Dave, I've done this many times here in my shop and I did not get the idea from Go Westy, I came up with it all by my lonesome.  It works, and works well and it's easy to do.  Hardest part is getting the pilot hole dead centre !

On 2012-08-16, at 6:09 PM, Automatic digest processor <LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> wrote:

> 2.  GoWesty has a procedure on their web site for drilling and tapping the stud in the shaft, and then fitting the wiper arm on with a bolt rather than a nut.  Has anyone ever done this, and was the fix successful?  That might be easier than replacing the shaft, especially if the dash must be pulled to do so.  But, there is not much there to drill and tap.  The GoWesty procedure says to file the stud off flat, punch the center, then drill it, then tap it.  Interestingly, I mentioned such a possibility to the shop I consulted in Burlington, Washington a couple of weeks ago, and the guy just looked at me as if I was kidding, and said, "Never work, not enough metal there to hold anything even if you could drill and tap it."  GoWesty's page seems as if it is something done with some regularity:  http://www.gowesty.com/library_article.php?id=1512

Cheers,    

Frank Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
'87 VW Westy, '00 Kawasaki 250 Sherpa, "98 Ducati 750 Monster & Lionel Trains (Collection for sale)
Frank Condelli & Associates - Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
Vanagon Stainless Steel Exhaust Systems
BusFusion a VW Camper camping event, Almonte, ON, June 07 ~ 10, 2012