Pacific Western Design RainGear Wiper System - 12 Volt Electric Motor

Pacific Western Design Raingear Wiper System 1956 Chevy

The Tri-Five series has got to be one of the sexiest line of cars Chevy ever produced, but they are all plagued with the same Achilles heel-the wiper system. Back in the day, GM engineers thought it would be a great idea to use cables and spools to drive the wipers. While the system does work when everything is new and tight, once those cables start to stretch the wipers become lazy. Even worse, the cables can snap and then you can guess what happens-you have wipers that don't wipe anymore.

You can restore the factory system if you are a total purest, but unless you are building a 1,000-point resto, why repair something that is a bad design to start with? Pacific Western Design (PWD) has the same mindset: Instead of dealing with just adequate, it came up with something much better. The company's RainGear wiper system is a lever-and-link style set up (like that found in cars built from 1960-up) that is specifically-designed to replace the older stuff with no modifications to the car.

One really cool feature of the RainGear wiper system is it fits entirely under the dash, so you can remove the old firewall mounted motor entirely. This will free up engine compartment room, or you can leave the old wiper motor in for authenticity. The system is designed to install in fully finished cars, but we used one in the middle of the build process to get uncluttered pictures.

The heart of the RainGear wiper system is a beefy 12-volt, 10-amp, two-speed electric motor supported by heavy-duty brackets. The motor drives new link arms that, in turn, actuate new wiper pivots. The kit also includes either a new standard or intermittent wiper switch that can use the original knob and information bezel to keep the dashboard looking stock. Outside, the kit will use original arms, blades and trim.

"No one will know you have the RainGear wiper system installed, except when it rains. Others will be struggling to see while you will have a clear view of the road ahead," says Tom Jensen, co-owner of PWD.

PWD offers systems for '53-57 Chevy cars, '47-59 Chevy trucks, and '53-62 Corvettes. It even makes single-arm systems for street rods.

Here are the main components of the RainGear wiper system from Pacific Western Design. The two-speed electric wiper motor and one pivot shaft are built into a single assembly that hang under the dash on the driver's side behind the instrument cluster. The other pivot shaft will go on the other side and be driven by a lever arm. Last is the new intermittent wiper switch that will provide delay, low and high wiper settings. A standard two-speed version is also available. This system can also be coupled with a windshield washer kit, also available from PWD.
Here are the main components of the RainGear wiper system from Pacific Western Design. The
Here is the factory electric motor on the '56 firewall. Not only is it right in the middle and in plain view, it also limits clearance for a large body distributor like an HEI. Since this car is being built as a resto-mod, we would rather have a nice and clean, uncluttered firewall, so this will be tossed and the hole filled. See the "Filling The Hole" sidebar for more info on that process.
Here is the factory electric motor on the '56 firewall. Not only is it right in the middle
Here is a look at the back of the stock wiper motor. The motor would spin the spools and pull on the cables to actuate the wiper pivots.
Here is a look at the back of the stock wiper motor. The motor would spin the spools and p

We removed the cables from the spool so we could unbolt the motor and set it in the swap meet pile.
We removed the cables from the spool so we could unbolt the motor and set it in the swap m
The pivot shafts are held in place with a special nut that has two slots in it. PWD provides this tool so you can get them off easily. This is much better than having to make your own, or using a hammer and a flat tip to tap it around. After you get the nut removed, the pivot shaft will push into the car and come out.
The pivot shafts are held in place with a special nut that has two slots in it. PWD provid
Here is a good look at the stock system's components. While it is a simple design, it just doesn't stand up to the test of time. The dainty little cables stretch or break providing poor to no wiper performance.
Here is a good look at the stock system's components. While it is a simple design, it just

Our car is pretty much stripped down so we could get to it, but if you are working on a complete ride, you should remove the instrument cluster and the glove box liner so you have some room to work. Before the RainGear can be installed, this dash support rod is removed and will not be reinstalled.
Our car is pretty much stripped down so we could get to it, but if you are working on a co
The main assembly feeds in from the bottom and will be held in at two points-the factory hole the support rod was bolted to and the pivot shaft hole in the cowl.
The main assembly feeds in from the bottom and will be held in at two points-the factory h
Per the instructions, we placed the assembly in the car to determine how much to bend the mounting tab. The instructions say bend it about 30 degrees forward, but check first. The instructions were spot on as we had to bend ours about 30 degrees to get the tab to sit flush against the mounting area. If there is a gap between the tab and the firewall, remove the unit and bend the tab a little more.
Per the instructions, we placed the assembly in the car to determine how much to bend the

