Author Topic: Air or Electric Wiper Motor  (Read 11578 times)

Offline Tikvah

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Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« on: September 22, 2011, 04:37:12 AM »
I snapped one of the shafts of my air wiper motor.  Now I need to replace the motor.  I've heard there is an electric replacement for these air units.
Am I better off to go with electric?  Where do I get a replacement, air or electric?  Any experience?

Dave
1989 MCI-102 A3
DD 6V92 Turbo, Alison
Tons of stuff to learn!
Started in Cheboygan, Michigan (near the Mackinaw Bridge).  Now home is anywhere we park
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Offline belfert

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2011, 05:25:33 AM »
Modern cars don't have air or vacuum wipers anymore.  With air you have to worry about bad valves, air leaks, and bad seals.

Autex (www.autexacs.com) makes electric retrofit kits for many models of buses
Brian Elfert - 1995 Dina Viaggio 1000 Series 60/B500 - 75% done but usable - Minneapolis, MN

Offline Joe Camper

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2011, 05:28:54 AM »
Been there, still there, and never solved the issue.

No good solutions IMHO

If you go to electric you should need some kind of transmission (linkage) to connect both sides together. Prevo has a kit for electric conversion it is way way expensive.

The alternative is stay with air that is also pricey itself and performance is terrible.

I have hoped a common motor from a bone yard would make a suitable replacement and then I would simply buy 2 and run them separate off 2 switches to eliminate the linkage project...........but I have not persued that yet.

Someone had some conversion kits for sale or had a source for them and I think it was here. I had reason why i did not go that route but forget why. I think cost of those too

Signing off from Cook County Ill. where the dead vote, frequently.

Offline luvrbus

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2011, 05:35:42 AM »
AM Equipment in Or I believe the kit is little over 600 for the electric conversion for a MCI


good luck
Life is short drink the good wine first

Offline Tikvah

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2011, 05:43:54 AM »
I remember driving school bus years ago and they had electric wipers, on separate switches.  I think linkage would be too difficult, but also a lot of strain on one motor.
1989 MCI-102 A3
DD 6V92 Turbo, Alison
Tons of stuff to learn!
Started in Cheboygan, Michigan (near the Mackinaw Bridge).  Now home is anywhere we park
http://dave-amy.com/

Offline oldmansax

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2011, 05:44:53 AM »
every truck I ever owned had air & the MCI has air. Keep 'em maintained & I don't have any problems.

TOM
1995 Wanderlodge WB40 current
1985 Wanderlodge PT36
1990 Holiday Rambler
1982 Wanderlodge PT40
1972 MCI MC7

Offline Joe Camper

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2011, 05:47:34 AM »
I just called the link posted in this thread its 750 for the Prevo one.

On our bus the square mounting plate on the front of the bus that the post goes thru that the arm attaches to has screw fasteners that are FROZEN SOLID. This was another issue for me. If those panels have to be removed I will need to grind off the heads drill out the screws and re tap the threads for every single screw I could not get even 1 of them to budge.

I can access those motors relatively easily from inside the bus but never found out if I could do the change completely without having to pull the outside access off.

I think it is safe to say sticking with air would be the easier and less expensive alternative.
Signing off from Cook County Ill. where the dead vote, frequently.

Offline belfert

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #7 on: September 22, 2011, 05:58:40 AM »
My Dina has separate electric motors for each wiper.  I can control each wiper individually for high and low constant speed.  For intermittent wipers there is one switch for both wipers.  I would have thought all buses with electric motors would have two motors.
Brian Elfert - 1995 Dina Viaggio 1000 Series 60/B500 - 75% done but usable - Minneapolis, MN

artvonne

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #8 on: September 22, 2011, 06:15:11 AM »
Modern cars don't have air or vacuum wipers anymore.  

  And your point? Airplanes still use Magnetos and vacuum powered flight instruments so they will still function after a complete electrical failure. The most common failure ive seen in vehicles is electrical, and on road trips its common to see the battery or alternator fail. Reading these Bus forums I see a lot of the same thing. The more systems we have that dont require electricity, the farther we can run down the road after the alternator goes south. That some of these old Buses are 50 or 60 years old and the pneumatic wipers still work should be enough to have some faith in them.

  All the Buses Ive seen with air wipers have dual air motors with seperate controls. And they are vernier, in that you can turn the knob to any speed you want infinetly. So slow its every bit like intermittent.

  
  

  

Offline luvrbus

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2011, 06:22:51 AM »
Electric wipers are far better than air but like Joe said you still have the linkage even the air has 2 motors,direct drive electric wiper motors are available but at a premium price and they have a clutch instead of linkage


good luck
Life is short drink the good wine first

Offline lostagain

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #10 on: September 22, 2011, 06:30:51 AM »
Air wipers work very well. It takes a little maintenance once in a while to keep them reliable. Air wipers are part of what makes a bus a bus.

