Windshield Wiper Blades

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

I am having difficulty finding a source for wiper blades for the bus.

Is this a Prevo item only or what???????

JIM

[CAPT MOGUL & Sandy]

Jim, I think that Ed got our blades at a local auto parts store. We were in a small little town in Georgia, also when he went in and got them.
Sandy

[BrianE]

Jim, I just went through this. The wiper blade assy is Prevost PN 800284, $23.59. The blade refill is PN 800316. The Autex PN is ACS-12-22 and the Anco PN is 57-12. Prevost prices are competitive on this part. Establishing credit with them will be a convenience for future quick ordering.

Since you have a serious responsibility to continue the in the spirit of the King, you might consider stripping and polishing the wiper assys. It's an easy project and oh so blingy. :D

[Yankee802]

Thought this was relevent. :)

3771

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Sandy, the small town stores didn't work for me. I got the big Dah, what's that you want it for?

Brian, I'll go out and try again today with your specific data.
Yes I have an account with Prevost, established it when I called to register with them. The problem is that I am on the road and have no address to rec. them. Yesterday here in TX it rained steers and cows! NO BULL:rolleyes::D

Geoff, your parts blow out is terrific. It will come in handy if I break anything when I am polishing the wiper arms.

I changed out the washer fluid to the Rainex type that goes to -25 deg., good stuff. It applies Rainex to the window every time you spray. Surprised to find it took 4 gal..

[0533]

Brian,

How easy is it to Polish the wiper arms??? I seem to be in the mood to have thinks polished. Do I need to send them out or can I do this with the right tools??? What level of skill are we talking??

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Bruce,

If you are contemplating polishing your engine doors, the perfect way to practice the see the reults of using various degrees of sandpaper and polishing rouge is to do the arms yourself. There is no way to screw up, and if you mess up and don't want to fix it, just repaint them black.

Lowes has paint stripper to get you started.

[0533]

Thanks Jon, I will give it a go. If my wipers are still black when we see each other again you will know the answer.

[BrianE]

Bruce, In addition to Jon's advice... Do one at a time so you don't have to figure out how to reassemble them. Lift a blade off the windshield and lock the spring with a small allen wrench before sliding it off the shaft. Prevost carries any parts you want to replace. The hardware can be replaced with stainless from a local hdw store. After stripping, a bench grinder with a buffing wheel is the easiest and best way to polish the arms. If using this method sanding shouldn't be necessary. If doing them by hand, (drill with buffing wheel) 1000-1500 grit can be used before buffing but would try the buffer with white compound first. For final finish use red (rouge) for a high polish. The book says to use green compound for stainless but I've never been able to find it and red works fine.

I've been trying to find a source for unpainted stainless wiper blades with no luck so far. If anybody has a source, please share it with the rest of us that have nothing better to do. :D

[0533]

Thanks Brian, sounds like I need some tools, some training and you to make this work. I will leave today for Washington State. I will report back with pics once I am successful with this learning curve.

[Petervs]

Wait just a darn minute there boys. Why do you think Prevost paints them flat black in the first place?

If you make them shiny polished you will be eternally bothered by them when the sun reflects from them into your eyes while you drive. With the many curves and angles the reflection will get you from many sun angles.

Think, Pooh, Think!

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Peter, There you go trying to attach some sense to Prevost ownership.

Nothing about owning one makes sense, and if someone sees someone with a modified Prevost, they want to run out and modify theirs also.

I am thinking specifically when Prevost went from the four sealed beam headlights which lit up the road at night better than anything, to the plastic Ford headlights used on later model XLs. There were owners tripping all over themselves trying to get Prevost to modify the sheet metal on the front end to have the "new look".

Never mind the new headlights weren't worth anything. They looked newer and that is what most owners wanted.

Someone is selling polished stainless wipers in the FMCA magazine. Before too long almost every Prevost will be equipped with stainless steel wiper arms and assemblies.

This is not done because it makes sense. It is done because nothing makes sense.

[BrianE]

The trouble with Peter is that many of his observations are fanciful opinions that have no basis of personal experience. And to think that Beverly and I are captives to his expostulations each morning during our walk in the woods. I actually got the idea of polishing the wipers from a fellow who had them. The OBVIOUS first Q was whether they were distracting due to glare................

