Windshield wiper motor

[Scarlett]

Has anyone replaced their air operated wiper motors with 12 volt motors and if so where did you get the motors? The problem I am having is the shaft length. The glass is so thick where mine are the shaft is about 2 1/2 inches long and I can’t find anything that long. Help, John

 

[Boatsb]

Fetus, imtra and Ongaro make long shaft wipers

 

[brico]

Do any of the newer boats come with windshield wipers? I have only one original functioning and will be removing it as I never really use it as I drive the boat from the flybridge and do not usually go out in inclement weather that would spray the seawater all the way up to the flybridge. I can understand the need for it on commercial boats out in all sorts of weather 24/7/365 but not on pleasure boats when we go out when the weather is nice and not really raining hard. I may be one of the few doing it this way though and not wanting to fiddle and spend money on something that I do not really need.

 

[rrr]

I'm looking for Good ones . I've tried various brands on different boats over the years and they all have one thing in common ,there a POS . Does anyone know of a quality set up ? Thanks Ray

 

[Fanfare]

I tried for years to maintain my original air-operated windshield wipers. Given that I try to avoid going out in bad weather I found that this disuse usually meant they were rusted shut or that the rubber blades had succumbed to the tropical sun when I needed them. So I decided to remove all three units and glass over the holes. Yet I couldn't get over the worry that somehow I might have to run from below in some emergency. So about 30 years ago I replaced the wipers with a Vetus Clear View Screen. This is a circular motor-driven rotating glass panel which probably rotates at 1,500 rpm. The glass is weighted and really heavy so even when solid water hits it it barely slows. And it throws the water right off. My old boat has a 12v system so I ended up with a smaller-diameter unit. There are larger ones for 24v and 110-220 ac. Since mine was for emergencies, 12 v battery power it was. The biggest problem turned out to be that installation requires a large center cut-out in the windshield and six or eight drilled bolt holes around this. It takes a good glass shop to be able to do this. I tried using plastic but it scratched so much it shortly became unusable.

The Clear View Screen has been a satisfactory addition. It is handy in Florida's giant thunderstorms when lightning drives me from the flying bridge. The drawback is that the placement a few feet ahead of the lower steering station means I have to stand and move from side to side to to scan ahead from port to stbd. But at least I can keep going. If I am on board in a heavy downpour I switch it on just to keep it exercised.

I checked on line to be sure these are still being produced. I was shocked to see the current prices. Since there is not much to wear out with these I would also check the used markets, especially in Europe where these are more common.

 

[krush]

How about RainX?

 

[brico]

How about RainX?

I thought of this myself but did not want to be seen as cheeky Not sure if it would work with salt water and with slow speed the boat is doing in comparison with cars for the water to bead and drain off. I'll give it a try this spring though.

I've noticed that on commercial and cruiseliners ocean going vessels navigational bridge front windows are no longer vertical but angled inward from top to bottom, so rain water and seaspray has less negative effect.

 

[bostonhatteras]

Try this company. the bosch American motor is pretty much the standard wiper motor
https://www.wiperparts.com/

 

[GJH]

I'll ask an obvious question: have you discussed this with the folks at Sam's? They were always able to answer my wiper issues with both advice and/or parts.
Our wipers got a lot of use.

 

[llldks]

Try Rome Truck Parts, Rome, Ga.. About 9 yrs ago I purchased a 72 53 MY with nonfuntioning pnuematic wiper motors, no arms and no blades. There had identical motors in stock, or could rebuilt them. I sent them drawing and dimensions of Windows and they also provided the correct length parallogram arms and wiper blades. They also had replacenent controlled valves but they were not identical. This might be easier than converting..

 

[Scarlett]

Thanks bostonhatteras those Bosch motors look like they might work. I will get one and let you all know how it works. You guys are the greatest. John