Running new air lines to wipers

[richard5933]

I've got two leaky valves controlling my wipers. Driver's side is worse than passenger, but they both leak and have trouble parking the wipers. Luke recommended just replacing the valves and not trying to rebuild.

I have the two new control valves, and of course they are not a direct bolt-in job. The old ones had the air line input to the valves in the end, and the outputs on the side. The new one has all three on the end.

In order to install the new valves I'll have to re-bend the copper tubing from the sides of the old valves to the end of the new ones. The tubing is kind of short and already bent pretty tight.

My thought is that it will be much easier to remove everything back to where the air feed comes out of the filter mounted to the firewall and run new DOT nylon tubing from there.

Here's the question...

The output of the filter has a T mounted on it with a 1/4" copper tube running to the washer valve (which is staying) and a 3/8" copper tube running to the control valves for the wipers. Both sides appear to be connected with compression fittings.

Is there a way to transition from the existing T fitting coming out of the filter to the new nylon, or am I going to have to replace the T fitting and find a way to tie the old copper to the one side of it?

Or, is there an easier way to do this?

[chessie4905]

Change it all over to nylon. I did that to mine last year. Reuse old fittings with new dot ferrules or standard non dot ferrules depending on which work. Put inserts or reinforcement sleeves into ends of nylon tubing before assembling. I ran my exhaust from each motor down through floor to the outside of coach body. I don't like inhaling that oil,water, air mist when running. Made it a lot easier to install my pulse wiper kit, btw.

[richard5933]

Change it all over to nylon. I did that to mine last year. Reuse old fittings with new dot ferrules or standard non dot ferrules depending on which work. Put inserts or reinforcement sleeves into ends of nylon tubing before assembling. I ran my exhaust from each motor down through floor to the outside of coach body. I don't like inhaling that oil,water, air mist when running. Made it a lot easier to install my pulse wiper kit, btw.

Are you saying that you were able to reuse the compression fittings from the copper just by installing the reinforcements? The guy at the shop I went to suggested replacing all the compression fittings over to ones specially made for the nylon.

[buswarrior]

If it fits and if it makes air integrity...

No need to spend money when stuff will re-use.

Exhaust lines to below the floor is mission critical in a bus conversion. We have enough stink without the wiper lube joining in...

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[richard5933]

...Exhaust lines to below the floor is mission critical in a bus conversion. We have enough stink without the wiper lube joining in...

Mine already exhaust below the floor.

[chessie4905]

No! You reuse existing fittings.( Tees, elbows, etc) New lines, new ferrules ,( compression rings), and metal inserts to reinforce tubing from collapsing when you tighten the nuts. The dot ferrules are shaped slightly different than household type and should be used only. Inserts don't care.
You cannot reuse ferrules as they shrink down when installed and are not reusable.

[richard5933]

No! You reuse existing fittings.( Tees, elbows, etc) New lines, new ferrules ,( compression rings), and metal inserts to reinforce tubing from collapsing when you tighten the nuts. The dot ferrules are shaped slightly different than household type and should be used only. Inserts don't care.
You cannot reuse ferrules as they shrink down when installed and are not reusable.

So the basically I'm reusing everything but the ferrules and the copper tubing? Replace the copper with nylon tubing, and use new ferrules and I should be all set? Or am I missing something?

The guy at the shop seemed to think that the compression fittings for the nylon were different than those for the copper that I currently have. Sure would like to be able to reuse all those rather than buy new.

[chessie4905]

I reused my fittings.

[buswarrior]

It's all a rather moot point, if you don't get matching bits...

Take it all to the store and see if you can make up enough bits?

Lots of @$# scratching on here, not enough @$# moving?

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[luvrbus]

So the basically I'm reusing everything but the ferrules and the copper tubing? Replace the copper with nylon tubing, and use new ferrules and I should be all set? Or am I missing something?

The guy at the shop seemed to think that the compression fittings for the nylon were different than those for the copper that I currently have. Sure would like to be able to reuse all those rather than buy new.

You can use the fitting the nuts are different but they still work a 1/16th of a inch longer the difference is nothing to worry about lol unless you are using the Chinese junk,If I was doing I would pull both motors and at least clean the 2 you are going end up doing it later anyways  www.rometruckparts.com is a good source for air wiper motor parts 

[chessie4905]

If you need the special grease, I had to order 10 from Mohawk to get them to order it from Sprague. Luke didn't have it.
Some claim they use other lubes with satisfactory results.

[lostagain]

I used regular old white grease to rebuild my wiper motors about 5 years ago. Still good.

JC

[Dave5Cs]

A good place to put the air wipers is in the trash. Get the electrics and never look back. Just sayin...

[richard5933]

A good place to put the air wipers is in the trash. Get the electrics and never look back. Just sayin...

If you know of a bolt-in replacement for the air motors on a GM, I'm all ears.

Otherwise, I'm sticking with what works.

[chessie4905]

My nephew just converted the wipers on his 4104 to electrics. Said it was relatively easy. He said the cost was 275 to 300 dollars. Course the 04 wipers come out the front and are not articulated. Different animal than the Buffaloes.