And by the way Peter, if your chrome defroster vents are a bothersome distraction, I'll be glad to furnish some flat black enamel. :p

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

I to agree that it is probably not a good thing to polish the wiper arms, for fear the possible glare will be a driving hazard.

Maybe a way to go is two sets. One for the rally, and one for the show. Jon could justify this as a critical spare, and I can just call it keeping up the bling.:eek::D

I ordered wiper blades today and will go for them now. I used Brian's part number for ANCO, converted by NAPA to their number 60-22-56, which is a complete blade assy. made for NAPA by TRICO.

The bad part is they are discounted to $35.20 ea and the guy said he couldn't go any lower as they list for 70ish, $s. Oh well you have to buy them when you need them.

By the way Diesel is $2.77 today, in TX. Too bad I filled up yesterday for $2.88.

[truk4u]

Jimmy C,

If you order anything in the future from Prevost, just add a couple sets of wiper refills to your order, they're cheap.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

I tried to put the NAPA blades on and they would not fit. The frame was too wide to fit the Prevost arm bracket. I squeezed it down to fit and then found the shoulder screw (supplied) was a different size and could not be used, and the Prevost screw would not fit the blade.

After getting thoroughly PO'd I packed them back up and returned them for a refund.

I guess I will stop at Prevost Nashville on the way home and pick up a set.

JIM

[Yankee802]

If you guys are going to polish yours, I'm going to get mine gold plated. Hell, while I'm at it, I think I'll get some dope 32" wheels with low profile tires, and for some flare, a waterbed and disco ball for the freak in me.

Top that :P

[rfoster]

Yankee: Your way late, I know more than two bus guys with the disco balls already. And one of them has more than two disco balls too. :cool:

[Jon Wehrenberg]

And don't forget the bus we saw in Stuart FL that had spinner wheel covers. The kind that keep spinning even after the bus was stopped.

Yankee, don't get these guys going. You have no clue how they can bling up a coach until you give them some type of incentive, such as a challenge.

How do you think the King got his name?

[truk4u]

Jimmy C,

If you stop in Nashville, call and get the gate code, you can spend the night free and have at least water & electric. You may even be able to hob nob with a country music star or two!:p Nancy's got two autographs while I was spending money there. If you need any help and are near Atlanta, be sure to call me.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

And Jim, if you want practice backing up that bad boy, you know where my driveway is.

[Jeff Bayley]

I checked Craig's list in Palm Beach County for you and found this bench polisher. I'd make a lower offer but if you want to polish your wiper's then you'll need something like this. Probabley a bit heaveier duty then you need. Might be some others there but I came up with this example. You could also use it to polish rivets if you even need to change body panels and you could put a grinding wheel on one side. I have one in my shop and use it all the time.

http://miami.craigslist.org/pbc/tls/897838604.html

[merle&louise]

And Jim, if you want practice backing up that bad boy, you know where my driveway is.

Don't do it Jim.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Tuga, have no fear, I've been there before, but in a pickup, and had no trouble except I used 4 wheel drive :eek:

Jon, we're trying to get there but everything seems to be blocking it.

I will have to let you last minute, and if it doesn't work then, what will be will be.

Sorry if this is in the wrong post, but they parked someone close to us and it blocks the WIFI. I am sitting in the middle of the parking lot in a lawn chair, and trying yo use the computer.

Spent the day traveling around Ft Worth and visited the Prevo dealer closer to Dalas. Picked up the wiper blades for the 23.59 ea as Brian said.

Saw the old stockyard area and walked around some of the shops. Didn't buy anything and that was good.

When we left the bus for the day we expected to come back and find it ready to go, but no luck there. The mechanic didn't come until 7:00 PM with the part, a new DDEC IV. I previously had a DDEC III. He said you can not get the III any longer and the IV is better. It took him about 10 min. to put it in with a pit and an air powered ratchet wrench.
Before he started he read all the parameters of the old unit and recorded them and then after the new installation compared the new ones to the old to be sure they were the same.
( This mechanic used a computer with a program for reading and changing the way the DDEC performed. He said that it was better than the reader the guy had yesterday, because the reader only reads and does not allow changes. He wanted to know what I wanted for HP, I stayed with 470. He wanted to know what I wanted for the cruise control limit, 75 mph, I said no 70 was high enough.:D)
They were, and he said it is usually plug and play, but occasionally some tweaking is required. After a test drive it was determined that the engine was operating fine and up to specs. It was however apparent that there was something wrong with the Pro Driver. He said he had one back at his office and would send it to me and that it is also plug and play.

