AUTOLOC UNIVERSAL WINDSHIELD WIPER KIT ---- POS

I decided to be slick and try one of this Universal Wiper Kits instead of the standard VW wiper motor. After 2 weeks of struggle, I ripped the POC out of my car and threw it across the street into an empty lot. It is still there is someone wants it.

My issues:
There is no place to mount the motor inside the car. So I had to mount it in the front trunk. This forced me to have to make several bends in the piping. This made cord inside the tube very tight and loud as it moved.

Because the cord was tight, the motor could not move it well. There are no mounts for the shafts that spin the wiper arms, so as it tried to move, the shafts would slip and become loose. These caused the system to stop working.

The arm shafts are open ended. The system needs grease to move well. The open ended shafts spit grease as the cord moved. So expect your shoes to get a little on them.

The tubes are aluminum, so any type of welding to join tubes is impossible. They also break easily.

The motor is built to attach to metal, the entire motor and bracket grounds. Not that this is an issue, but it seemed odd to me.

I will give you a piece of advice that I was too dumb to take myself. Skip the wipers and use rainex! Or don't drive in the rain. Although the wipers "compete" the look, the don't work for SHyte!... I would suggest mounting a set of wipers with out the motor "for the look" and save yourself the heartache.

I hear you. I would except for that TX inspection requires it.

I use the Rain-X on my other cars. It is AWESOME! A long time ago, I would wax the windshield and then buff it. It kind of did the same thing.

Get a 2 speed VW unit. I agree with the comment about the Rain X since I use it but if properly installed the VW unit will work as good as it does on any VW car; not outstanding but at least usable.

I'm sure Carey Hines at Special Editions can hook you up with the VW unit they use.

I got a 69 Unit. Works good. It took a little to get installed.

I just saw this thread (was away from the PC's when it was running)

I didn't use a VW wiper unit, as I had ordered one from CMC which never got delivered (Boy! was I ever surprised at THAT!)

Once in receivership, CMC eventually sent me a wiper system from Specialty Auto Windows which, after a certain amount of easy custom mounting, fits and works nicely.

The motor mounts up over the passenger's feet behind the dash which can't be seen, but I needed to fabricate a custom mount to attach it to the frame crossmember behind the dash. The wipers are moved by a coiled spring inside of an aluminum tube which is pushed back and forth by the motor. Each wiper has a gear which engages the coiled spring as it slides back and forth.

Everything is variable: distance between wiper posts, start and stop positions of wipers, length of stroke, etc. You can even have the wipers go up and down like a bird's wings, flapping up in the center or up on the sides!

The system is two-speed, and the switch has a push-action for a washer motor. The hardest part of the installation was adapting the Porsche/VW dash knob to the Specialty dash switch.

Used them in mist through downpour and they work great.

I know you've already gone to a '69 VW unit, but I thought others might benefit from this....

I've had continual luck with the VW units, ten minutes to install , another ten to wire the high, low, ground and "Park-hot"
Two of the identical wiper arms do the job.
Yes I too use the Rain X. ~Alan

Alan,

I want this sort of wiper equipment. Old VW w/ low and high rate, plus auto-parking when switched off is very desireable. The arrangement now in there seems to work, but is one speed (rather slow) and does not park. I have not spent any time upside down looking to see what it is nor how it works -- I guess it is "new", and of course would be whatever JPS normally provides. [Note: according to Tom DeW, this equipment, seen in his Coupe, does not work well.] Any vector you can give on where to buy what you have described here will be appreciated.

Kelly

Kelly, check with Carey Hines. My wipers are only one speed, but they work reasonably well and do auto-park.

What wiper arm and blade choices are available for VW wipers?

Right now I have the adjustable Trico ones CMC sent me. I am not thrilled about the way they look and the arms are silver while the blades are black.

I know about the ones from Vintage.

On a related note, with VW wipers it looks like you can change the side the wipers park on by flipping a piece on the motor. Has anyone experimented with this?

Thanks.

I was surprised when I read thread on the green JPS coupe only having one speed wipers. I thought it was a typo. Years ago I had a Porsche 914 (swear it had 3 speed wipers - but hey, that was way back in '72-80). I did add a Hella variable speed intermitent switch (Part Number: 001871041) to make the wipers more effective. Was an easy install and looked like other dash switches. It appears to be still available (I recall getting mine from Beck/Arnley) - $42.

http://store.classicgarage.com/inwisw.html

Or tad over $30 here -
http://www.sportcompactonly.com/Hella/Interior/performance-parts_c-17_b-386.htm

You know that tension spring on the back of the wiper holding it to the glass....? Anyone have one extra?

The park wire is always hot and works off a cam in the wiper motor, the cam opens the points, power is interrupted and the arms come to rest in the park position
I just removed the wiper motor from my project speedster, this too had just one slow position and no park...excess wires were bundled together. when I get a chance, I'll bench power the motor and short out what wires do what. ~Alan

"short out" ??!! a curious typo, Alan. Or maybe the pun was intended? Pretty sure you meant "sort out". But shorting out is often a good way to find out what's connected to what: close the connection and look for the sparks/smoke. Don't need no stinkin' meter to do it that way. BWAAHAHAHAH

OOOOOPPPPSSS!!!!!

I got an email from Carey correcting me on my post. My wipers ARE two-speed - "slow and slower" as he describes it :-). Sheesh!!! I guess that shows how often I've used 'em. Still, you'd think the guy who wrote the bloody owner's manual would remember how things worked. I'm soooo ashamed.

Regardless, I'd contact him. He should be able to hook you up.

Yeah...That's what I wuz say'n :)

Install a replacement 6V wiper motor - now that would be smokin! Any one remember the old vacuum powered wipers - faster you went the slower the wiped!

lane,
speedys should not run with wipers. Be proud you don't know. My coupe has a three speed motor - slow, slower, & not working- don't ask me how I know.

Real Speedsters never go slow enough to need "Wipers"...

Wolfgang:

The really cool part of vacuum wipers was when they just plain stopped on an uphill, regardless of the speed of the car!

Still, they had that cool sound: phoooo-paaaah!


.....way to go, lane 8>{

So where is Drake in all this macho, I don't give a sh-- if it's raining, spiel? The Hoopty accommodates rain by having a drain hole in the floor. Who needs any stinkin' wipers?

It's been 7 years now, my wiper arms and blades are still on the shelf in the garage. Some small acorn nuts reside on the protruding shafts in front of the windshield. Only in Cal . . . . (heh, heh)

A relay works well for the single speed and auto park function. Here is the diagram with an on/off/on toggle which will have hi & lo speeds.

to use a on/off switch with one speed use a simple 12v relay as follows (on the relay):
30 - main power supply
85 - ground
86 - power from switch
87a - to 53A on wiper motor
87 - to 53b on wiper motor

"Real Speedsters never go slow enough to need "Wipers"... "
Didn't know I needed to add to that, Kelly, but if you insist ...
I've got "Index" wipers. A left index, and a right index. They work by manual application to the driving goggles.

In all seriousness ... riiiiight ... Has anyone seen a Laurel and Hardy-style wiper crank? The lever that turns opposite the wiper and goes from one stopper to the other?
I'll be needing one with the new windshield, since it'll be too tall to reach over. It'd be nice to slave one to the other, and have a simple bar between them for when the inspector wants to have a go at my car. I can't put one under the dash for obvious reasons, so drilling two holes in the windshield would be perfect.

Cory: the new windshield is fine, but we gotta talk about drilling holes in it. WTF??