I am trying to remove that plastic cover type thing at the bottom of the windshield. I see the plastic fasteners have torx holes in them so i assume they are threaded. I am trying to get in there because the washer fluid is pumping, but doesnt make it out the washer "jets", it just collects there in the area that all the tubing is at so I assume one of the tubes in there is cracked, broken, or disonnected somehow.
However, when I removed the nut that holds the wiper arms onto the shaft, they are stuck on there to the point where I feel like I am going to beak something internal by prying the arm off the shaft. I cannot remove the plastic thing unless I get the wiper arms completely off.
Can anyone offer any assistance, that has also had to do this?

Thanks E

 

Yeah, I ran into that when the hose fell off of my vacuum resevoir - which sits under the cowl cover.

Don't pry them off. You run the risk of doing some damage.

Instead, use a gear puller (pulley puller) to get the wiper arms off. You can get a cheap one at Harbor Freight Tools or the bargin bin of most autoparts stores. The arms on the puller will hook under the edges of the wiper arm, and then the center screw presses against the shaft - popping off the wiper arm as you tighten the center screw.

When I did this, I did chip the paint slightly on mine, so I had to touch-up the bottom of the wiper arms with some semi-flat black paint. Looks better than new!

 

Is that what that plastic thing is called, a cowl cover?
Thanks for the advice, I think i have something like that, I believe it was to remove battery cables from the posts. Will that work do you think?
Thanks for replying

 

I think its called a cowl cover... My reference point is a first gen Mustang - where we call that area the cowl. Maybe somebody else can set this old Ford guy straight!

Not sure on the tool, but it sounds promising.

When you pull off the plastic cover, there will be a single vacuum line attached to the vacuum reservoir that hangs on the bottom of the plastic cover. It is located on the passenger side. DON'T FORGET TO HOOK THAT BACK UP!!!!!

If you do forget, you'll get a nice little hissing noise and the opportunity to repeat the repair. [sm=guilty.gif]

 

Had same issue. Applied PB let sit for 1/2 hour then used the little hand-held propane torch to caarefully apply heat to the bolt and arm base...careful not to melt the cowling itself. Then tapped with hammer on base squarley as to not apply too much rotation to the base and disturb the threads too much. Traded off between wiggling up and down, not side to side and gentle upward prying w/regular claw hammer and they both eventually came off. Hope this helps someone

 

A battery terminal puller may not be quite strong enough. You can certainly give it a try, though, it might work. Worst case scenario is you bend the puller out of shape, but battery terminal pullers are cheap, wouldn't be a big deal to pick up another one.

 

holy old thread man. . .

 

Oh wow. Didn't even notice. Oops.

One would hope he's got his problem figured out by now. LOL...

 

Yes, it is called a cowl cover.

 

Most of the time you can insert a thin sewing pin through the nozzles of the sprayers and clean em out (you can adjust em if they have a rollable nozzel....BTW). Then blow the crap out of them once you get em flowin. (back yard trick).