For next time...just take the wiper arm and forcibly rotate it on the
shaft.  That will wipe off the pot-metal splines and leave a smooth surface
again.  Dig the metal out from between the splines on the shaft with a
scriber or safety-pin or similar, and reinstall the arm.

david

At 12:40 PM 12/15/2000, James Creech wrote:
>Mark, I went thru this recently on my 87 GL.  Here's what I found:  The
>bushing in the wiper arm is apparently made soft enough to "groove" into the
>spindle when the nut is tightened.  That is, grooves are formed in the
>bushing the first time you tighten it down.  If you did not locate it
>properly as to angle, then you can't simply rotate it on the spindle without
>danger of stripping smooth the grooves you've made inside the bushing - you
>can relocate it along the same grooves by pulling it all the way or nearly
>all the way off the spindle, but you will probably be out of adjustment -
>for there will be only 8 or 10 grooves, meaning a 35-45 degree shift in
>position with only a one-groove change.  I finally gave up and bought a new
>wiper arm - and very carefully lined it up on the windshield before I
>tightened it for the first time - a bit tricky because of the
>spring-loading.   But I paid under $20 for a new one, I think - Bus Depot,
>although others may have it too.
>
>Jim Creech
>87 Westy GL, 2.1
>
> > I'm having a problem with my windshield wipers not wanting to stay tight
>on
> > the shaft.
> > Mark McCulley

David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"