Faster Windshield Wipers?

[jeffrey8164]

Probably a pipe dream but has this been done or does anyone have a theory as to how to go about it?
All that needs to happen is to turn the spindle faster.
Maybe a motor from a more modern car?
Possibly even try to get the intermittent feature by using the control relays or whatever.
Just drinkin and thinkin.
_________________
Volkswagen!
Turning owners into mechanics since 1938.

“Let he that is without oil throw the first rod”
(Compression 8.7:1)

[supercub]

6-volt wiper motor on 12 volts. It'll be really fast...for a while. My '66 had been converted to 12-volt before I got it but still had the 6-volt wiper motor. It was smoked internally.

[Cusser]

[raygreenwood]

I would ask what model of car, but from my experience, I'll 4 types had weak/slow wipers.

There are a handful of things in the stack up that cause it.

1. Just getting solid, clean power of 12+ volts to the motor with nothing else in the circuit along with really good, low tack grease like superlube in the spindle bushings and joints.....helps make the wipers as good as they can get without any changes.

That, and getting rid of the really tacky grease inside of the little gear box really cuts down the drag. If you can seal the box up better and put in an NLGI grade 0 like superlube gear oil or corn head grease, all of those "maintenance" level changes alone are like 10-15% speedier. Not a lot but better.

2. The biggest problem inside of our old wiper motors compared to say....some of the same/similar size motors in the first two series of water cooled VW and some Volvos of the era.....is the gear ratio.

It's not clear to me whether our acvw motors were considered to be low torque enough that they wanted to go for a lower gear ratio.....but that's what they have. The main big nylon gear is more than a few teeth larger than those in the mk1 and mk2 water cooled vws.

But, the problem comes that you just cannot slap in a smaller diameter/less teeth gear from something because you need a matching larger diameter worm gear.

3. All of that said, if you look at some of the early watercooled wiper motors, the form factor is similar enough and they mount with a three bolt pattern.....that you could very probably swap one in. I have one from a rabbit that is waiting for me to get around to trying it one day.

4. Or.....something also worth trying that is similar to the concept of using a 6 volt unit with 12 volts.....is to buy a little Taiwanese made 12 volt input to variable 12-16 volt output power supply from Digikey or somewhere else (a company called Meanwell makes a lot of these) ....and trying out running a 12 volt unit with maybe 14 volts.

Ray

[wagen19]

[jeffrey8164]

I guess I should have mentioned that it’s a ’70 Ghia.
Everything has been “gone through”. New shafts, motor cleaned etc.
They work but aside from the blades just barely touching the windshield on the far left, I just wish they would wipe faster. The “fast” speed is adequate for mild rain but anything heavy and the jig is up.
I appreciate your thoughts and ideas.
I do have a spare motor and armature so maybe I’ll do some salvage yard searching and see if I can find something that will work.
_________________
Volkswagen!
Turning owners into mechanics since 1938.

“Let he that is without oil throw the first rod”
(Compression 8.7:1)

[KTPhil]

If you have an old electric shop in town (or maybe an old good appliance repair shop) you might bring him a cleaned motor, and ask that the windings be changed so that it is optimized for something like 10 volts instead of 12. It shouldn't be so much that it will burn it out, but it may speed it up by 20-30%.

Another angle is to check if your windshield is pitted. This will trap water and the surface tension will make them smear rather than clear.

If your windshield is new or at least unpitted, try this regimen:
1. Clean it with Windex or other spray cleaner. Do it again.
2. Then let it dry in the sun for a full hour, and buff off any residue. Buff it again.
3. Use Rain-X on a folded paper towel. Cover it side to side, then top to bottom. Do it again.
4. Let this dry for another hour in the sun, and buff off any residue. Buff it again.
5. Check your blades, replacing or at least cleaning them with the same window cleaner.

You will be amazed how well this now sheds drops (like the opening credits to Star Trek), to the point that at anything over about 30mph, you don't really need wipers at all.
_________________
Current Fleet:
- '71 Fastback
- '69 Westfalia
Retired:
- '67 Beetle
- '65 Beetle (x2)
- '65 Bus
- '71 Squareback

[danfromsyr]

Have you had the gearbox apart?
The grease in the wiper gearbox gets old and dry.
Drill the rivets, find a new way to secure the cover. Tap for small metal screws or find new rivets.
Add new grease, axle grease should work. But some here may know better.
Also the pivot shafts get tight with age & oxidation powder binds in the pivots.
Take them out and work them individually with a good thin lube like bike cable lube.

And take the tarnish (dark color) off the electrical contacts.
Get a proper contact cleaner and sealer , else they'll tarnish up again quickly

You can get add on delay
https://www.amequipment.com/shop/delay-switch-for-two-speed-wiper-motors
_________________

[my59]

[danfromsyr]

Agreed with above.
I RainX all of my vehicles and when we get a new one or I ride in someone else's car I can't comprehend how they can see in the rain..
no wonder people are scared of driving in the rain. with a smear of water clinging to the glass.

indeed rainx nearly negates the need to use wipers..
I clean it off using rubbing alcohol when I reapply about twice a year for our daily/regularly used vehicles
_________________

[jinx758]

Shiny terminals & clean/tight grounds.

WAY back in the early '90s an old rancher suggested car wax. He used it on his combine & other stuffs. His advice was spot on with the Rochester Quadra-Jet I was rebuilding at the time. I was young & doubtful but tried it. Used it on every vehicle I've had & still do. A teeny tiny amount goes a long way.
Simple & cost effective, still using a can I bought from that period - Turtle Wax.

I apply in shade in late Feb, let haze, & buff off.
Lasts a full year. Drops race up the windshield.

Saw a U-tube vid comparing RainX to a potato.
The potato won but I have seen some real janky stuff posted as fact.

Believe what you want ... stay safe

jinx
_________________
" It's not valuable unless you learn something from an experience. " Henry Ford

It's not unlike the same difference ...

My Craigslist rescued 100 footer :
1971 Standard Bug
1776cc dual port
034 distributor
38mm EGAS Carburetor

[KTPhil]

VW used to advise in bold lettering to never let wax get on the windshield. It often produces skips and chatter.
_________________
Current Fleet:
- '71 Fastback
- '69 Westfalia
Retired:
- '67 Beetle
- '65 Beetle (x2)
- '65 Bus
- '71 Squareback

[74 Thing]

[jinx758]

VW also claimed their diesel engines got good gas mileage.

I know it works & has since I started that treatment back around 1992.
I've never had skipping nor chatter but I don't slather it on either.
Worst wipers was the 3yrs in AZ at 6,900 elevation. Maybe it was the constant freeze /thaw , freeze/thaw.

Believe it or not ... stay safe

jinx
_________________
" It's not valuable unless you learn something from an experience. " Henry Ford

It's not unlike the same difference ...

My Craigslist rescued 100 footer :
1971 Standard Bug
1776cc dual port
034 distributor
38mm EGAS Carburetor