wiper arms that operate "in Parallel'

reddo · Post by **reddo** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:08 am

Hi all

Driving in to work today in the drizzling rain. not enough to keep the wipers on full time so reach around and turn the wiper knob every 2 minutes.
As we all know when the wipers take a swing across the glass on an FB/EK from either side .you are left with the upsidedown triangle in the middle screen.
Got to thinking "how hard would it be to set up the wipers to move in parallel like a "normal car" and get rid of that triangle.

Has anyone tackled this conversion ?? if so what wiper motor/ mechanism did you use. all wiper motors work on the same principal so i would imagine that someone has already "been there done that " by now. i managed to put a wiper mechansim rod on back the front one day years ago and had the wiper arms flapping all over the place.

looked pretty funny at the time.

The whole idea might be out of the question due to the curve of the windscreen.. dunno?? you tell me!!!

Second question is where do yo buy intermittent timers for wipers and how do you wire them into the FB/EK circuit??. Maybe just use a switch mechanism and controller out of a car that has an inermittent wiper function???

Reddo

FB MAD · Post by **FB MAD** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:48 am

G'day Reddo,

Can't answer your first question re wiper conversion, never done it ,don't know anyone who has but I'll bet my left one that someone somewhere has!! .

There were kits available in the '80's/early '90's for intermittent wipers coversion and maybe they are still available.

Maybe try Rare Spares, Wolfy's ( are they still in Newcastle?? ),Supercheap or another one of those types of Auto spare parts store.

I'm sure you'll come up with something in that shed of invention

Terry.

reddo · Post by **reddo** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:59 am

Hi FBMAD.

Yeah i remember the intermittent timers as a little black box about 50mm sqaure???
. Basically just a small 12volt variable timer. They can be set up under the dash out of sight but if they are wired in series with the power wire going to the wiper motor from the switch you would need to have some way of quickly overiding the time setting so you could have the wipers on full bore when its p!ssing down.
Dont want another knob stuck through the dash.. nor do i wanna havta reach under the dash to crank the timer to 'full steam ahead"????

might be able to rig something up using an EH or HR wiper switch which has a 2 position switch. use the first position to operate the intermittent circuit and use the second position ( high speed position) to operate the flappers at full speed continuous......

i think i might have just answered my second question

Reddo

FB MAD · Post by **FB MAD** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 10:37 am

Yep, you did answer second question, sounds like that would work and I guess the EH/HR two pole switch would mount straight in to FB/EH switch hole.

When I was a pimple faced 17 year old my horn wouldn't work

hang on, I'll try that one again

When I was a pimple faced 17 year old FC Holden driver my steering wheel horn contacts wouldn't work so I made up a bracket and fitted a aftermarket horn button and mounted it under the lower curve of the FC dash. The two small holes I drilled couldn't be seen but the button was easy to reach.
Sort of similar to how some people used to mount the oil pressure/amp/temp gauges under the dash.

Mine didn't look too professional at the time but I'm sure you'd be able do something better, however the EH/HR switch idea would be betterer if it fits.

Terry.

FB MAD · Post by **FB MAD** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 12:05 pm

Just had a look at my master parts cattledog. Says part numbers for wiper switches are all different from EK to HD ( it only goes FX to HD ) but that doesn't nesessarily mean they aren't able to be fitted ( or minimum modification to fit) across the various models.

My EK project sitting in my shed has a two position switch with AC Delco wiper but appears to only have the one speed in both positions on the switch. Another one I have up the back shed still in car has a Preslite wiper in it ( which I believe is a 2 speed wiper) but has no switch in the car.

The book lists EJ 235 as having 2 speed wiper but no mention of EK 2 speed in the book but I'm pretty sure there were single speed and also 2 speed wipers for EK so if thats correct then the 2 speed switch as in my EK may do the job.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

Terry.

Devilrod · Post by **Devilrod** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 12:40 pm

Rainex! Its heaps better than wipers especially when travelling over 60 klms/h.

As for parallel wipers I think you answered that yourself, too much curve I think.

FB MAD · Post by **FB MAD** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 1:02 pm

Actually thats a bloody good idea Devilrod.
I used it once on my other car starting with F and ending in D and it is bloody brilliant stuff!
Rain just runs off straight away.I drove about 100 klm one day after applying Rainex a few days before and was driving in light to moderate rain ( yes I know it never rains anymore ) and never used the wipers at all.... couldn't believe how good it works.

Terry.

Trev · Post by **Trev** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 6:37 pm

Took the word rite off my keyboard Brett

I use it all the time,
Trev

reddo · Post by **reddo** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 7:18 am

Hi Youall
Had a look at the wipers yesdy arvo. problem with trying to set the wipers up to swing the same way is the left side shaft is way over to the left of the car ( makes sense duzznit!!!!). Even if you did get them do work "In Parallel" the wiper would dissapear around the side of the windscreen towards the 1/4 window and then only arc back to just past the straight up and down position. meaning the windsceen wouldnt even get wiped in the middle.

Could be remedied by repositioning the arm but would mean the wiper would be stopping about 100mm up the windscreen when turned off.......ooooo Bugger...... aaahhhh well still gunna push on with the intermittent wipers idea

.

reddontgiveup

Devilrod · Post by **Devilrod** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:31 pm

Reddo have you tried Jaycar, they may have kits. Just thought of them now.... Damn brain seems to be losing chunks of useful info

reddo · Post by **reddo** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 1:47 pm

Hi Devilrod

Dont beat yourself up over memory loss. I am a week or 2 off turning 53 and use to worry about turning " brain dead" .
I have regular "seniors moments " down in my "shed of Invention"... loose an entire toolkit by the end of a nights work and then walk in the shed the next day and "Bingo"... all the missing spanners come out of hiding back onto the bench.

The fact that i also have 2 teenage sons who have a habit of hanging the tools up on the floor when finished doesnt help things either.

The biggest problem i have with getting back amongst fiddling with old 'oldens after being away from them since 1997 when i restored an EH prem sedan ( spent the past 10 years rooting around with vintage motorbikes), is coming to terms with the prices of bits that i as a young bloke threw out. and also how hard it is to find decent useable stuff .

Sure there is a lot of stuff at swap meets and on ebay but as i said before the prices have gone through the roof in the last 10 years

. fortunately there is still a few blokes out there like me from the old school that dont dabble too much with ebay. Some are willing to let things go at reasonable prices... curse you profiteering ebayers..... crash.. bang... ooops just fell off my fruitbox.

I will give Jaycar a buzz and see whats on offer there . Will tell em what i plan to do and see if some "dick smith lookalike counter jockey" can draw me a wiring diagram for the intermittent wiper set up.

reddo