Thomas SafTLiner wiper motors, assembly need replaced?

[dentedvw]

So, since it's spring and now raining, I tried to use the wipers. That didn't go so well. The drivers wiper wiped all the way off the side of the bus, and stayed there.
Looks like RainX will be my friend for a while, I was planning on driving the bus a few hours tomorrow to Elkhart.
Can I get a new assembly anywhere other than a Thomas dealer? Is this a part that is common to other trucks?
it's displaying other troubles too, such as when I turn it on, it would wipe once, and that's it, whereas the other side will wipe intermittently, depending upon where I have turned the knob. At least I think it depends on what the knob is turned to, I haven't used it much yet.

[Jarlaxle]

You suck at teh wipers!

Hmm...the stops might be able to be adjusted. Dunno, someone here might, or the guys at school bus fleet forum might be able to help.

Are the connections--switch, motors, and grounds--good? If the bus sat for years like you said before, it might be corroded.

[dentedvw]

Turns out it's mainly a problem of a bushing in one of the arms that is in the assembly, that instead of having a round hole, it's egg shaped. I was at RV salvage place yesterday, and they had some motors, but not the bushing. I should have gotten the motor anyway, but forgot. I was overwhelmed by the rest of the place.

[the_experience03]

Bushings tend to be pretty generic. Take out what you have and make friends with a good parts guy (and a Dorman catalog) and I bet you can fix what you have on the cheap.

[dentedvw]

I fabricated some from some teflon tube. They work okay, but without the lip, I have had one fall off while in use. I am going to find something better yet. Found some buses in a salvage yard in Grand Rapids, so I might pull the wiper motor assemblies if they are close enough, and I think they were. I wasn't prepared that day, but I will be back.

[Jarlaxle]

Maybe epoxy the tube in place?

PS--Ain't it about time to fix that dent in the danged VW?

[dentedvw]

Eh, I will find all the parts that are right. it's not the tube falling off, it's the arm that slips off the tube, whereas the proper bushing would have captured the arm with it's ridges. No worries, I will find it if I look hard enough, in the right places. It's only really a problem when it snows. Rain X takes care of it for now. I am certain I can find the parts before then.

[dentedvw]

Oh, I sold the DentedVW to buy the bus. It's what has actually paid for it. Only a fraction of what went into that car though. Money pits.

[Jarlaxle]

What was it, a Baja Bug?

[dentedvw]

2001 four door turbo golf, it was turned into a four door GTI, essentially. Fun, fast, and extra carrying capacity for our daughter, dog, and mountain bikes. It once hauled five people, four kayaks, and enough gear for a long weekend. And still returned good-ish gas mileage. Saw one very successful track day, and a handful of shows. What really killed us was the cost of repairs, and parts. Could have been driving a not terribly old, near late model BMW for what we spent in maintenance. Not going back to that kind of VW. Sticking with the Mk1 models for a while.