After bending the tab, we slipped the assembly into place, feeding the pivot shaft into the hole of the cowl. Then we threaded the provided bolt into the hole that the dash support rod previously used. We ran the bolt all the way in, but didn't tighten it just yet.
After bending the tab, we slipped the assembly into place, feeding the pivot shaft into th
The second mounting point we mentioned earlier is here outside the car at the pivot shaft. Since all the components are hooked to a serious bracket assembly these two points are all that is needed to keep it secure. To lock down the pivot shaft, you have to install the provided hardware in the order shown rubber seal, spacer, and then the nut. Then we went back inside and tightened the bolt securing the system in place. Also the stock chrome escutcheons will slip right over the new pivot shafts.
The second mounting point we mentioned earlier is here outside the car at the pivot shaft.
The link arm is comprised of two pieces that need to be bolted together before being installed. The holes are slotted on one side so you have a small amount of adjustment in the length of the arm assembly-again, this is for any small differences between cars.
The link arm is comprised of two pieces that need to be bolted together before being insta

On each end of the arm are two holes that will hook to the pivot shafts. PWD provides a two-piece bushing that will need to be snapped together as shown.
On each end of the arm are two holes that will hook to the pivot shafts. PWD provides a tw
We hooked up the driver's side and installed the little J-clip.
Then we slipped in the passenger side pivot shaft and hooked up the rod, while a friend installed the outside hardware. Sometimes it's nice to have a second set of hands around. A word of caution: Make sure the pivot shaft arm is in the 10 to 12 o'clock position as shown. If you install it at the 6 o'clock position, the wiper arm will work backwards and scratch the paint off your hood. You have been warned!
Then we slipped in the passenger side pivot shaft and hooked up the rod, while a friend in

Wiring the system up is pretty straightforward, because most of the wires coming out of the switch are already terminated and there is a harness that will plug into the motor. All you need to do is plug the harness into the motor and route the wires out of the way, then cut them to size and crimp on the push together connectors. You will also need to add two spade terminals and hook them to a good ground.
Wiring the system up is pretty straightforward, because most of the wires coming out of th
The new two-speed intermittent switch fits like a glove into the stock location.
PWD also gives you a new chrome nut to hold it in place.

The switch is made to use either the factory knob or this one provided in the kit. We don't have a stock knob, so we'll use this one till we can get one. A small setscrew holds on either of the knobs. It will be no sweat to add a washer system later as the switch already has the push-to-activate feature built in.
The switch is made to use either the factory knob or this one provided in the kit. We don'
Here are a couple of shots so you can see how the system looks when complete.
There is still plenty of room for the factory defroster vents, glove box and instrument cluster.
There is still plenty of room for the factory defroster vents, glove box and instrument cl

With the system complete, we needed to hook up some power and see if it works, and check and see if the wipers will park in the right location. PWD provides this cool little way to check how the wipers will perform without having wipers. Use some zip-ties as shown to act as wiper arms. We set the zip ties and hit the switch, and without missing a beat away they went. Things worked nice and smooth and the motor was very quiet, even though it's in the passenger compartment. Not too bad for a system that only cost $429.95.
With the system complete, we needed to hook up some power and see if it works, and check a

FILLING THE VOID

To deal with the hole left in the firewall by the factory wiper motor, PWD provides this plate if you don't want to permanently modify the car. You could also reinstall the factory motor if you want that factory stock look.
To deal with the hole left in the firewall by the factory wiper motor, PWD provides this p
We are going to shave the hole completely for a smooth, uncluttered look. The first step is to make a filler panel. An easy way to make a pattern is to get a piece of paper or masking tape and then rub along the edges of the hole with a pencil. This will leave a visible line that you can cut along and then transfer to a piece of sheet metal.
We are going to shave the hole completely for a smooth, uncluttered look. The first step i
Once we had the filler panel cut we set our Lincoln SP-100 welder to a wire speed of 5.5 and voltage to G. We put a few tacks at the corners and let it cool. Then we came back and tack by tack stitched welded all the way around the filler panel, stopping every fifth tack to let the area cool.
Once we had the filler panel cut we set our Lincoln SP-100 welder to a wire speed of 5.5 a

A Flap Disc grinding wheel on an electric grinder made quick work of knocking down the welds.
A Flap Disc grinding wheel on an electric grinder made quick work of knocking down the wel
Now we have a nice base to apply some filler and sand it nice and smooth.