Installing electric wipers on my MC9 (formerly "What pain in the arse!")

[gumpy]

So, last summer I got a smoking deal on a set of IBP electric wipers. Included the motors, switches, pump, and new blades. Invoice on this kit was $1400. The guy that I got them from had
bought them to put in a Newell coach. He had started hacking them up to make them fit, when he decided there wasn't any way they were ever going in that hole. So he stopped and since
he had already hacked them up, he couldn't return them. So there they sat for several years, until I come along and find out about them.

I bought them for a fraction of the invoice price.

And there they sat until I decided to see if they would fit in my MC9.

Of course they didn't. Turns out, they were for a GMC.

I debated if I wanted to reconfigure the brackets and try to make them fit. I was on the edge, and was leaning toward going back to air, since I found that the one air wiper
that didn't work well was just gummed up and I was able to clean it up a bit. Then I called Brian Diehl, and he talked me into it.

So I started hacking up the brackets to try to make it fit somehow in the hole on the front of my bus. I ended up cutting each bracket into multiple pieces and then pick
and choose and weld back together into something that will fit and turn the wipers without binding. What a pain getting it all lined up where it will fit. The easiest way, wouldn't
fit. But I finally found the ticket and got one done. Just have to do the other one.

It's gonna be good.

I didn't get any directions with this kit, so wasn't completely sure about the wiring, so I called IBP and talked to Steve. He was very helpful, and in talking to him, he mentioned
what the MC9 brackets look like, and that one off the cuff comment pointed me in the direction I needed to look at for aligning the motor on the bracket so it would fit the hole,
because what I was trying wasn't working out at all. He even offered to sell me MC9 brackets.

It's gonna work, and it's gonna be good to get away from the iffy air wipers. But it's been a pain in the arse, so far.

I'll post more info and photos when I get them done....

craig

[busshawg]

Sorry I can't help, I thought this thread was about Cody, but congrads on your wipers. LOL

[busshawg]

Sorry I don't know where that came from. Cody when all else fails you are the one that keeps things in presective!

[Chopper Scott]

I went with RainX. I didn't have to alter anything!!

[Brian Diehl]

Great Craig.  I'm glad you dug into the project!  I'm sure with your attention to detail and skills it will turn out really well.  Post us some pictures when you get a chance.

[RickB]

Now I'll have to buy those pesky air ones from you ... now that you got them working great 
Momma always said good things come to those wait.
Signed
Just another mortal with air wipers

You're gonna kick my butt next time you see me aren't you
Rick

[gumpy]

Now I'll have to buy those pesky air ones from you ... now that you got them working great  
Momma always said good things come to those wait.
Signed
Just another mortal with air wipers

You're gonna kick my butt next time you see me aren't you
Rick

I may make a special trip over there just for that purpose... 

If these electrics work ok, I should have a few excess air motors to find good homes for. I know I have at least one extra, besides the two that were in the dash, maybe two extras. I'll have to dig
them out.

I may also have a set of wiper mounted sprayers. I think the new wiper blades have them already installed. I bought the sprayer kit several years ago and never got them mounted.

[muddog16]

$1400.00 seems like alot to pay for a system.   Just a note here Autex priced a complete system for my conversion, for under a thousand dollars and the guy called back after sending them out to find out how they worked (most don't really care after the check clears), the Autex system was well made easy to install and work really well sitting in the driveway.......one day I'll try them out on the highway!  Here is their link;  http://www.autexacs.com/ContactUs.htm

[NewbeeMC9]

I went with RainX. I didn't have to alter anything!!

With the awesome aerodynamics on my bus, rain-x just let the drops dance in front of my face.

I had to lean to the left where some drops were running off.

[cody]

Enjoy, say what you want, the only opinion that matters is that of a little kid in houghton, his name Huntar Gustafson, he was born with a tethered spine, one of only 9 cases ever reported in the world, we do fundraisers whenever they need anything and his smile is the only thing that matters, you can read more about him by pulling up the local news on yahoo for the Houghton Mining Gazette in houghton michigan, I couldn't get the article to load so I couldn't post it, they just did another article on him, being called an arse is pretty minor in the long run, this is what matters.  His problem is so rare they don't even have a name for it, but the beauty of it is that he is so young and innocent he doesn't even realize he is different or special.  I've been an arse in the past and I'll be a pain in the arse in the future but when the good lord opens the book on me, maybe he's say that i've been a arse 925 times, but maybe I've done something right 926 times, thats the only time it will matter to me.

[white-eagle]

I went with RainX. I didn't have to alter anything!!

With the awesome aerodynamics on my bus, rain-x just let the drops dance in front of my face.

I had to lean to the left where some drops were running off.

you need to drive faster.  my air wipers don't work well, but the rainx keeps clear for seeing with just an occasional wipe when i slo up for traffic lights.  all the drops usually just flow rapidly off to the side.  and the bugs don't stick well, either.

[cody]

Tom, bugs don't stick very well, and snakes go squish on the way to jacks place too lol.

[gumpy]

Enjoy, say what you want, the only opinion that matters is that of a little kid in houghton, his name Huntar Gustafson, he was born with a tethered spine, one of only 9 cases ever reported in the world, we do fundraisers whenever they need anything and his smile is the only thing that matters, you can read more about him by pulling up the local news on yahoo for the Houghton Mining Gazette in houghton michigan, I couldn't get the article to load so I couldn't post it, they just did another article on him, being called an arse is pretty minor in the long run, this is what matters.  His problem is so rare they don't even have a name for it, but the beauty of it is that he is so young and innocent he doesn't even realize he is different or special.  I've been an arse in the past and I'll be a pain in the arse in the future but when the good lord opens the book on me, maybe he's say that i've been a arse 925 times, but maybe I've done something right 926 times, thats the only time it will matter to me.

Someday, I'm going to come meet you, Cody.  I have a feeling there's something special going on up there in the woods.   

[cody]

I think it's the water, water is a great beverage if taken in the right spirit lol.    http://www.mininggazette.com/page/content.detail/id/510195.html     

[gumpy]

Well, still working on the dang wipers!

Today I got the brackets all put together and fitted. I then installed a washer reservoir from an old Explorer I junked a couple years ago, and wired up the new switches and harnesses. I then
redid the washer plumbing to the front in prep for the new blades which have integrated sprayers on them.

I then put the driver's side assembly in and tried it out. I worked, but didn't have enough arc swing to give me adequate coverage, so I had to shorten on of the linkages. I took 1/4" out of
it and welded it back together. Better, but still a little short. So I took 3/8" out of the passenger side, and with a slight adjustment to correct a clearance issue, it was perfect. Tomorrow, I'll
pull the driver's side and take another 1/8" out of it. I also have to beef up the bracket a bit as I noticed quite a bit of flex when on high. Another small piece of steel should do the trick.

Then I can put it all back together and wait for the rain!!    

Oh, yeah, I need to find something to plug the holes in the dash where the old switches were. The new switches wouldn't work in the old holes. Too much interference, so I had to drill new
holes.

Intermittent wipers are gonna be so nice!  Heck, just having dependable wipers will be nice!

Someone above commented on the price.  The wiper motor assemblies were just under $1100, and the new arm assemblies were just over $300.  Total invoice was $1442.  That was in 2007.

Again, I bought this kit for a fraction of that price. There's no way I would have bought it for that kind of money.  I had considered salvaging the wipers from an old ranger I'm going to scrap
next week. This was better, I think, even with all the work.

I've learned a lot about wiper geometry.  If I could recall my high school geometry, I probably could have calculated exactly how much I needed to remove on the linkage adjustment, but
trial and error got it done.