[70455HOVert]

A few years back Scarebird posted that the intermittent wiper motor from an '81 Regal was a bolt in, and the switch fit in the '70 A body location. I sourced the switch and the motor, motor directly bolts on. The 3 spades at the motor seem to be the same as the original '70, but when plugged in does nothing with the '70 switch.

The washer will click. There is an additional spade on the '81 motor near the washer spades, which should be the variable resistance signal for the intermittent wipers.

Here are the wiring diagrams, the two Scarebird was nice enough to send me and the two from my '70 shop manual.

I'm not that great with circuits, and while the plugs seem to fit on the motor, the plug at the switch doesn't have the same layout so I'll need to make small jumpers to connect to the '81 switch, plus run the extra wire for the intermittent.

Can someone electrically literate help me out with what wires need to go where based on the diagrams?

[2002Z4CSS]

The switch wiring is totally different and a couple more circiuts are needed for the motor.

[70455HOVert]

I understand the need for an additional circuit for the intermittent signal but what else is needed?

The spades on the motor are identical between the two applications. The '70 switch has 3 positions, off, low, and high, with the washer being momentary when held down. the '81 switch has 4 positions: mist(int), off, low, high, with the stem rotating for the variable resistance and the same push down for the wash.

The '70 switch has 3 spades, with the switch chassis grounding into the dash. I'm not sure if the '81 grounds that way or not. The '81 switch has 5 spades, but with the extra position for the mist, and I'm pretty sure it needs a ground, then 5 spades would be correct. I'm just trying to sort out which wires are each other's counterparts between the two systems. I also found this pic of the wiring pigtail from the '81 at the switch.

[70455HOVert]

Ok, so here's what I've deciphered.

'81 switch: black is ground, dark green is the intermittent signal, gray is high, pink is the wash signal, and purple is low.

which means that on the '70 switch, black is low, lt blue dbl blk is high, and dark blue dbl white is the wash signal.

So I think I know now which jumpers need to be made from the '70 switch plug to the '81 switch, and of course the ground lead for the '81 switch and the additional wire for the intermittent.

I'll try and get this mocked up in the next few days and report.

If anyone sees anything I'm missing or that I've incorrectly deducted, please speak up.

[Bobalong]

Originally Posted by 70455HOVert

Ok, so here's what I've deciphered.

'81 switch: black is ground, dark green is the intermittent signal, gray is high, pink is the wash signal, and purple is low.

which means that on the '70 switch, black is low, lt blue dbl blk is high, and dark blue dbl white is the wash signal.

So I think I know now which jumpers need to be made from the '70 switch plug to the '81 switch, and of course the ground lead for the '81 switch and the additional wire for the intermittent.

I'll try and get this mocked up in the next few days and report.

If anyone sees anything I'm missing or that I've incorrectly deducted, please speak up.

So at the end of the day, you're hoping to have WSW that will have the intermittent function, and a switch that fits where the factory switch fits ? That's a great idea, keep us posted for sure.

[70455HOVert]

Yes, that's correct. I plan on affixing a repro "WASH" button on the end of the '81 to camouflage it a bit more. The motor itself is virtually identical.

[Scarebird]

I had to grind off the mounting ears off the Regal switch, then make a set of metal ones and epoxy them to the Regal switch. IIRC you simply need to add the extra wire for the int. feature.

I did use it the other day - light mist going to a mini-meet (TNGA).

Mark

[70455HOVert]

Thanks Mark! I was about to delve into removing the switch today to give this a run and got caught up with the family. Show and Shine tomorrow, but I hope to get to it this week.

I will say this, the motor doesn't work at all with the '70 switch still hooked up, which I found interesting, considering there is only one way to install the plugs on the harness at the motor.

Does it have to have an intermittent signal of some type for the normal low and high to still function?

[Scarebird]

That I do not know, hence reworking a Regal switch.

[70455HOVert]

Did the install today. Works like a champ, write up to follow in case anyone else wants to do it.

[HWYSTR455]

Subscribing.

I was doing some preliminary homework on this recently and found some info where some are using an 80 Camaro motor and switch. There are also 3rd party switches available through places like IDIDIT and others, but they look different.

