69Myway

I am just wrapping up my second design electric wiper door conversion. My first design served very well since I installed and introduced the car in 2002. It is really rather simple and based upon a 2" linear actuator on a bracket tied into the stock door lift assembly controlled by a normally closed relay and a C4 headlight control module. I have no intention of offering this as a kit as it requires far more mods to the car than the average guy is willing to do.

As cool as this has been (and reliable as can be), I am looking to shave my firewall that much more.

If you look at this photo you will be able to see the linear actuator on the firewall:

http://www.mcspeed.homestead.com/fil...ler_engine.JPG

And here is a pic when I was first roughing it in:

http://www.mcspeed.homestead.com/files/Ewiperdoor2.jpg

VETTE magazine took a close up shot of this as well in the March 03 feature.

The new design is using a headlight actuator from a 93-97 Firebird and or late C5 (plastic housing). They are exactly the same. This unit is small, lightweight, and easy to get parts/replacement as needed. Plus they are plentiful in the junkyards, etc. They go new for about $150.

The cool thing is it fits INSIDE the firewall housing allowing just the manual turn **** to be exposed. This allows me to raise and lower the wiper door in the event of a failure, or to just clean leaves and debris out of the cowl. The headlight actuator will also provide a bit faster lift. Finally, I can slick the firewall even more.

I got it roughed in this weekend and am doing further testing this week. My next phase is to relocate the grounding limit switch (stock) to a hidden position. I am building a custom cover for the wiper motor and relocating some other firewall items. The end game will allow the engine to be the eye candy under the hood without the typical C3 engine bay distractions WHILE maintaining fully functional assemblies including a/c, cruise, etc.

I am going to sell the old 2" actuator and bracket once I get more of this finished up for $50 or so.

I will post more on the wiring later if anybody is interested on how to make it go.

markdtn

Nifty

Boofers

Nice work

1mollyd

Keep us posted. I'd love to convert mine.

69Myway

Looks like I may be going a different direction now. The headlight motor is a terrible tight fit to get it inside the cowl. It would be very easy to mount it on one of my headlight brackets on the outside (where the vacuum would go) and actuate the assembly. However, that would kill my intent of "hiding" the unit.

Looking at going back to the linear on a different bracket and arm system that will get it in about 3 more inches than the photos you see above. This will nearly sit it flush inside. Not sure how I will work the visual on this yet.

I had the system operating last night on the headlight motor and found it to be smooth and fast (as anticipated). I am just not happy with the amount that is still exposed.

If I get this ironed out the way I want it I will snap a quick video of it running and see if somebody can host it for me (10-15 seconds).

cosmicvette

Cool,

Thanks for the update. i am eager to hear how this goes. Closeups of the brackets etc you fabricate and the wiring mods would be great.

May I also say that as it looks now your engine bay is mighty sweet!


Cosmic

EDIT: didn't realise that was you who did the electric headlight conversion, I remember reading that article when it was first in the Vette mag, sweet!

pef427

Chris, you have a PM.

Stumpdeisel

Really great stuff 69myway! Finally an answer to my question, has it been done?

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...374&forum_id=3

More pics and info please!!!

SD

69Myway

Good news! Just got the wiper door running the way I want off the headlight actuator. I had to change my way of thinking, then suddenly it was more simple that I had been imagining. It is running off the same exact electronics as before.

I also figured out a trick simple way of moving the freakin ugly limit ground switch inside the cowl. That has to be the ugliest part of the whole wiper door stuff.

Pics to come. Right now I have it all torn back apart so I can prepare to do some fiberglass work.

I PEF427 has first dibs on the linear actuator and bracket. I will provide all the info on how to make that run.

mrvette

Good go Chris, I looking at that actuator I got from you and thinking of how it's going to fit in....I suspect I will also change that door switch around also...I envision about two micro switches in an elementary logic sequence t accomplish the goals...

wish my car looked good as yours, maybe some day....

my headlight, latest version is done and I 'hope' finalized now, just to do the body work the trays are done...like you said, sure enough I did a similar turnabout in design/execution on my project there....much simpler, and MUCH more solid...

GENE

Stumpdeisel

Great to hear you got it working! If PEF427 passes on the old setup I'll take it. I have paypal and am ready to go, let me know.

69Myway

That's great. I know you will find a good use for that 4" stroke actuator. I was actually looking for it today. I had forgotten I gave it to you and couldn't figure out where it was!
I guess that is a sign of old age! LOL!

As far as simple is better, what I have done in general with the headlight actuator is more complicated than the linear because it is adding several more moving parts. However, when I first started test fitting it I was trying to mount it in the cowl with the arm sweeping in the same direction as the lift arm on the wiper door assembly. This was a problem for making a mounting bracket and there was not enough space for the actuator arm to swing all the way through without hitting the cowl base.

Then, I played with it and realized it could be put in swining in a horizontal pattern applying the lift action to the verticle arm on the wiper door assembly. This gave me a natural mounting base and allowed the use of a larger primary arm. This mod requires extensive changes to the wiper door mechanism where it mounts to the firewall and vacuum pod flange. The linear actuator requires mods, but not as severe as what this does.

I will put some fiberglass in there on Sunday and work out some other details.

More on that later.

mrvette

As you well know, sometimes you gotta turn the concept on it's head, when doing engineering work....mainly because things don't lay the way they supposed to....

sometimes solutions come to me lying awake at 3 am....and at that point I get all psycho and want to go for the solution as imagined....



GENE

pef427

It's yours. I've decided to go long-style hood instead. But, Chris has definately put a lot of thought into solving this prob for everyone. Thanks, Chris. Hope to see you at CF Cruise-In.

69Myway

Now...the next part of this project has begun.

I am fabricating a wiper motor cover. I built one out of cardboard and tape then fiberglassed it in place. It is designed to slip over the wiper motor and flush the wiper motor and wiper motor opening to the firewall. I have the rough cover built and am tweaking it now.

Relocating the grounding limit switch to the inside of the wiper tray was a huge leap forward and ties directly into this.

Once these are complete I am selling my radiator surge tank and brackets as I am going to a two in one filler neck/radiator cap housing. This will locate the highest point of water on the car at the thermostat housing.

I am moving the catch tank to the nose between the headlights thus opening the entire passenger fender/firewall area (already shaved flat with the vintage air).