Wiper Motor Questions

Hey everyone,

I am getting ready to replace my wiper motor and add at least one to another front window (there is currently only one wiper on the three windshields). However, I am not sure what length shaft I should buy. The bulkhead is 1.5" think and the current shaft length is 3". But it looks too long to me. Should it stick out 1.5" like the picture below shows? Should I upgrade the motors? Current one looks pretty cheap. Finally, the center window opens (swings upward) Is there something special for that?Thanks for the help y'all.

Tom-

Mine stick out that much, but I then I have wanabee windows.

Tom
I have 3. all stick out. The central window once opened, but by the time I bought her, that window had been varnished shut (or possibly screwed shut too) and the hinges removed. I gave away the long SS bars used to push it open a couple of years ago. Removing them from the inside gave me an improvement in interior space. Several years ago I had one from which the smoke escaped, so I had to go and buy a new one. There was no option at the chandlery I frequent, so I bought the same cheap one. So far, no more smoke has escaped.

Greetings,
Mr. Gonz. Shouldn't matter I would think. Upgrade the wiper motors? Only if the current model of wiper isn't doing a good job. My $.02.

I like rain x no needed for wipers

If you fit a longer stub it may change how the blade sits on the screen, ie one end pressed hard,other end not touching enough. If the current motor otherwise did the job, for quite a while, easiest is a new same same. Might look long, but if it works...
I looked at replacing mine because the splines were worn out, PO had put in extra grub like screws and glued arm to stub. The job of removing the old motor required extensive dismantling (boat built around wiper motor?), I re-glued it. Hope your dismantling is less.

funangler said:

I like rain x no needed for wipers

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Ditto.

koliver said:

Several years ago I had one from which the smoke escaped, so I had to go and buy a new one. There was no option at the chandlery I frequent, so I bought the same cheap one. So far, no more smoke has escaped.

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LOL! I just had the smoke escape from mine. I never knew is was so critical to the operation of the wiper motor. Now I'm wishing I had plugged that hole to keep the smoke in for just a little longer!

Mine look like this:

Greetings,
I'm pretty sure I've posted this here before but in case anybody missed it...

Lucas Replacement Smoke Kit

RTF
Thanks for that post. I had a British car once and I lost ALL of the wiring harness smoke one evening while trying to impress a new girlfriend. That didn't go well. I have avoided anything wired by the Prince of Darkness (Lucas) ever since. I didn't know my wiper motors were by Lucas.

What's weird is that the current shaft is 3", but a lot of the replacements I see at Defender and Jamestown are either 2.5" and 3.5". Need to decide if I go shorter or longer.

FlyWright said:

LOL! I just had the smoke escape from mine. I never knew is was so critical to the operation of the wiper motor. Now I'm wishing I had plugged that hole to keep the smoke in for just a little longer!

Mine look like this:

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Looks like a TMC unit..... www.tmcin.com ...search wiper..

Thanks for that skidgear. I was looking at the AFI 34000 (2 inch shaft, pictured above) for around $140.

Your suggestion pointed me toward the TMC unit for around $60, or $85 with the 16" arm and blade. This unit has a 2 1/3 inch shaft.



Finally, I found an Ongaro unit with a 3.5 inch shaft for around $95. Tom, you might find this one compatible with your vessel.



I'm leaning toward the TMC unit since its shaft size appears most compatible with the 2 1/2 inch model I am replacing. At $85 with the new arm and blade, it seems like a good value, but I've never heard of the brand. Does anyone have experience with TMC units and their quality?

Thanks for the info , skidgear. You probably saved me $60. I owe you one!!

TMC is marketed here, heads, pumps, electrical parts. Not bought any so can`t say on quality. Pricing is usually below competing products.

jeffnick said:

https://www.surpluscenter.com/sort.asp?catname=&byKeyword=yes&search=wiper%20motor

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WOW!!! Thanks!

I am thinking that I might go from my current 3" to 2.5" instead of 3.5" because I am thinking that the lower angle of the arm could help the spring apply a greater load onto the glass. Am I wrong understanding that the lower angle loads energy into the spring more than the higher angle because the arm, when off the motor, wants to collapse to a tighter angle?

**SIDE NOTE** I am not sure how they measure these. Is it 3.5" to the END or just the threaded part?

I recently replaced my two with Speich 38 to 6mm wall thickness units with pantograph arms. Very pleased with the result.

The three wiper motor shafts on our boat extend out 3" or so because they have to clear the window frames. The center windshield panel is hinged at the top and can be opened out. The pivot in the wiper arm allows for this movement of the center window.

We replaced our stock center wiper arm and blade with a pantograph arm and blade a few years ago. The original motor was retained. The wiper arm and the parallel rod are both hinged to allow the window to be opened. We put a restrictor on the bar the window opening mechanism slides on so we cannot open the window farther than the wiper arm hinges will allow. But this is still quite a ways open.

Anyone with any experience of the commercial-type horizontal wipers...like these:
www.imtra.com/wipers-straight-line-wipers.htm

OR with wipers that have externally mounted motors?