JIM

[Yankee802]

And don't forget the bus we saw in Stuart FL that had spinner wheel covers. The kind that keep spinning even after the bus was stopped.

Yankee, don't get these guys going. You have no clue how they can bling up a coach until you give them some type of incentive, such as a challenge.

How do you think the King got his name?

LOL, spinners on a COACH!! This is too funny, I can't even visualize it, too crazy. Anyone got pictues? I'd love to see it.

[garyde]

[ Your way late, I know more than two bus guys with the disco balls already. And one of them has more than two disco balls too. :cool:[/QUOTE]

Their a stock item on some Liberty's.

[Yankee802]

I'd still like to see a pic of spinners on a coach, anyone? :)

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Where's Jimmy. Looks like he is gonna need those new wipers if he is anywhere near home.

Lotta lake effect spots are gonna get a foot or more of the white stuff tonight:eek:

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Jim is up at Deb and Eric's. Tomorrow he may get to drive his new ride over the pit. I'll let Jim share the joys and sorrows of new coach ownership.

It's like drinking from a fire hose.

[hobobimmer]

Jim is up at Deb and Eric's. Tomorrow he may get to drive his new ride over the pit. I'll let Jim share the joys and sorrows of new coach ownership.

It's like drinking from a fire hose.

Jim has arrived at our house, with full police escort into town. Well, not really. I drove my Honda Accord in front of him. I didn't see any police.

Jim is plugged in to our Jamestown Advanced Products camp electrical box. Showed Jim our house. Then to El Rey Mexican Restaurant for dinner. Since it was my forty-ninth birthday couple days back, the waiters put a pink sombrero on my head and then smashed a cream pie in my face (a local tradition, don't ask). Then they take my picture and post it on the wall. Then they give me free fried ice cream for dessert. We resisted the urge to tell them that it was Jim's birthday. Not sure what he would have thought about pie smashed into his face visiting our small town.

For my birthday, sweet Deb got me Fluke Model 62 Infrared Thermometer. Now she will teach me how to use it, maybe, if I'm lucky. Maybe, if I'm luckier, she'll check whatever it is you're supposed to check with those things.

Tomorrow we have Jim C. pull his bus in over the pit. He's reading manuals now, I believe.

Happy night to all.

eric and deb faires
huntsville, TN

P.S. Does anyone have a used drum set that they're done with that we might buy for our budding musician son Jay?

[truk4u]

Pictures Hobo, pictures, we need them for the Jimmy C "atta boy bus tour.";)

[Pete]

Brian, I saw this in the latest FMCA magazine: "Beautiful Polished Stainless Steel" windshield wiper sets for Prevost. For info call 360-929-4935.
You might give them a call. Hope this helps

[JIM KELLER]

Pete, Welcome to POG. Looks like your first post although you joined in September. I know you have a lot of knowledge of the industry and we welcome your input.

[BrianE]

Thanks Pete and welcome to the nut house.

The guy that advertises the polished wipers takes your wipers in trade and when I talked to him, was charging about $300 for a polished set he had taken in trade from someone else. It took me the better part of a day to strip and polish my wipers. Would guess you could do several sets in a day if you set up for it. Am currently headed for California for the holiday but will submit some pics when I get back. Happy Turkey Day to all.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Brian, if the entire blade assembly is of stainless steel, you can have your wiper blades electro polished.

Electro polishing is a process similar to electro plating, but in reverse. The parts are suspended in a proper solution with an electric current passing through them whereby even amounts of metal are removed from all surfaces. The parts must be smooth and bare metal before beginning the process and come out bright and shiny on all surfaces as if buffed. This process is used often for the final shine of manufactured SS machine parts and decorative hardware. For instance; A rough casting of ss can be made to shine, but it will still be rough. A sheet metal part with a scratch or dent, will also shine, but will still retain the scratch and dent. Windshield wiper metal before painting is usually of a satin finish and should shine up beautifully.

Buffing wiper blades is dangerous to the operator and is hazardous to the blade. The blade can become snagged and shot like a missile, and the blade can become warped and bent out of shape!