JC
JC
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1977 MC5C, 6V92/HT740 (sold)
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Offline bobofthenorth

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #11 on: September 22, 2011, 06:44:51 AM »
IMO the best two changes I made to the frenchy-bus after we bought her were a King Cruise and changing the wipers to Autex electrics.  But I'm sorry to say you absolutely have to get those plates off the front in order to do the swap.
R.J.(Bob) Evans
Used to be 1981 Prevost 8-92, 10 spd
Currently busless (and not looking)

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Offline Joe Camper

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #12 on: September 22, 2011, 06:53:48 AM »
LOL you have a 4 year older bus than us. Used up the entire weekend uh. Welcome to the world of Prevo ownership ;D

 It is also up above the paint line so I would need to be careful about that aspect too. I do not see it happening any time soon.

What is a King Cruise.
Signing off from Cook County Ill. where the dead vote, frequently.

Offline bobofthenorth

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #13 on: September 22, 2011, 07:29:27 AM »
What is a King Cruise.

Brand of cruise control. 
R.J.(Bob) Evans
Used to be 1981 Prevost 8-92, 10 spd
Currently busless (and not looking)

The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you.
Its the last thing but its still on the list.

Offline TomC

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #14 on: September 22, 2011, 08:30:37 AM »
While my older '85 Kenworth and my '77 AMGeneral bus has air wipers (the AMGenerals are going to be changed) I don't know of any commercial vehicle that are still using air.  All are electric now-and use just one electric motor for both wipers.  Good Luck, TomC
Tom & Donna Christman. 1985 Kenworth 40ft Super C with garage. '77 AMGeneral 10240B; 8V-71TATAIC V730.

Offline Oonrahnjay

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #15 on: September 22, 2011, 11:07:08 AM »
  AM Equipment in Or I believe the kit is little over 600 for the electric conversion for a MCI 

Maybe somebody could do it the "Garhawk" way.  Gary went to an "auto recycler" (I once heard a mutual friend tell Gary that he spent more time in a junk yard than a '58 Buick) and bought a wiper motor off one car and the linkage off another for his RTS.  Works a treat.  I think he said that he had less than $20 in it.  Oh, yeah - he had to make a pivot post for the "second" wiper.  Maybe that was the $600 part.   ;D

BH NC USA
Bruce H; Wallace (near Wilmington) NC
1976 Daimler (British) Double-Decker Bus; 34' long

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Offline luvrbus

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #16 on: September 22, 2011, 11:46:39 AM »
I don't think anything came with air wipers made in the 21st Century

good luck
Life is short drink the good wine first

Offline belfert

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #17 on: September 22, 2011, 02:50:16 PM »
Modern cars don't have air or vacuum wipers anymore.  

  And your point? Airplanes still use Magnetos and vacuum powered flight instruments so they will still function after a complete electrical failure. The most common failure ive seen in vehicles is electrical, and on road trips its common to

My point is if you're choosing between a replacement air motor and a replacement electric motor I would choose electric all other things being equal.  If the electric motor requires reworking the rest of the system air may still make sense.  There has to be a good reason they don't use air or vacuum on modern vehicles.

I'm not old enough to have driven or ever been in a vehicle that had I knew didn't have electric wipers.  (One exception was an old truck that the vacuum wiper didn't work anyhow.)

If the battery or alternator fails your headlights won't work anyhow and you should stop driving.  Most all states now have laws requiring headlights when wipers are necessary.  There are a lot more people here asking how to fix or replace air wipers than asking how to fix electric wipers.
Brian Elfert - 1995 Dina Viaggio 1000 Series 60/B500 - 75% done but usable - Minneapolis, MN

Offline RJ

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #18 on: September 22, 2011, 04:17:03 PM »
Quote
There are a lot more people here asking how to fix or replace air wipers than asking how to fix electric wipers.

Brian -

That's because the vast majority of coaches found in the conversion community came from the factory with Sprague air wipers, not electric.

25 > 30 years from now, people will be asking how to fix electrics, since most new highway coaches today have gone that route.

FWIW & HTH. . .

 ;)
1992 Prevost XL Vantaré Conversion M1001907 8V92T/HT-755 (DDEC/ATEC)
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Offline robertglines1

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #19 on: September 22, 2011, 04:25:01 PM »
Unless you are unhappy with the performance  fix what you have.   Did and still doing the job in allot of buses.  Is that piece mild steel? Drill center and tap put stud in and tighten. Bob
Bob@Judy  98 XLE prevost with 3 slides --Home done---last one! SW INdiana

Offline gus

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #20 on: September 27, 2011, 05:50:32 PM »
I love my 4107 with 2-speed electric wipers but I sure miss those 4104 air wipers with infinite speed control.
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Ash Flat, AR

Offline Paladin

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Re: Air or Electric Wiper Motor
« Reply #21 on: September 27, 2011, 06:03:06 PM »
My air wipers have slight leaks when turned completely to the off position so I have to nudge them just a tad to the on position, just barely and it stops though I'm not real pleased with that possible continued source of air leakage. I can hear the air hissing even with the engine running if it's not right.
I have thought of converting to electric and that's still an option though if the air wipers can be made reliable and mostly bullet proof I'd stick with them. I haven't stayed current on this topic over the years due to other more pressing matters on the bus but I seem to recall running across someones page where they ran down the process and parts needed for rebuilding an MCI switch\valve. Can't address other brands though maybe similar or same??

Maybe this could be a topic for the magazine (if that's not where I read it to begin with!)?.
'75 MC-8   'Event Horizon'
8V71  HT740
Salt Lake City, Utah

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