Windshield wiper problem

[HIGHWAY BY THE SEA]

I got my 81 Chevy Stepside back from the painter and the windshield wiper arms were not attached. I took them and got new wiper blades then attached them back to their proper places. But the first time that I tried to turn them on they both went down and slammed/stuck against my shroud near the windshield scratching up my new paint job. They stuck there and I had to bend those things to get them to go back. Thinking they may have been put on wrong I put them back on again, this time with a higher angle, but when I turned on the windshield wiper switch again the same thing happened. What in the world would cause this?

[70K10Hunter]

I have found with windshield wiper arms, when removed or need repair is to always turn wipers on and let cycle a turn or two shut them off and they should return to the park position. With that being said did your painter remove them? if so I would be checking for correct assembly.

[HIGHWAY BY THE SEA]

As far as I know he did not remove them because they had paint all over them. I had to scrape it off.

[70K10Hunter]

confirm they operate correctly, pull arms, turn wipers on, watch to see they are working then shut them off and pay attention where they come to rest.(park position) then reinstall and check.

[HIGHWAY BY THE SEA]

The last time I tried that it did not seem to work. When I put the wiper arms back on they wanted to go down then up. I will try it without the wiper arms for a while and see what happens.

[HIGHWAY BY THE SEA]

UPDATE

I put the wipers on the nubs with the wipers straight up. They go down to the bottom of the windshield, then back up again. WTH?!?!?! Installed wrong????

[st1]

is something plugged up backwards?
is the motor in wrong? curious to say the least....

[70K10Hunter]

sounds like it is maybe assembled wrong, IIRC the arm that bolts to the motor is keyed and it might be possible to install arm lever 180 degrees out?. I might have missed this but did the wiper arms work before painting? any other work done on it? did the wipers work previously. What has changed?

[70K10Hunter]

I just went out and looked at my truck. With the hood up if you look in the oblong hole just above the wiper motor you will see the arm that bolts to the motor. With my wipers at the rest position the arm is pointing horizontal long side towards the driver fender. My truck is a 77 but I would imagine that it is the same on yours.

[gmachinz]

Im willing to bet your body guy didnt tighten the 2 machine screws which hold the clamp over the ball of the wiper motor arm. It the linkage inside the cowl area doesnt move side to side very much, this is most likely the problem. That would suck though because to access that area requires removing the upper cowl plenum panel. If the linkage DOES fully move side to side, then its likely the splines on the wiper arm attachments are stripped or, the locking tabs are broken on the arms themselves and the arms could be stripped too. I've found most body/paint guys are terrible mechanic and vice versa lol. Im both a mechanic and a paint/body guy so I understand your frustration here.

[Jstock85]

Take them off and re-park them. Once you get them off you'll see what I'm talking about. simply raise them up and press them back in.