I think when you are all done you will repaint your blades because of the glare!

:) JIM

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Where's Jimmy. Looks like he is gonna need those new wipers if he is anywhere near home.

Lotta lake effect spots are gonna get a foot or more of the white stuff tonight:eek:

Well, I had a real nice trip from Texas to New York and experienced many new things along the way. I am getting acquainted with all the different aspects of the bus and am not feeling as overwhelmed as I was at first. I think that on this trip I have had a smattering of all the different types of driving conditions. Hot and sunny, cold and dry, misting drizzle, pouring rain, snow flurries and blinding blizzard.

The blinding blizzard came Friday night after I went to Home Depot ( Erie PA ) for some winterizing supplies. When I went in the weather was fine ( snowing lightly, with not much cover ). When I came out there was about 8" of snow on the ground and still falling. To get traction I had to raise the tag putting more weight on the drives. I left it that way until I got on the I 90 ramp and then lowered them for the interstate drive.

The road had not yet been plowed and I was one of the pioneers. This was at 8:00 PM and dark. Most drivers were competent and driving pretty well so I had no difficulties except worrying a lot. The distance from Erie, PA to my barn in Westfield, NY is 30mi and I didn't want to stay in the parking lot as an additional two feet was forecast. The usual thirty five minute trip took one and a half hours, in blowing blinding snow. There were many cars and trucks in the ditches. There was now turning back and nowhere safer to go other than the barn. On I went.

When I got to the barn it was impossible to discern where the new drive was located. Someone forgot to mark it with stakes. The snow was now blowing and about 12" deep. I gave it my best guess and made it around the tear drop drive ending at a slight angle to the door. The poor Bling Mobile was piled high with snow and encrusted in ice. After driving twelve hours that day, I was beat and just lowered the front shades and camped out without even going outside.

The next day the morning was clear, but there was still a forecast of an additional two feet of snow. When I opened the door to go out it swept an arc path in the snow and I thought "oh no, that's deep". I made my way to the barn and opened the door. (remember that angle to the door!) I thought it to be prudent to straighten up outside rather than pull in at an angle and try to straighten up on the way in ( bad move in hindsight, wouldn't it be great to live your life in hindsight ), so I backed up to straighten out on what I thought was the drive. You would think it would have been easy the drive is about thirty by eighty feet in that area. well guess what, as I pulled forward and gave it throttle I could sense the slowing down while the rpm's increased and had this sinking feeling. I was so ......... I just turned the bus off and went inside and sat on a block of wood in the corner. After the cooling down period I collected myself and made a plan. I went to the bus raised it up full height on the bags and gently with a spade began to remove the soft mud and snow from around the wheels. You see I was about one foot off the drive on one side. I then raised the tags and shoveled out under it and put large wood under it and then lowered them, this evened out the bus and with shoveling around the drives I made a smooth incline around the drives after which I coated the area with liberal amounts of wood ashes acquired from my neighbor. I then proceeded to get cleaned up enough to enter the MUD MOBILE without contaminating it on the inside. Putting it in first gear and applying brake with the left foot simultaneous to throttle with the right foot I was able to pull out and keep going for a drive around a five mi country block. She was pretty clean after that, but I still left her outside. The next day it cleared enough that I washed her out of a bucket ( several ) and put her in the barn. The weather should be clearing some after Thanksgiving and I will go back to the bus and take her to a truck wash aro 15 min away for a proper washing.

Over all I find busing a fun and enjoyable endeavor and much like MPD I feel that driving it is somewhat addictive. I felt once I got behind the wheel all I wanted to do was buy fuel and drive, somewhere, anywhere:eek: I feel it is more relaxing and less tiring than driving an automobile.

Since I didn't take any pictures of all this and there is no evidence of broken or bent parts it probably never happened, just like some turns that couldn't be made by others.

The Bling Mobile still has it's bling albeit a little dirty

[tdelorme]

Jim, glad you made it home with no major problems. Your post proves once again that on a whole, POG members fall into the "more guts than brains" category. Well done!!

[truk4u]

Snowman,

Now I remember why I left Brockport in 1981 and only go back in the summer!;) The good news, is your close to Reservation fuel...

Good job Jimmy C, I don't think the King ever got it stuck, but he's sure hard on Sat Domes!:eek: