windshield wipers? 818 s

[indiana818]

i read somewhere that someone added oem wipers. i don't have my chassis yet ,not till next month
but like the idea. is there instructions on how to do this in the manual? does anyone have any advise for me?

[K3LAG]

FFR says their wiper solution is coming 'Soon.' It will be dual wiper using OEM motor and linkages.

Larry

[Joseph]

Outstanding, at first I was upset that my production date is not until next fall but the car just keeps getting better and better developed. I am just keeping busy preparing my 2004 donor car parts and reading all the good advice on these threads.

[Harley818]

Hoping they will be in by May......we get a bit of rain here in Vancouver....:o

[bbjones121]

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?10507-And-it-begins-quot-The-Flash-quot-Build-Thread/page14

Go to post #525 for video of Eriks wiper instal.

[billjr212]

Reviving this thread. Sneak peak at my solution using the Subaru wiper and no cutting of the hood. http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s536/billjr212/Mobile%20Uploads/20150404_215752_zpsqemaeejg.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/billjr212/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150404_215752_zpsqemaeejg.jpg.html)

[RM1SepEx]

Bill how the hell do you get your windshield frame so far back, my master cylinder barely extends past the vertical wall of the fiberglass and yours must be a full inch or more??? I can't get my windshield squared up with it so far back...

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[billjr212]

Haha. Must just be the angle of the photo. Mine looks about like yours from the side.

I'm all the way back in the slots, which puts me about 1/4" too close to the roll bar compared to the soft top measurements in the manual. Hopefully that won't create an issue, but that's a battle for another day.

[wallace18]

Reviving this thread. Sneak peak at my solution using the Subaru wiper and no cutting of the hood. http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s536/billjr212/Mobile%20Uploads/20150404_215752_zpsqemaeejg.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/billjr212/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150404_215752_zpsqemaeejg.jpg.html)

Nice job!

[matteo92065]

I like it. A couple more details and pictures please.

[Frank818]

That's exactly one of my 2 options! Did you extend the small side-to-side arm by 10mm in order to have a full 180-deg sweep?

[billjr212]

nope. Removed the passenger side arm entirely and shortened one of the links to go directly from the motor to the driver side arm.

[billjr212]

I'll post detailed photos once I confirm it actually works. I did take a short video today, but don't have a YouTube account set up. I can email to someone if they want to post it.

[billjr212]

Video wouldn't attach to an email (too big) so I just figured out the YouTube thing. Much easier than I expected. This is just a quick initial video showing the sweep. You can hear it just touch the lip of the hood and windshield trim at the end of the range of motion. I am fairly certain I can adjust this out. More to come this week. I was able to make this out of the stock wiper with some rudimentary welding skills. Uses the old passenger side arm attached to the driver side post with revised linkage.

Wiper range of motion:
http://youtu.be/tXuY3Ap85cY

[RM1SepEx]

pretty good coverage!

[Frank818]

That's almost 180-deg! Pretty good!

[Harley818]

nice work Bill. When you get a chance, can you post details. I don't like the hood cutout job either, so I like your solution.
I just took out my wiper assembly a couple days ago and laid it in place but the arms rub right up against the fiberglass windsheild frame......
Yours is a good option and i didn't think one wiper would be enough but it look like it has full coverage.

[billjr212]

Will do. I still need to do final fitment on the hood, which means I need an extra set of hands and a time when my daughter isn't sleeping in the room above so I can use the dremel. First is easy, second has been an issue. I was thinking I'd pull the wiper off then and do a short 360 video showing the new linkage and attachment points rather than a bunch of pictures. If anybody wants to see a photo from a specific angle though, let me know.

[Hendow]

Very nice job Bill.

Looks like a similar design to mine, which I found worked very well with minimal trimming of the bonnet (sorry... hood!)

https://youtu.be/uiW79IYj2qU

Can you fit a larger wiper blade to give you a bit more swept area? Also, I used a simple clip on washer sprayer in order to comply with local compliance requirements.

Cheers from Down Under...

[Buzz Skyline]

Very nice job Bill.

Looks like a similar design to mine, which I found worked very well with minimal trimming of the bonnet (sorry... hood!)


