Mk IV Wipers

[Railroad]

You guys did so good with my sun visor installation, I thought I would use you again for my wipers.
I have the motor and all wiring done. Body is in gel coat and on the car.
I will be reading the threads that are easy to find, but will be glad to hear any tips on mounting and assembling the tubes, boxes and blades.
thanks,

[Jeff Kleiner]

It’s a monkey motion setup that sounds like it is self destructing when running...that’s normal ( remember, it’s a British design and execution!) Despite that they will work. White grease is your friend; use it liberally on the wheel boxes and cable. Do your setup without the arms and when you finally install them don’t run the blades on dry glass—put a paper towel between the blade and glass while testing.

Cheers,
Jeff

[GTBradley]

...and make sure the wheel boxes are gapped correctly. The gears will strip if there is too much play.

[Fixit]

The biggest bytch of the install is bending the supplied Stainless Steel guide tubing used between the motor & wheelboxes. Go slow & easy and it'll work.

**Tip**
Make 100% sure that the threaded ferrule that attaches the guide tubing to the motor lines up square & perpendicular. It needs to start & thread on with finger pressure. Don't try and pull it into alignment with tools. The threaded stub (housing) on the motor is made of die-cast "Chineseum" and will strip out in a heartbeat.

[Mark K]

It’s a monkey motion setup that sounds like it is self destructing when running...that’s normal...

Cheers,
Jeff

Jeff, that has to be the best advertisement I've yet heard for the wipers. :-)

Thank god they're not required here in Cali for title/registration.

- m

[GTBradley]

The biggest bytch of the install is bending the supplied Stainless Steel guide tubing used between the motor & wheelboxes. Go slow & easy and it'll work.

Very true! I found that my portable air tank from HF had just the right radius, so all I had to do was bend the tubing over it with my hands.

[Murd]

I didn’t have a flaring tool that would do the SS tubes so I used Nicop 3/8 fuel line instead.
If I was doing it again I might have drilled the body holes symmetrical like the original cars instead of offset to the drivers side as per the FFR instructions.

[walt mckenna]

After following all the good advice that you will receive on this issue, coat your windshield with rain-x and turn the wipers on only as a last resort.

[Railroad]

Replies and advise greatly appreciated. I have been told by a fellow owner, the wipers are useless. I do not doubt it, but want them on the car, before it goes for paint.
Do I need to open the gear box on motor and grease it up? I have the old instructions.
It looks like I am missing one of the wave washers and want to look at edwardb's substitution of the rubber sleeves.
I might bend the wiper arms, depends on how the install goes and looks.
Thanks again for the help.

[GTBradley]

I haven't used mine in heavy rain yet, but I do have a softop and plan to take my car on long trips. I have used the wipers to clear light rain and they worked fine for that. They are small and British, but like on a Jag or MGB they will work okay.

[Norm B]

I have a soft top and have been caught in the rain a couple of times and the wipers worked good. The wiper boxes and tubing supplied with my kit in 2012 didn't match up well. The cable would barely engage the wheels in the boxes. I took everything apart and reworked the tubing attach points to make the cable fully engage on the teeth on the wheels. My daughter accidentally proved they can run on dry glass without damage trying to turn on the aux power for the stereo. After that she sprayed us with wiper washer fluid. This lead to the father daughter talk about "think then do" not, "do then think" and if you don't know ask.

Norm

[JohnK]

Thank god they're not required here in Cali for title/registration.

- m

Hey Mark - is this true that they are not required or is it simply that they are typically not checked for? Backup lights are technically required, but from what I've heard they are never checked for in an inspection in CA. If wipers are actually not required, I'd love to not install them. We don't get random rain storms in the summer here, so I foresee zero instances of being caught out in the rain unexpectedly. If I can avoid installing wipers I'd love to do so.