Projects Electric Wiper Source?

Heya folks. So I picked up an electric wiper kit because I need all the vacuum I can get going to my rear end, and the wiper blade to arm connection is complete crap. It literally flops around at will. Anyone have a source for a good arm/blade combo or a fix?

Here's the product from the Early Ford Store. It's a Vintique part, so I'm not surprised that there's an issue... http://lbcunited.com/earlyford2/pro.../4513?osCsid=deb550af4299ebed88704f23a2de8c81

Mike

 

I'm using one from an old motorhome. Some of these old motorhomes used separate wiper motors for driver and passenger side and have the conventional 1/2" spline shaft for the wiper arm. Has two speeds and I wired it up with a boat intermittent switch. Hangs a little bit down but doesn't interfere with seeing through the windshield and is a powerful beast.

 

I'll have to look into that. Really not a fan of the one I've got now. Seems like a it's going to wind up scratching my windshield at some point.

 

Try a Lucas unit from a '50s-'70s British car. Don't be put off by the Lucas bit – they're quite straight-forward and reliable. Being traditional-era parts they look like traditional-era parts. They work with a push-pull cable, which makes adaptation to non-stock situations much simpler.

If I'd have got off my ass months ago I might have been able to sell you a positive-pressure conversion by now – provided of course you've got an air pressure source on board. As it is, the putative prototype is lying in pieces on my desk at home.

 

I use arms and wipers off of early VW's. A little pricey but they work well.

 

Kinda depends what car you are putting it into. My 32 Ford sedan has a Mighty Wiper, which is just fine. Make sure to buy their switch too. My old 39 Chevy sedan used a Newport Wiper and it was very nice as well.

 

I have MG Midget in my 40 pickup and it takes a bit of work to get it in but they are good
And in our 50 Chevy Ute I bought the Newport kit and it went in easy and works great.

 

Hmmm. I have MG Midget wipers in an MG Midget, and I wouldn't call them good wipers even in the original application. You must be a better wiper tuner than me.

 

Good point on using an RV motor. They have huge windshield and wiper blades. Got to be strong.

Gary

 

Another vote for Newport Engineering.

 

That just might do the trick! Any particular year? Looks like the '58-60something ones might be a bit short

 

They're proud of their stuff! I don't really want to have to cut the header, would rather leave it as original as I can. Thanks for the suggestion, didn't even know they existed!

 

The wiper motor kit you listed is for a boat application, in fact most all of them are.

 

If you get the ones for the Type 2 (bus) they are longer (early 60's)

 

You didn't say what your car is. I used the whole VW beetle system in my '37. It all fit under the stock header panel. I made beveled spacers to make the shafts perpenducular to the glass. And I made a bell-crank on the passenger side so the wipers sweep out together and back in together. And park out. 30 years and 70k miles later all still works well. No wiper kits back then. Just old school creativity and improvisation.

 

Another vote for Newport engineering. Their products are superb and they just can't be beat

 

I used it in my 36 Chevy truck. I used a rear wiper motor from a s-10 blazer, modified the output shaft to take the early bus wiper, installed a toggle switch on the mounting bracket (all contained in the header area. Really did it all to pass state inspection.

 

I believe it. I just wanted 12 volts and operational wipers. Not a fan of it though.

Ah, interesting. Thanks.

This whole VW thing has me intrigued. I'm definitely going to look into it. Those Mighty Wipers look like a good option too compared to what I have now.

 

Specialty Power Windows makes a nice wiper kit. USA made and easy to install. Mount the motor under the dash where it is hidden, mount the wiper transmissions anywhere you like, route the tubing to them, lube and slide in the cable, wire up the intermittent wiper switch. Done.
http://www.specialtypowerwindows.com/products/2

 

Those Specialty Power Windows kits seem to be the exact same parts that MG, Austins, and probably many other older British cars use. The theory seems sound, but there are a lot of places for slop to enter the system. As I said above, my own MG has a sloppy system. Take it for what it's worth.

 

Remember, the VW's up through 1966 are 6 volts. 67 through 69 are 12 volt, the kinda compact square ones. After that, they are the round motor units and are bulkier than the 67 through 69 models.

 

I used VW wipers too, but now those bugs are getting pretty old and hard to find and the same goes with the Lucas cable units. Done the hatchback rear wiper but you need to deal with a tapered wiper arm mount.

 

X2.........

Ray

 

I did the VDub thing on a 37 I had and drove many a mile . I was thinkin I had a genius mind set to make that work . Lookin like there are many a genius that think alike !

 

Headlight wipers from an older Volvo work.

 

Specialty Power Windows.
Motor isn't loud. well made parts. able to be mounted above window or down the bottom of window. Motor can be mounted where ever suits. Can do many different wiper wiping styles. No slop that I have ever had. Can attach to common wiper arms so pretty versatile if you want to keep the original arms.
Have used them before and will use them again in my current project (already have the kit)

 

I have a mighty wiper in the ‘41 p/u (which looks like the motor from the early ford store but better) and a Newport wiper in the ‘56 chevy panel (direct bolt in). Both aregreat

 

There's more options out there than I thought! Thanks for the ideas fellas, I'll have to get to making some comparisons and doing some research, but I'll get it done now!

 

I also used headlight wipers from a late model volvo. Had to mod the shaft but works great and is a small motor