How to Install Replace Windshield Wiper Transmission Linkage Bushings 1997-2003 Ford F 150
Created on: 2017-06-23
How to replace worn, rotted, or loose windshield wiper linkage bushings on 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03
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step 1 :Disconnecting the Battery
- Loosen the negative terminal with an 8mm or 10mm wrench
- Move the terminal off to the side
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step 2 :Removing the Wiper Arms
- Mark the location of the wiper blades with painter's tape
- Pry off the wiper arm cap
- Remove the 15mm nuts from the wiper arm
- Press the wiper arm
- Remove the wiper arm
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step 3 :Removing the Cowl Panel
- Pry up the cowl panel trim button
- Remove the five Phillips screws on either panel
- Lift the hood
- Pry the clip out of the cowl panel ends
- Remove the clips along the weatherstrip
- Remove the weatherstrip
- Remove the panel
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step 4 :Removing the Windshield Wiper Linkage
- Disconnect the wiper motor
- Remove the three 8mm bolts from the linkage assembly
- Place a blanket or covering on the windshield
- Pry the wiring clip closest to the drive side out of the hood
- Pry the hose clip closest to the passenger side out of the hood
- Pry off the clips on the hood strut's upper end
- Pry the upper end of the hood strut out of the hood
- Carefully lay the hood back on the covering
- Tighten the 8mm bolt on the linkage to line the arm underneath the upper bracket
- Pull the linkage out of the vehicle
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step 5 :Removing the Bushings
- Slowly pry on the arm near the bushing
- Place a one inch socket underneath
- Tap out the bushing with a hammer
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step 6 :Installing the Bushings
- Place a 1 inch socket upside down underneath
- Place a 7/8 inch socket over the bushing
- Tap the bushing in evenly
- Apply anti-seize grease to the ball on the arm
- Place the arm into place
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step 7 :Installing the Windshield Wiper Linkage
- Insert the windshield wiper linkage into place
- Tighten the three 8mm bolts to the linkage
- Connect the wiper motor
- Connect the negative battery cable
- Tighten the 8mm bolt
- Turn the key to the ON position
- Run the winshield wipers
- Turn them off to center them in the park position
- Slowly bring the hood down
- Clip in the hood struts
- Connect the hose to the hood
- Connect the wire clips to the hood
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step 8 :Installing the Cowl Panel
- Lower the cowl panel into place
- Tighten the clips along the weatherstrip
- Press the weatherstrip onto the panel
- Lower the hood
- Tighten the Phillips screws to the cowl panel
- Press on the trim button
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step 9 :Reinstalling the Wiper Arms
- Press the wiper arm onto the stud
- Lower the arm to the windshield
- Tighten the 15mm nut to the wiper arm
- Press on the wiper arm cap
Tools needed
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15mm Wrench
Socket Extensions
Hammer
15mm Socket
Channel-Lock Pliers
8mm Wrench
10mm Wrench
Pick
Flat Blade Screwdriver
Phillips Head Screwdriver
7/8 Inch Socket
8mm Socket
Anti-Seize Grease
10mm Socket
1 Inch Socket
Ratchet
Hi, I'm Mike from 1A Auto. We've been selling auto parts for over 30 years. We're dedicated to delivering quality auto parts, expert customer service, fast and free shipping, all backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee. Visit us at 1AAuto.com, your trusted source for quality auto parts.
So disconnect your negative battery cable. Ours is a 10mm, but yours may be 8mm. Loosen up the terminal. Take the cable off and set it aside.
To move your wiper arms, start small with a flat blade screwdriver or pick tool, and work it under the back side here. Take the cap off, and there's a nut underneath. Repeat this on the other side. Use a 15mm socket and ratchet and remove the two 15mm nuts. Usually you can break them free by pressing, and then you pull them up and off.
And you can see I've got a nice pollen mark here. You could also use a dry erase marker and just mark where your wiper blades sit before you remove them. The windshield cowl panel, with the hood closed, there's a series of screws on each side. This is actually a two piece panel. You take a little pick tool, remove this plug, and it's the same on the other side. And then there's a Phillips screw down in there. And then there's a Phillips screw here. There should be one there and another one there for the driver's side.
I'm going to use a Phillips screwdriver, just the one with the four points. And on the passenger’s side once you remove the plug there's one, two, three, four, and five screws. Now pop your hood from the inside. Take the latch out. And on each side again, there is a clip. With a plastic trim removal tool available at 1AAuto.com, pull this clip up and out. And then there are some clips that hold it across the back of the engine bay. They just pull off.