Chevelles.com Info:

http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=308171

Post I copied info from but didn't save where I got it from: (pic attached)

Pulse wiper from 80 Camaro fits in 70-72 Chevelle with just filing the slot for the longer stroke on the switch. The motor has the extra lug for the green wire. it runs through the grommet thru the firewall to the switch. Use the connector into the back of the Camaro switch and splice your wire to it. done deal!
It must be 1980.
1979 or 1981 will not work.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Revolution Electronics makes a delay box that works with original motors, but not for hidden apps. Thing is, there's info on switches that could be used, but I haven't dug deeper on this yet:

http://www.revolutionelectronics.com...-wiper-module/

.

[70455HOVert]

Ok, first off, the parts:

'81 Buick Regal wiper motor (with intermittent wipers) from AutoZone. Bought it over a year ago. This is how my projects go...very slow parts collection and then it happens.

'81 Buick Regal wiper switch (with int) scored it off ebay like two years ago. Was nearly $50, but was NOS

'81 Buick Regal Wiper switch wiring pigtail (with int) another ebay find last week. Not required, but I thought it would keep it simple and make for a nicer install.

I dropped the A/C ducts, removed the headlight switch to make room, and then took out the wiper switch. The GTO switch grounds to the headlight cluster, and uses it's metal housing and a metal mounting bracket to do so. The Regal switch is all plastic, and as such requires a ground (black wire on the switch pigtail). Otherwise I figured out that the green wire was the int signal, and the pink corresponded to the wash signal, and the purple and gray were for the high and low. Wiring being fairly straight forward, the next issue was the physical size of the Regal switch. It's bigger because of the way it's lighted. That portion would not be required, so I trimmed that off, as well as a few nubs on the back of the switch so it would lay flat against the GTO bracket.

Next, I drilled a hole in the metal bracket and used a small sheetmetal screw to ground the new switch.

I mocked the switch up, and to be honest, the mounting ears could be completely bypassed. The pressure of the bracket sandwiching it to the dash kept it tight.

[70455HOVert]

But I was in for a penny, so I cut off the existing two mounting ears, and then JB kwik welded them in the new locations, using the bracket and the mounting screws as a jig.

So now I had new ears, and I measured the switch stem, then used a 7/32" drill and opened up the back of the repro "wash" knob I sourced. Another bit of JB, and it was attached.

I let that dry, and put male spades on the appropriate pigtail wires, then extended the green wire to the motor. I though the int spade on the back of the switch got a little too close to the metal bracket, so I covered the first 1/8" of it in liquid electrical tape.

I cut the light bulb portion off the pigtail since it wouldn't be needed. I also took quite a bit off the corresponding portion on the switch to make it fit within the bracket.

[70455HOVert]

So after the JB was set up, I placed the switch inside the bracket and reinstalled the bracket.

Next was connecting the pigtail wires into the factory '70 plug, and running the green to the motor.

Now. the Regal switch has 4 positions: OFF, low, INT, and high. The INT is controlled by spinning the stem about 200 deg of motion. I had no way of knowing which end of the Regal switch was up. I chose poorly. Got it installed and found out that full up on the switch was now off, and full down was high. Since I'd already JB'ed the "Wash" knob on, I decided I could live with it. But if anyone goes to do this themselves, the large round end of the switch where the light bulb would go...that's the bottom, not the top.

My apologies about the sideways pics...I took them with my phone, and have tried to save them correctly, but it autodisplays them correctly, when in actuality, they're sideways.

[70455HOVert]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

Subscribing.

I was doing some preliminary homework on this recently and found some info where some are using an 80 Camaro motor and switch. There are also 3rd party switches available through places like IDIDIT and others, but they look different.

Chevelles.com Info:

http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=308171

Post I copied info from but didn't save where I got it from: (pic attached)

Pulse wiper from 80 Camaro fits in 70-72 Chevelle with just filing the slot for the longer stroke on the switch. The motor has the extra lug for the green wire. it runs through the grommet thru the firewall to the switch. Use the connector into the back of the Camaro switch and splice your wire to it. done deal!
It must be 1980.
1979 or 1981 will not work.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Revolution Electronics makes a delay box that works with original motors, but not for hidden apps. Thing is, there's info on switches that could be used, but I haven't dug deeper on this yet:

http://www.revolutionelectronics.com...-wiper-module/

.

That Camaro switch looks nearly identical. The motors are all the same I think. My original motor was shot, so I was going to be buying a motor regardless. DSE has their INT setup, but it's about $350 I think, and doesn't have a washer, and doesn't look stock.

I probably have about $190 in this.