How did you align your windshield wipers?

[Gumball]

I'm getting ready to drill the holes in the cowl for my FFR windshield wipers, but I noticed that the instructions suggest mounting them a bit more to the left (driver's side) than the original cars. The originals were mounted so that the passenger wiper rested with one end almost all the way in the lower corner of the passenger side of the windshield, while the driver's side wiper was almost evenly aligned directly behind the hood scoop. The FFR instructions have them installed about 4" or so to the drivers side, though, as compared to the original mounting location.

I initially was going to just move the mounting location, but then I started to wonder if the supplied wiper gear boxes only have a limited range of movement, necessitating the more driver's side biased set-up.

Thoughts, comments, pictures?

[edwardb]

This top view of my Mk3 shows the location of mine. The coverage is about as good as can be expected for relatively small blades with somewhat limited movement. The DS wiper goes past vertical, but not too much. The windshield really starts curving at that point, so probably just as well. Don't know how well it would follow the curve. 2000 miles last season (my first) and wasn't caught in the rain, so I have no real world experience. Hope to keep it that way. But I keep the windshield well treated with Rain-X, which just makes it easier to clean but also according to what I've read works as well as the wipers when it rains.

One other hint. You will likely have to bend the wiper arms to get them to park parallel to the bottom edge of the windshield. Notice how mine are lined up pretty well. They didn't come out of the box that way. A little bit of heat from a torch at the bend in the arm, and then bend slightly in a vise. They polished up fine with no damage. Several threads about this in the other forum.

HTH.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/edwardb123/Factory%20Five%20Mark%203%20Roadster%20Build/Finished/IMG_1536.jpg

[SCFFR]

Chris,
The wiper boxes are basically a gear with a stem and can rotate as far as the wiper cable moves back and forth. I spent a few weeks rebuilding the Lucas wiper system on my 1967 MGB which I think is basically the same as on our roadsters. Even working "perfectly", I would rate them "poor" as compared to how the wipers on new cars work.
I think Edward's comments are spot on..............with the short arms, coverage will be limited at best and will require some manipulation of the arms for a good fit.
Definitely replace the FFR supplied rubber spacers between the gear boxes and the cowl (under the cowl) with some angled, metal spacers.

Ron