And on the driver's side you can pull the cowl weatherstrip off, and then the cowl panel comes up and out. The same thing is over here. Remove the clip. Pull off these two clips. To unplug the motor, just push down on this tab and work the connection off. And then three 8mm bolts hold the assembly in place: one here, one here, and one over here. We're using an 8mm socket with a ratchet and extension to make it easier. Once you have the assembly free, you want to open up the hood, and we're going to let the hood kind of go back and rest on the windshield.
We'll remove this pin here, and then on each side, you'll want to have somebody help you out, but you're going to take off the support rods, which just entails pulling out on a clip here. Hold up the hood. And remove the rod on each side. And we'll remove the hose from the clip there, and again I have somebody holding the hood. And then slowly bring your hood up, and we've got a blanket on the windshield.
It doesn't really put that much pressure on the windshield, because it's pretty much straight up in the air. Let it sit back. To pull it up and out, you want to reposition the arms. So there's an 8mm bolt, basically, if you follow the shaft right through the motor, there's the 8mm bolt right back here. Take an 8mm wrench, get it onto that bolt, and then when you turn it, you can see the arms move. And basically you just want to move them until, if you look over here, you'll see this arm here. Line that arm up kind of like that, so you'll have more room to pull the thing out. And then it'll come up. Up and over, and bring that side down. Bring the assembly out. And I can just kind of show you. Provided your whole system broke in the original position, if it's in the off position it's going to be like this.
I can just kind of show you. Provided that your whole system broke in the original position. If it's in the off position, it's going to be like this and, like I said, you just want to get your wrench in there and move the arms so they're kind of lined up with the rest of the mechanism. Sometimes your bushings are plastic, so they'll disintegrate, and it's pretty easy to replace them. Although if you're getting this far, you might want to think about just putting a whole new transmission from 1AAuto.com in. But if you just want to replace a bushing, just pry the arm off. They all kind of work the same way. Work a screwdriver underneath and they pry off.
To get one of the bushings out, take a one inch socket and put it underneath. Then hammer. It may break, and that's okay, because it's the old one and you don't really care. Then, the new one from 1A Auto, they come in a pack of four. You can see it's exactly the same. Put it into place, and then you can actually turn your one inch socket over. Put it down so the socket is supporting, and take a smaller ... This is a 7/8 socket. Just make sure you drive it in evenly. Then just check the back side, make sure it's all the way in. Looks like it just needs a little bit of help on the side here. Then, before you put it back together, use a little wheel bearing grease or brake grease.
Grease the ball that it contacts, and put it together like that. You can use a pair of sliding jaw pliers, just adjust them wherever you want. Push with your hands as well and put it back together.
So you're ready to put the assembly back in. Now go in and down. So get it in, pull it back this way, then lift that up, and slide it in. Drop it down. And you can actually plug the motor in, and now we'll install our three bolts.
And then reconnect your negative battery cable. Put it on and tighten up the bolt. Again ours is 10mm, yours may be different.
And now you'll just want to turn the key on and run the windshield wipers. Turn them off. Now your wiper motor and transmission are in the parked position and you can see these arms are pointed back down in there.
Slowly bring the hood back down, make sure the clip is in your hood support rods. Put that one on. And install the other one. Connect the washer tube and harness clips. Your cowl panel has a locating pin and also one here. And there may be some other ones, but this may be broken. Put it in place and the same thing on this side: down and in place. And this comes out in front. Make sure it's down. Put the clip back here. Two clips on the side. The lip of this should go towards the engine. And you can bring the hood down.
Reinstall your screws. Put the grommet back on. So sometimes these clips will get out of line, so you might have to just put your screwdriver down in. Straighten it out a little bit so you can see the hole. And then put the screw in. And reinstall the wiper arms, and we noticed usually that when you have your wipers it kind of lines up with the windshield. What happened is somebody had put these wipers on incorrectly. They had the passenger's side one on the driver's side. So the driver's side should go on, and there should be about an inch between the bottom of the windshield here and where the wiper sits. And then this passenger's side should just be up off, and again, about an inch between the wiper blade and where the black is on the windshield.
Pressing down on. The driver's side has a little more of a bend in it than the passenger's side, and that allows it just to sit straighter. Once you have them on there, put your 15mm nuts to hold them in place. And press them down, and then tighten them up with a 15mm wrench or socket ratchet. Then if you ever detect that the wiper arms slip at all, you want to come on here and tighten them up more, get them to stop slipping. And install the caps to finish it up.
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