Hi Hendow,

Do you have a picture of the car with the hood in place so we can see just how much you had to trim?

Thanks,

Buzz

[Hendow]

Hi Buzz,

Apologies for the delayed response...

Here are some pics with the hood on:

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As you can see, not a lot of trimming was required to clear the wiper arm.

I hope this helps!

[flynntuna]

Looks like extra venting for the radiator as a bonus.:cool:

[Frank818]

Hey Hendow, there might be various ways to extend the sweep (make it over 90-deg), which one you tried?

[Meatball]

Will do. I still need to do final fitment on the hood, which means I need an extra set of hands and a time when my daughter isn't sleeping in the room above so I can use the dremel. First is easy, second has been an issue. I was thinking I'd pull the wiper off then and do a short 360 video showing the new linkage and attachment points rather than a bunch of pictures. If anybody wants to see a photo from a specific angle though, let me know.

I like this idea. Nicely done!! I am trying to picture what you did to the linkage to make it work. Can you get a short video such as Hendow's to see the actual mechanism?

Thanks,

[matteo92065]

The sweep should be modified by changing the motor to wiper arm length ratio (I'm not talking about the wiper arm that actually holds the rubber blade). The length of the wiper arm must never be shorter than the motor arm. The length of the link between the two arms must be equal to the distance between the pivots of the motor and wiper arm.
If the length of the wiper arm equals the length of the motor arm the sweep will be near 180 degrees. I don't think you want 180, its way too much. If wiper arm is ~1.43 times the motor arm, sweep is ~90 degrees, If wiper arm is ~1.15 times the motor arm, sweep is about 120 degrees.
I was ready to modify the length of the wiper arm but my sweep ended up perfect.
These are pictures of what I did.
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[Frank818]

Hey nice pix! I had this as tutorials so far:

http://home.online.no/~kseland/s_wiper.htm
http://www.fiestaturbo.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=60457

Yours will greatly help. tnx!

[Buzz Skyline]

Thanks, Wallace and Hendow, for posting your solutions to avoid cutting the hood. I did something similar


https://youtu.be/gqekiEtdt4U

But I modified the FFR kit instead of making my own bracket.

https://youtu.be/49qF4RW-lK0

[STiPWRD]

Buzz, what was the mod? Was it straight forward? Thanks for posting

Edit: Nm, I saw your post on Andrew and Tamra's Thread

[Buzz Skyline]

One other thing I didn't mention is that I attached the bracket to the windshield lower than the FFR instructions call for. It's about 1.25 inches lower, which is why I had to cut the space for the wiper actuator arm to swing. Also, I centered the wiper on the windshield ( that's where the one inch shift in the bracket location came from.)

I left off the arm that turns the driver side wiper (that's pretty obvious), and switched the location of the rod that goes to the other wiper to the inner bearing thing (whatever that's called) to increase the range of motion of the central wiper.

[Frank818]

Hey matteo, how do you know the length of the pivots link? The one I welded is too long as it hits on the wiper arm pivot in 2 places and the motor arm can't do a full 360-deg.

Reading 10 times your post I can't figure out how to determine the length of the link. You mention it needs to be the same distance as the distance between the 2 pivots. Sure, but that distance changes if you turn one of the 2 pivot and not the other, so at which angle should the pivots be when I measure the link length?

Currently I have 6.25" between each pivot's center and it's too long. I guess I'll try to shorter it until it pivots very close to the wiper arm pivot. Trial and error, there still must be a way to calculate its length before I weld.

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[matteo92065]

i don't know the measurement. but I put this together.
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then it will never bind, or hit anything.

[tmoretta]

By the way, anyone know what size nuts are used to fix the wiper arms to the subie wiper motor shafts? Mine are lost.

[Frank818]

i don't know the measurement. but I put this together.
42936

then it will never bind, or hit anything.

AWESOME!! Exactly what I needed! Now I get everything! :) The distance between the axle centers is exactly 5.25", on my 2003 motor assembly, which is probably the same as 2002 and 2004, but I don't know for others. I will unpaint, re-cut, re-weld, re-paint and fix it.


By the way, anyone know what size nuts are used to fix the wiper arms to the subie wiper motor shafts? Mine are lost.

Small ones, I still got mine on the rotating shaft/stem/rod that supports the long wiper arm, I will check that this week, if no one does it before...

[matteo92065]

One more thing, if you set it up like my picture, the wiper will park on passenger side. 2 o'clockish. If you set the wiper arm in the 5 o'clockish position it will park on drivers side.
Took me a little while to figure out how out right hand driving cars were doing theirs.

[Frank818]

By the way, anyone know what size nuts are used to fix the wiper arms to the subie wiper motor shafts? Mine are lost.

Seems to be M9x1.5 or M8x1.5.

[Frank818]

Ok so I rewelded and it gives this:

43031

This mod does *NOT* work at all as it is on the picture!

I ended up with OEM 90-deg sweep!
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And I totally don't understand why... I have the round link 5.25" long between pivot centers, which is same length as the axle centers. I could have it longer, there is space, maybe I need to reach the very maximum, but it becomes more complex to ADD 0.25", not easy to weld and I need to do 2 welds if I make it longer.

I have to think about what to do, but clearly this did not change anything.

I need a good 150-160-deg in order to wipe 80% of the windscreen's surface.

[Buzz Skyline]

Do you still have the other half of the assembly that you cut up? If so, the arm on the other side has two connection points on it. Use the closer in one to get a larger sweep angle. See this image

43032

That's the end you need to use. But attach the arm from the motor to the other point (the one it's not attached to in the stock configuration).

You can see what I mean in the video of my wiper arms at at about 15 seconds in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49qF4RW-lK0&feature=youtu.be

It's kind of hard to explain in words, but if you do this it gives you enough range to sweep essentially the whole windshield.

[Frank818]

Interesting, you have a much different setup.

I still got all the parts, though many are cut, but I can re-weld.

I have put numbers on the picture, if that helps, cuz yeah it's not easy to see exactly what I need and what makes it sweep more.

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[matteo92065]

Ok so I rewelded and it gives this:

43031

This mod does *NOT* work at all as it is on the picture!

I ended up with OEM 90-deg sweep!
4302943030

And I totally don't understand why... I have the round link 5.25" long between pivot centers, which is same length as the axle centers. I could have it longer, there is space, maybe I need to reach the very maximum, but it becomes more complex to ADD 0.25", not easy to weld and I need to do 2 welds if I make it longer.

I have to think about what to do, but clearly this did not change anything.

I need a good 150-160-deg in order to wipe 80% of the windscreen's surface.

You have to unbolt the motor arm and re-position it 180*.

Look at your picture, and then my picture. The motor arm needs to line up with the link arm, like you have, BUT with the motor arm AWAY from the wiper axis.

I'll work on another picture. Mine is an 06 Impreza.

If you want 150* sweep, measure the motor arm, then multiply that by 1.035; and that will be the length of the wiper arm needed. The factory set up is actually close to that.

[matteo92065]

Here is a drawing trying to describe the sweep angle. THIS PICTURE DOES NOT SHOW IT IN THE PARK POSITION. lines would be overlapping if I drew it in the park position.43036

[Buzz Skyline]

So essentially, what I did when I modified the FFR kit was use a stock link to connect the motor arm to the pivot point labeled 4 in your picture.

Incidentally, part of the FFR instructions include knocking the shafts that the wipers mount to out of the assembly and then inserting them in the FFR-supplied bracket and holding them in place with snap rings. It takes a good whack with a mallet to knock them out, but you could swap in the one on the left in your first picture to the location on the right, then you wouldn't have to cut or re-weld anything. Use your shortened link to connect the motor arm to pivot 4 and you should have the same sweep that I have.

[Frank818]

Matteo, this is your picture:

43037

This is mine:

43038

I am trying to see the differences.


Buzz, I'll check what you just said, trying to figure it out and see if I can try something.

I never thought I was that stupid, but it looks when it comes to wipers I have a 50 IQ. lolll

[Frank818]

Buzz, you mean replace #7 by #4 by knocking both out and swapping?
I might need to increase length of my shorter link (the one I welded), as right now it's too short for more than 90-deg, but having the pivot ball under the flat arm would help a lot as it would not hit on the pivot tower.

[matteo92065]

Matteo, this is your picture:

43037

This is mine:

43038

I am trying to see the differences.


Buzz, I'll check what you just said, trying to figure it out and see if I can try something.

I never thought I was that stupid, but it looks when it comes to wipers I have a 50 IQ. lolll

This is a new picture. It looks perfect. if you want more sweep, make the wiper link arm shorter. you don't need to change any other lengths.

This is a video of mine. It goes from all the way from the very bottom of the windshield on passenger side (parked) to touching the edge of the windshield molding on the drivers side. I can not get anymore swept area out of my system. There is just no more glass available to reach.


https://youtu.be/WcJtPnwx4R4

[Frank818]

Yeah it just happened that the other pix did not have the arm on that end, cuz I was taking picture of the area where the round link was touching.

And you are sure that making the wiper flat link arm longer without changing anything will give more sweep?

But it's strange, when I look at your wiper arm (the real big black wiper arm on the windscreen), it seems to have 90-100-deg sweep, like me. You are not at 160-deg for sure, same for Buzz.

Maybe it's just a matter of parking the blade at the right place, having the blade the right length and it would work. Maybe that's my problem, I was expecting the black wiper arm and blade to sweep 160-deg. Something close to this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQNWXhr37tg

[Buzz Skyline]

Mine is well over 90 deg. I would guess around 120, but not the 150 to 160 you're after.

You're right, changing the length of the connecting rod won't affect the sweep. It's the relative lengths of the arms connected to the pivots that matters. The sweep is about 90 degrees when I leave the rod in the stock location, but increases to about 120 when I move it to the inner location on the wiper shaft arm. To get more sweep, I'd have to seriously modify the arm to move things in still more.

I'm happy with mine as it is. It parks in a location that's not ideal for the passenger, but it sweeps the driver's side well.

[Frank818]

I am after 160 cuz I *think* that's what I need to wipe the whole screen, cuz I have seen videos like the one I posted above. But what I'll actually do is fit it this way as it is now, try out different setups, blades, black wiper arms (long, short), inclining the motor on one side or the other, locate it further left or right, etc. and if I can't get something that I think will get me 80% for inspection (then again it is not easy to calculate), I'll try either using the other shaft and switching to the inner pivot ball or increasing the length of the wiper flat arm.

What you did seems to be the exact opposite setup of matteo's, on his vid the wiper stops on the driver's side about where yours is parked on the passenger's side. How interesting. :)

[Frank818]

Ok great news!

Impressively enough, it works, I ended up just like matteo. By self-questioning my expectations, I started my thinking all over, using what you guys gave me as info and it changed the results.

It seems 110-120-deg is the max you can use with OEM wiper blade/arm, as mentioned. I test fitted on the windshield glass, turning the wiper motor by hand from underneath and it made the same sweep as matteo. Since in Canada (or just Quebec) we need to cover 80% of the minimum approved "viewing angle" (less than 80% of the whole glass) when sitting in the car, I believe I am fine.

Both ways, Buzz's and matteo's, will give the same result. So you use the rotating shaft within the motor assembly or use the shaft at the other far end. It's a matter of locating the blade and arm at the right place and angle on the glass so you can get the max out of the motion.

Funny thing is I spent about 7h working on this thing for only a few seconds worth of function for inspection, as I will never use the wiper. If I ever have to, I got a lot of much bigger problems! But hey, this is what rip-off inspections are for, hours of work (and sometimes money) for a few secs of use. :)

I understand much better how a wiper assembly works, now. Tnx a lot guys! :)

[tmoretta]

Again, anyone know what size nuts hold the wiper arms to the shafts? Mine are long gone.

[Frank818]

Again, anyone know what size nuts hold the wiper arms to the shafts? Mine are long gone.

M8 or M9x1.5 don't fit?

[tmoretta]

I don't have much of a selection of nuts to try.

[idf]

Again, anyone know what size nuts hold the wiper arms to the shafts? Mine are long gone.

M10x1.25

[Frank818]

Uses a 14mm socket.

[Wayne Presley]

M10x1.25

[tmoretta]

Thanks so much.

[IMLost]

That's good info.

Thanks!