So the windup for now is ...... these wipers were not used for a year. They only get turned on at inspection time. And the lube becomes stiff. A few minutes of use a few days in a row have loosened them up. I did remove the arms. Under the connection is a gasket cover, I jsut popped that off, and yes they are conventional manufacture with a mount rod inside a sleeve, lubrication and held together with c clips. So the c clips could be removed without opening the cowling. I just shot some silicone lube in there for good measure. A little loosening after so many years can't hurt. Then popped the gasket back on and bolted it down. I doubt they'll be sticky next time I need them. So you don't have to attack every problem with nuclear force. Think through the logical steps, design, and what could go wrong. If I had to open the cowling I would have lubed the ball joint connectors on the linkage rods rather than tear them off and replace. One incremental step at a time.