WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR RECONDITIONING--SAAB/BOSCH

 This photo shows all the internal gubbins of an ANCIENT Bosch windshield wiper motor, as used in Saab 93/95/96 two-stroke models of the late 1950's and very early 1960's. It turns out that these early motors were quite high quality, with a lot of brass and evidence of a well thought out design. This motor, which is over 50 years old, showed little wear and tear, and required nothing more than a thorough cleaning, fresh lubrication with modern lubricants, and careful re-assembly.

These early motors did require a careful alignment of the brush holding "saddle" [bottom right in the photo] and even more careful alignment of the permanent magnet assembly [bottom left, in the photo], the latter to assure even clearance of the armature from the permanent magnet. 

The bean counters at Saab got busy after the first 20,000 cars  or so were built, and changed wiper motor suppliers to the German SWF company. Saved a few pennies, but the quality of the SWF motors was crap compared to those early Bosch motors.

I always bench test ANY wiper motor I recondition and this is the setup for this little Bosch motor. The interesting switch on the right is a Saab wiper motor switch, which incorporated the windshield WASHER.  You pulled the switch OUT about three inches and let go, and as the washer fluid began to spray on the windscreen, you turned the switch clockwise to start the wipers.

There were TWO different switches used by Saab, and they looked pretty much alike, but the second series switch had TWO "ON" positions, for the TWO speed motors that were used in the GT 750 and GT-850 Saab 96 cars.  The second series switch still used the same windshield washer setup.

This all worked pretty well unless the washer fluid froze and cracked the plastic pump portion.  Then washer fluid--when it thawed--pee'd on you leg.  Hmmmm....not cool.  So in 1967, Saab switched over to Lucas wiper motors, with an electric motor attached to the washer reservoir, which was now located in the engine bay. No more pee-ing on your leg.  What fun was THAT?