Junkman2008

So I've just got my ride back from the shop after having the Tiger Shark front fascia installed and painted. The car is a mess because I told them NOT to wash it. After all the Zaino'ing I've done to this thing, I ain't trying to deal with any swirl marks or scratches.

So I'm standing there in the garage looking at how much work I've got to do and I see something that has been grinding my nerves all year. It's all the tiny leaves and twigs in the shroud that covers the area where the HVAC draws air from. I tried washing them out with a high powered hose and picking them out by hand but I realized that I was going to have to remove that shroud in order to clean it right. Being the shade tree mechanic that I am, I wasn't really wanting to tackle that job because I really didn't know how. Today, I decided to give it a go.

After it was all said an done, it turned out to be quite a simple job. So for all the threads that I saw where guys were trying to figure out how to get their wipers off, this thread is for you.

Tools: You only need a small flat head screw driver, a can of PB Blaster and a 1/2" socket. That's it!

One thing that I read somewhere is that you should turn on your wipers and let them rest at the stopping point, just before they go all the way down. That's kinda stupid to me because you'll never be able to hit that spot once you put the wipers back on (unless you've never washed your windows and you have a nice dirty line to aim at). I just left mine all the way down and worked with them that way. So don't adjust them up and start working on them because you'll end up with the motors all out of whack and your wipers not seating properly.

Okay, here's what was getting on my last nerve:



Step 1. With a small flathead screwdriver, pop these plastic caps off the windshield wipers. This is where the nut that holds the wiper on the car is located.



Step 2: Now take that can of PB Blaster and spray some of it on those rusty nuts that are holding the wipers on their shafts. Let it soak in real good (about 10 minutes, longer if necessary).

Step 3. Remove the push pins. Note: Pay attention to which pins come out of which holes. This way you won't have the experience I had when its time to put them back. Basically, they go back easier if you put them back where they came from.





Step 4. Now you can remove the seats that the push pins were in (note: these things are probably not called push pins or seats but hey, its a shade tree term). Match them up with their pins and put them to the side. Slightly raising the shroud will make the push pin seats pop right out.



Step 5. Unclip the hood release cable and move it out of the way. Be careful not to drop any of the clips into the engine!



Step 6. Now we get to the good stuff. Disconnect the wiper fluid cables. If you grab the tip and twist it back and forth a bunch of times while pulling on it, they will come right off. See the pictures below. You will do this for both wiper cables.





Step 7. Now you're ready for those stubborn wiper arms. By now, the PB Blaster should have soaked through enough for you to get the wiper arms off. After all, PB Blaster has a saying, "Don't bust your knuckles, bust you nuts with PB Blaster!" I always get a kick outta that!

Now here's what you do. Grab the wiper arm and gently begin to wiggle the base up and down. Just wiggle and wiggle and wiggle. Wiggle, wiggle, and wiggle some more. DO NOT wiggle in the direction that the wiper motor turns the blade (that might strip the shaft), wiggle gently up and down. Eventually that puppy will wiggle loose and pop right off. I have always had this kind of luck with PB Blaster so if you're using something else, you'll probably be wiggling for a while.

Once you get the wiper arms off, you can take the shroud completely off the vehicle and give it a good cleaning. After I cleaned mine, I hit it with some Mother's Back to Black. That will shine it up real nice. Only use a little bit as that stuff goes a long way. It's great on the interior also but again, use it sparingly as the instructions state. If you don't, wherever you use it will become a dust magnet.



Here's what my shroud looks like now:



Now put it all back together. Remember to get the pins and seats back into their perspective holes. There really not much to it.

Just a side note. I saw a thread where someone was asking if there was a difference between a HUD windshield and a regular one, and how to tell the difference. Well check this pic out:



Apparently there is. So if your HUD windshield ever needs replacing, you now know how to check it for validity.

The Junkman

Kamil D.

another great write-up, question ho did you get the wipers from their shafts I could not take that off what tool did you use?

Junkman2008

I didn't use any tool at all. I just wiggled, wiggled, wiggled, wiggled, wiggled and wiggled. Then I wiggled and wiggled and wiggled some more and they just popped off. The secret was the PB Blaster. Before I put that stuff on, it was like pulling King Kong's wisdom tooth.

csexton

Good info and pics

Chuck

Y2Kvert4me

The reason to start with the wipers "undocked", it it leaves the blades parked on the windshield. Stick a small piece of masking tape to the windshield on each side of the blade, and when you go to reinstall them, simply align the blade back to the between the tape marks, and then you know for sure they are back in the correct position.

Again, this isn't absolutely necessary, just one of those tips that makes putting the arms back on a little easier.

4deatr

Good job! I had my shroud painted black when I had mine out. Now I can wax it.

Vetteman Jack

Great writeup. Thanks for the pics and instructions.

stormrider

Excellent how to instructions!!!!

wicked 98z

awesome post. i was just about to ask whats a good way to clean that black part but you answered it in the post.. thanks a million

Junkman2008

Hey Tom (or anyone else who may know), Could you go into more detail how leaving the blades parked on the windshield makes it easier to put them back on? I believe the service manual calls for this also. If you were trying to do this with the hood closed or if the hood opened the other way, it would make a lot more sense to me. But I'm at a loss for why it makes a difference. With the wiper parking blocks showing you where the resting place is, you really can't miss. I'm trying to understand GM's logic on that one. The way I figured, if anyone was going to have a problem it would have been me.

By the way, the masking tape is an excellent idea!

Thanks for the kudos fellas! I couldn't find a how to on this when I searched but I found plenty of folks asking how to do it so I wrote this up.

Plasticfan

Excellent write up. This is what I like about CF.

Bell

I've wondered how to do this myself many times. Thanks for the fantastic write up Junkman.

BTW, was that "wiggle, wiggle, wiggle some more", or "wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, keep wiggling, wiggle some more"?

Big Als01

Great timing, just what I needed to know. I was trying to figure it out myself. Nice write up and pics too.

Allen

Junkman2008

Almost Bell, but you forgot the "wiggle" part. That's very important!

rc69wc

wasn't there some mention of a new fascia in this thread
let's see the pics,how does the new mod look

Junkman2008

Gotta get the car cleaned up first!

Y2Kvert4me

You just answered your own question. By having the blades resting on the windshield, and using the tape to mark the end of the blade's location...it makes hitting the right spline so much easier upon re installation.

You can use the rests the blades sit on when docked as a guide too, like I said, it's not impossible...but next time you pull the wipers, you'll find it quicker and easier to hit the alignment right the first time aligning to the tape marks on the windshield.

hotwheels57

Good write up! I wonder if an old style battery clamp removal tool might eliminate the "wiggle, wiggle, wiggle" manner of removal. You might have to find one w/o the flat button on the tip...something really cheapie like from HARBOR FREIGHT would probably work...

Old Man in a C

Excellent write up, especially coming from a "computer guru". You must be bilingual.

lukeee

OutKlast

Ahh good writeup that little junk in the grill up there has been driving me nuts as well. How long does the shine last with that mothers stuff for exterior parts? Reason I ask is I use a similar product on my camaros front grill insert but one rainy drive and it all washes off leaving the faded look again.