Windshield wiper/sprayer upgrade ideas?

[shifty]

So, I fought to get the wipers off when removing my cowl. Just curious now ... I'd like to upgrade from the cheesy wipers and sprayers on my truck to something that would hold up in a downpour in florida while on the interstate driving at 80MPH

Has anyone taken the time to convert the wipers or motor to something more functional? Got pictures?

[sneakysnake]

I replace my squirter and bottle from an 81 citation, but to adapt a wiper motor from something newer might not be much fun.

[shifty]

I've never even seen my wiper motor. the lines aren't even plumbed for my sprayers, they dry rotted and cracked.

While taking off my front end, i found a damn screwdriver in the cowl! OMG!

[sneakysnake]

Well heres where they hide it.LOL

[PICKMUP]

I like to run a little elec pump right next to the stock bottle and wire it into the stock switch...no extra switches hanging around. Use as little or as much spray as you want.

[LUV2XCLR8]

Originally Posted by PICKMUP

I like to run a little elec pump right next to the stock bottle and wire it into the stock switch...
no extra switches hanging around. Use as little or as much spray as you want.

Hmmmmm, very interesting

[Alex Hayley]

I kept the original pump but replaced the spray nozzles with aftermarket nozzles from Autozone. The spray pattern is much better.

[shifty]

All good ideas. I'd like to patch up the holes in my firewall and I want to use the old grommit for the washer lines for my temp/oil PSI/ammeter gauges, so ... that's perfect.

I'll hafta dink around with this. Maybe I should hit the junkyard for some ideas.

How impossible would it be to replace the wiper arms with something else? Any thoughts on customization of those? I'd prefer something that wasn't bolted onto the cowl.

[724wdcopper]

hey sneaky snake, where is your brake booster gonna go? i used the exact same bottle (81 citation) but mounted it approximately where the stock bottle went on the fender. i spaced the bottle with a small piece of nylon due to the kink in the bottle. as far as windshield wipers go, no help from me.

[sneakysnake]

[QUOTE=724wdcopper]hey sneaky snake, where is your brake booster gonna go? QUOTE]
Its hiding there on the firewall.LOL the bottle fits perfect with the offset of the firewall but might be a little difficult to get to with a normal hood.

[724wdcopper]

HA! well, maybe it's time for an eye exam....
i saw the hole beneath the bottle and just figured it should have had a booster on it!

['71c204x4454]

One cheap upgrade to do is put on longer blades. Stock is 15 inches. I think I was able to fit 17 inches on there with out a problem. It helps.

[Longhorn Man]

Whats wrong with the wipers? I normally complain about mine being too fast or too slow. A delay is what I would want on mine... still looking for a way to do this on the cheap, I think I may have come up with something, but I have to look into it some more first.

[shifty]

Putter knows how to make a delay. I think he's talking about making it into a kit. You should PM him and ask about it.

As for why I want to get rid of mine, they're flimsy, ugly, too short, I don't like them on the outside of the cowl, I'd like to shave the cowl (except for the vents), and mine are scratching my window

Seems like a good time to replace them.

[Longhorn Man]

I'm too cheap for that. If I remember correctly, the switch he used is kinda pricey. (Plus I can get that same switch with a dicount from our local peterbuilt dealer...but it's still more than I wanna spend)

[CG]

ok this really doesnt answer your questions but when i was in hs we put a washer bottle and a squirter hidden behind the grill so when people walked in front of the truck we could spray them....may just do that again

[da-burb]

I just pulled the squirter set up from a 96 GMC van. It has the hidden squirters that clip onto the wiper arms. Looks like a perfect fit. Hardest part about the whole thing was taking the cowl off of the donor van. With a bug deflecter on the hood you could never get the spray to hit the windshiled when driving over 40mph.

[4x4Poet]

I've found that NAPA's winter blade/frame replacements work better than the oem wiper blade frames with replaceable blades. The rubber seems to be a higher quality and the plastic encasing the frame keeps snow out from between the flex frame. They fit oem arms without any adapters for a clean look.

NAPA sells their winter blades by application. No need to consult app books at the wiper blade section. Just give the parts sellers the app. I think they cost around $12 each. One of the few, cheap options that I've found. It snows in Atlanta, right?

['68OrangeSunshine]

Hey Shifty, On my '71 Jimmy and old '67 Suburban I have those double-bladed wipers. The smallest they make is 16" which works fine. They even make sets of triple fins to clip onto the wiper arm, so air flow forces the wipers down on the windshield. Of course they sell them in the cheazy aftermarket goodie section of Checker Auto stores, so you may have missed them. Only drawback is the wiper frames are made of plastic which can deteriorate in the Arizona sun with continued exposure. (But what doesn't?)
I pulled the set off the Orange '68, [they were shot] and went with stock wipers, to acheive the classic look, but the double wipers still work good on the GMC.

[jlmtrout]

I bought wiper arms from a later model truck, washer nozzles in the arm along side the blade. Good luck and keep on truckin'.................Jerry