!!
Jebby
Jebby
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,124
Likes: 140
From: Western New York
I'm on the side of all those who've told you to leave it alone and just lube the crap out of it. I took mine apart years ago, and it was the worst experience. Had to get 2 of the 4 special bolts to replace. This was long before the internet and online shopping. I went to 3 different Chevy dealers before anyone found the bolts I needed. Buy a couple of cans of WD40 and go to town. Good luck.
Duane
Duane
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
I did my door so long ago, I must have gotten lucky or maybe the stock bolts were already gone.....I forget, all I know is they are typical bolts that fit the door and about an inch long, they fit the mechanism kind of loose, which is fine by me, as when door is up, it's snug, and when it's down, it's snug....I cut a screwdriver slot in the bolt ends, and when snug enough, I put black RTV in the openings near the fender, stopping the bolts from backing out....I even electrified the door maybe 15 years ago, AND I stripped the paint off the stainless trim next to the window on the door and fenders....screw ralph nader.....I also have the silver brushed TT ring and horn button.....
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 23,375
Likes: 1,067
From: Virginia USA
I've taken my door off many times for numerous issues I was working on. Long extension with a universal socket works great. Just take other advise and stuff rags or something so that the plastic bushing or bolts don't end up down the fender. If you do loose one down the abyss you can take off the interior kick panels and if your lucky you can suck them up with a shop vac. The last time I had mine off I didn't put my rags in the void very well and dropped one of the bolts. Being these are special shoulder bolts and at the time my car was my daily driver so I couldn't wait for a new bolt. Took the kick panel off and was able to get my flexible magnet tool up into the air plenum and out came the bolt. I tried the shop vac trick first and found 2 old plastic bushing as well. WIN!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,153
Likes: 341
I'm gonna try and put this thread back on the track I originally intended it.
I'm interested in information as to how you remove the wiper door MECHANISM -- the long spring-loaded rod, the lever operated by the pneumatic cylinder, the pivot points at the sides of the bay.
I don't want or need to remove the actual door from the mechanism. Removing the grille gives me sufficient access with the door open.
Are these studs coming out of the firewall or through bolts that come out under the dash somewhere.
I've seen the mechanisms for sale on Ebay, so SOMEBODY knows how to remove them. Hopefully it doesn't require removing the fenders.
Thanks for all the warnings; I may choose NOT to remove it, but I'd like to know how it's attached if I choose to do so.
From this image it looks like two bolts passing through the firewall are all that need to be removed.
Wade
I'm interested in information as to how you remove the wiper door MECHANISM -- the long spring-loaded rod, the lever operated by the pneumatic cylinder, the pivot points at the sides of the bay.
I don't want or need to remove the actual door from the mechanism. Removing the grille gives me sufficient access with the door open.
Are these studs coming out of the firewall or through bolts that come out under the dash somewhere.
I've seen the mechanisms for sale on Ebay, so SOMEBODY knows how to remove them. Hopefully it doesn't require removing the fenders.
Thanks for all the warnings; I may choose NOT to remove it, but I'd like to know how it's attached if I choose to do so.
From this image it looks like two bolts passing through the firewall are all that need to be removed.
Wade
Last edited by wadenelson; Mar 9, 2019 at 10:44 AM.