flat12boxer

I was thinking about changing to the Duralast aerodynamic blades that Autozone sells (the ones with the plastic lip). I have a set of these on one of my Rovers and I am pretty happy with them, but the windshield is a different shape than the 944 obviously.

1) Has anyone had trouble running the Duralast aero blades? By that I mean any clearance issues on the front windshield or if they lay funny on the glass due to them being bracketless?

2) Anyone running one of these aero blades on the rear hatch (for those of you that have wipers there obviously)?

3) EDIT: Unnecessary Question, 20" Front and 19" Rear is correct - don't know how I came up with something different before, probably pulled up the wrong specs.

4) The tiny rubber nozzles in the washer jets on my hood do not spray correctly - the pieces are mounted properly but the rubber nozzles are misaligned and aim too high, a little right, etc. I tried looking at them with a needle/toothpick but didn't try anything because I didn't want to ruin them.

Thanks!

Fintro11

Hello, on my 88 944 at lordco at least they have it down as a 20" blade for the fronts. I tend to stick to Bosh because i have had no luck with any other brand >.< but it never hurts to try out a new brand.

flat12boxer

Thanks, yes, I just edited #3 above, for some reason my specs pulled up wrong.

Alright, I know # 1 and #2 might not get a whole lot of responses, but SERIOUSLY how about #4? haha

Cyberpunky

#4 is also an issue I have so would love to know how to align them too

TIA

968 GUY

Mine move easily with a pin stuck into the nozzle. You may have to put a little force on them to get them moving if there is a buildup of lime on them.
They are sort of ball and socket design and should move easily.
Rember to adjust a little high to make up for the wind.

Fintro11

my one shoots like a limp old man haha one day i will have to clean it out :P

thirdgenbird

I tried frameless wipers on the front (early windshield) and the passanger side one did not sit flat on the glass near the outside end. I can't recall the brand, but let me know if you find one that works.

gregeast

I am using frameless Bosch wipers and ended up switching to 968 wiper arms which have a double spring and clamp tighter. With my old, tired 944 arms the center of the wiper would lift because there wasn't enough clamping force. Thx to Ernie 968 for this pic:

As for the washers, I bought a thin piece of wire from a hobby shop that fits inside the nozzle. It's long enough that with a little imagination to compensate for some bend in the wire you can get a decent idea where the spray will hit the windshield.

Arominus

You could always bend the stock 944 arms a little bit to get some extra "push" on the blades.

flat12boxer

I saw your's/Ernie's mod pics on the 968 forum. My arms are still strong as the car is in superb shape, so I will be staying w/ 944 stock. Thanks for the kind suggestion though.

I will also try the wire rather than needle/toothpick. I definitely have some laying around that just might work. Hopefully it will be great and it will no longer miss the windshield.

flat12boxer

UPDATES (late I know, but that's what a terrible work schedule does to you LoL):

Ok, I had a spare 16" frameless aero blade laying around and used it to test the appearance, and it looked way too modernized.

I ended up going with standard Bosch Micro edge blades. They fit well (I put 19" all around) but I get a slight area on the passenger side where the blade is too long for the glass or doesn't lay fully flat at the very end. Also, my wiper arms that I said are strong DO have two springs, I think the late 944/968 arms are the same or very similar because it looks like that is what I have.

As an aside, the PO had used the Rain-X wiper blades (framed, non-aero) and I will say that they have a much lower profile than any standard blade I have seen. Mine were very chattery and noisy, possibly because they were worn, but I also rain-x my windscreen, so it may have been overkill, especially in light rain. I may try these again when the new Bosch blades are worn out.

I did get the washer nozzles lined up damn near close to perfect. I filled my washer reservoir with clean water to "test" the spray/aim and adjust so I wouldn't blow through washer fluid. Then after the water was empty I just filled with fresh washer fluid. Only problem I have is that the outermost driver side nozzle sputters every now and then, while the other three are clean, straight, and forceful. Any tips on trying to clean without damaging?

Lastly, for the detail and concours nuts like me, if you are looking at the back end of the car, is the wiper blade supposed to go on the left or right side of the rear wiper arm?

PerceptionProblem

My squirters don't work at all. . . not sure if it's a squirter motor issue or just clogged. But for me it's low on the to-do list. lol

Cyberpunky

Perception. You should be able to hear the wiper washer motor working with engine off easily, no sound would mean motor is shot.

Mine just stopped working, so I got a new genuine motor and replaced it. I can't recall what fuse this motor shares, but I knew it wasn't fuse, as the other things were working(like the head light washer motor).

It's one of the easiest jobs you can do on these cars, and although the washer motor isn't cheap, it's not too expensive either(about AUS$120 trade price). I have seen them at abut $70ish on US sites but the freight and delay meant I was only saving a few $$s and wanted it fixed asap. I actually use mine a lot now that winter is almost here(down under), and down here it makes a car unroadworthy if they are not functional.

peace
Cyberpunky

flat12boxer

Perception,

Listen to Cyberpunky. Even if you are in an area that does not experience winter weather, good wipers and the ability to spray your windshield are extremely important to safe driving. My washers were working fine, just not aimed right, and I made this a priority to get them sorted for road safety, and I don't even drive my car a lot. You never know when your visibility will be affected by something you can't control. It could cause you to hurt yourself or someone else along with your car if it caused an accident. Don't skimp on such a minor item.