The wiper are attachment is a zinc die cast, not plastic. If the serrations are worn off then shaft replacement is the fix. Then make sure they are always tightened properly and during winter always turn the wipers off and let them park and don’t turn them on when frozen to the windshield or buried under snow. Many folks will turn off the ignition with the wipers on and when you go to start up the next morning they will want to move. Having the shafts spin is a good thing. If they don’t let go then bent linkages and burned out motors come next. 

Dennis
  

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Neil2
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2015 4:49 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: '90 Wiper won't

One wiper failed yesterday and I replaced it with a spare.  I noticed the knurled, round, metal 'gear' (on the chassis) has very shallow and narrow teeth which had very little grip on the plastic barrel of the wiper blade.
The plastic was virtually smooth by the time I had removed it.

I wonder, is it mostly the age of the piece that rendered it so worn or is it a poor design?  Anyone know of a source/part number for a new/improved one?

Please/thanks!

--
Neil2
'82 Diesel Westfalia (Ducky)
'86 Vanagon/Westfalia Wannabe (SaVannah)
'08 170" 2500 Mega Roof Dodge Sprinter (Moby)
'90 Westfalia Subagon
Fulltiming since August 2008
Nunquam Pendite Divendium