how do you clean out that plastic thing around the windshield wipers?

[Black03Marauder]

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a161/Black03Marauder/100_04882.jpg

Long story short, I developed a pretty bad rattle and I've deduced that it wasn't the hood bumpers or the hood latch...and my prime suspect now is the crud locked inside that part I've outlined in the picture...too deep in to pull out with pliers, pressure washing and compressed air just pack it in

[Blackened300a]

Get a shop vac with the thin nozzle attachment.

[KillJoy]

Brake Cleaner?????

WD-40?????

PB Blaster?????

Soaking in Dawn?????


KillJoy

[Agent M79]

Suck it?
Blow it?

[sailsmen]

Urea acid will break down the crude.

It is excellent at keeping pipes clean.

I is most effective @99*F.

[Ozz]

Do it right and take the wiper arms off (open hood, pull wipers away from glass and push up the little tab where the arms go onto the shafts).
Take the three clips off that 'pinch' the cowl cover together with the lower part. The clips are on the forward facing flange 2 on the left, one on the right I believe.
Remove the 6 or so phillips screws that hold on the cowl cover. Make sure to get the one right on the edge under the right side hood hinge. Unhook the windshield squirter hose. Remove cover. Clean out this crud and the crud that will be build up in the bottom of the lower part. There is actually a drain at the bottom - just right of the wiper motor - that has a rubber flap on the back side of it. In theory, stuff will fall out. In reality, as soon as you get a leaf or two down there it fills with mud. I think the drain failed and held water which got into my wiper motor. This is why my (and so many other) wiper motors filled with water and stopped working I believe.

Good luck, it's really easier to do than it is to explain... just do it.

[RF Overlord]

Ozz, thanks for the tutorial...it always bothers me to think of that crud being down in there and I thought getting access was a lot harder. Im'a do that today!

[fastblackmerc]

Use a shop vac. I use my 5hp Craftsman, will suck a glove off your hand. If that doesn't work then take opf the trim like ozz said. I take off mine once a year and clean underneath.

[Black03Marauder]

ok Im trying to remove the cowl grille, but Ive hit a snag removing the wipers... I have that locking tab as far out as it will go and I have the wipers pulled off the glass as far as they'll go, but when I try to yank the arms off it wont go regardless of how I tug on them.

in what direction do I yank the wipers off and what part of the wiper arm exactly grab on when I pull?