I have a similar setup too, Marin. Do you see an advantage to a pantograph arm?

After looking at the less expensive motors Jeff posted, I am skeptical they are durable enough for marine use. Brass covered steel shafts don't sound like it would hold up over the stainless when that are right out there in front taking the direct salt spray. Maybe $100 per motor isn't as bad as I first thought, but for $30 each for the cheap ones, you can go thru three or four before you are at the cost of one nice one.

I've had mine for at least 2 years. Works like new but it's not been used in salt water.
I got the one with the switch on the motor - it only needs two wires to be self parking.

The pantograph we installed is stainless. It seems to be in the middle of the price range for these things. We installed it because it gives a lower arc of clear glass than the stock wiper. We have a helm seat that we use underway and the bottom of the arc was right at my wife's eye level. The pantograph arm lowers the arc by quite a bit. We left the stock wiper arms in place on the two side windshield panels.

We've tried Rain-X and found it's not worth the effort. The mist we often get here is not heavy enough to slide down the windshield on its own so we end up using the wipers anyway and this renders the Rain-X coating ineffective in short order.

When the coating is new it works as advertised with heavy spray on a rough day but then we find ourselves peering for debris in the water though dozens of water rivulets running down the windows so we have to turn the wipers on which, along with the salt, takes out the Rain-X coating very quickly.

So we no longer bother with it. Our boat has very good wipers in our opinions so we've never had visibility problems with fog/mist, rain, or spray. In Bellingham Bay particularly we often need the wipers the whole five to seven miles across even on nice sunny days.

That's the problem that I have too, Marin. My AutoGroan wiper arm barely reaches over halfway down the window. Fine for me, but the pip-squeak I am married to should get a little love too. I ordered the three new motors this morning (along with the autopilot, but that's another thread), but I did not order the arms. I figure I won't need them for a while, yet, so I can do some measuring and see what length of arm/wiper combo I will need/want. Care to point me to what you used? Pretty please with a cherry on top?

Tom-

I'll have to get the name off the boat as I don't have the info at home. Next weekend perhaps.

BruceK said:

TMC is marketed here, heads, pumps, electrical parts. Not bought any so can`t say on quality. Pricing is usually below competing products.

Click to expand...

Our boat had TMC units from new...'89 Ocean Alexander. Hooked up with a pantograph linkage and OA unique attachment to the drive shaft. One unit failed last summer when I stuffed the bow into a bigazz wave and buried the windscreen underwater for an extended period. Turned out the motor was fine...the failure occured where a small roll pin that holds the splined cap goes through the drive shaft...corrosion in the hole and the shaft twisted off at that point. I bought a new TMC assembly and had to jack around to make it fit the old OA wiper arm attachment. Not a big deal, especially if you're installing one with a new wiper arm from TMC. Also had to mess with internal adjustment to get the sweep arc set correctly...good directions included with the unit. Overall good quality and good performance.

Greetings,
Slight creep but can a pantograph system be retrofitted to a single arm system easily?

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
Slight creep but can a pantograph system be retrofitted to a single arm system easily?

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That is what we did. We did not change the motor or its drive shaft. However it is not necessarily a straightforward process because there needs to be an attach point for the top of the pantograph arm. This generally involves drilling a hole for the pivot point a specific distance from the wiper motor arm.

On a GB it's made doubly tricky because the pantograph arm, like the wiper arm, needs to clear the wooden window frame.

Fortunately we have a resident genius on the GB owners forum (one of several) who has a boat the same year and model as ours. He designed and machined a very clever fitting out of a UHMV block that provides a base for the pantagraph arm as well as spaces it out the proper distance from the wiper motor arm and eliminates the need to drill a hole in the boat for the pantograph pivot. Ingenious thing, really, and he made one for us as well as ordering the pantograph wiper that he used on his boat.

Carey of this forum also installed pantograph wipers on his boat in place of the stock single-arm wiper arm and blade. But his lobsterboat has aluminum windows so he did not have the frame-clearance issue we do. He mounted his pantographs himself using the stock motors and drilled the holes necessary for the pantograph pivot.

So the answer to your question is yes, but the effort involved may be very simple or it may require a very clever solution as it did on our boat. It will all depend on the nature of your stock motors and the design of the windows on your boat.

AM Equipment - Windshield Wiper Blades and Systems | DC Electric ...

www.amequipment.com/

These folks sell all style blades and wiper arms , as well as the posts required to convert to parallel arms.

Remember the spacing at the arm to blade joint must match the spacing at the wiper motor base or the arm will not stay parallel.

There ARE spacing differences between Mfg , boats , trucks , RV and coaches.

Best to select a Mfg and use all the parts from one source.

We have dealt with A&M and thy are fine.

The wipers on my boat use the old style slide in refills, which appear to be an endangered species. I'll either have to change styles, buy complete new blade assemblies, or find some refills on the Internet.

Don't believe shaft length is critical. On the Coot, the shaft extends only enough to attach the wipers.