'71 wiper door, washer issues

[Charlie P.]

I have the following specific problem with the wiper door: (1)Just after starting, it goes up and then back down, and (2) a minute or so after the car is shut off, the door will come up and stay.

As for the washer, I have gotten fluid up into the pump by sucking it through, but after numerous attempts to pump it out the wiper arm tubes, I get nothing. Any tricks to priming, or is maybe a seal or check valve is shot?

Need to solve these little issues for PV. THANKS.

[Dave S.]

Re: '71 wiper door, washer issues

Charlie,

Glad to see you are preparing for the PV so soon after Windsor. I can't add any insight into the wiper door problem but would suggest you first verify that the WW pump is working. It should make a clicking noise when the inside washer button is pushed. If that seems OK I would dissassemble the pump and either replace the rubber parts or remove them and soak them in hand lotion. That seems to rejuvenate the rubber and has worked for me in the past. The rubber parts are the 3 check valves, the 3 circle O ring and the piston ring. Its a bit of work to remove the piston so when the pump nozzle is off you can coat the bore w/ lotion may be enough to get that piston gasket softer.

[Jeffrey S.]

Re: '71 wiper door, washer issues

Charlie:
I had the same exact problem on my '69 just prior to having it judges this spring. After pelacing the internal parts of the valve assembly and still no fluid to the tubes , I put a different washer pump on and it worked perfectly. The problem is most likely the piston seals in the pump itself. If, as Dave has suggested, you have established that the pump is working (you can remove the black plastic cover, remove the valve assembly, reconnect the wires, and observe the function of the piston), then the seal in the piston is probably bad.The piston can be removed and a new seal put in. I have never done this but I know it can be done. I believe the service manual gives good directions. Hope this helps.
Jeff

[Robert E.]

Re: '71 wiper door, washer issues

Hey Charlie. When I saw your car last week the wiper door was down, is this problem something new? The odd time, mine slightly goes up when I start it, but always stays down afterwards. Sorry if I'm not much help.

Robert
41801

[Patrick H.]

Re: '71 wiper door, washer issues

Charlie,

I think we forgot to go over wiper troubleshooting in Windsor. Oops.

Anyway, if the pump is clicking, then see if it is getting any fluid. With mine, the connections between the pump and the reservoir were so loose that the pump was sucking air and not fluid, so nothing came out.
Also check that you can blow water from the pump through the hoses and onto the windshield.
Once you know water can flow to and from the pump, then attack the pump. The seals are easy to replace with a kit found at your local auto parts store.

The jumping wiper door is "usually" the sign of your vacuum system not holding vacuum. The balance is "off" when you first start the car so it pops up until your vacuum canister is "full" (or is it empty?) of vacuum, and then it stays down. When you shut off the car you lose vacuum, and then the door slowly works its way up.
Buy the Dr. Rebuild troubleshooting guide, and find where you're losing the vacuum. It's likely a front headlight canister, and repairable with a new seal or two.

Patrick

[Jack H.]

OK, let's troubleshoot....

(1) On the wiper door, a 'dancing' wiper door or 'winking' headlight is usually the result of improper vac supply. This can result from leaks in the system as well as improper vac flow. The vac troubleshooting guides are pretty good in terms of describing how to fault isolate leaks, but they FAIL to discuss system startup issues, so let's talk about system startup.

You'll notice various hoses have a different diameter. That's by design to 'bias' the system. There are two sides to the system SERVO (vac items that physically do work) and CONTROL (vac lines that tell the servo items when to swing into action). When you first start the car and begin to build vac, a 'race' condition exists.

Who will get vac first, the servo side or the control side? If the servo side wins the 'race', things move about rather randomly until the control side comes up and begins to regulate. The diameter of the hoses was chosen to properly bias the system, so the control side would always win the race....

Now, if there are leaks in the system, this changes things. ALSO, if the system is 'plugged' by lack of proper preventive maintenance, that affects things. Two items frequently overlooked by Shark owners for periodic replacement are: (a) the check valve and (b) the in-line vac air filter. If either or both are failing, you'll see the dancing door/winking headlight syndrome when there aren't leaks in the system....

GM intended the filter to be changed once or twice a year and I see LOTS of Shark cars with REALLY yellowed out plastic vac filters on 'em....

(2) If there's ANY appreciable leakage in your WSW pump, she ain't gonna work very well. The main culprits are the seals between the nozzle assy and the umbrella valve assy as well as the between the umbrella valve and pump piston.

You diagnose the system in a straight forward manner. Remove the two squirter hoses running to the windshield. Fill your mouth with water FORCE fluid through the lines. If they're blocked, you're pushing on a rope with the pump! Go find/fix the blockage(s) in the squirter lines.

Reconnect the squiter lines and disconnect the fluid supply line. Cut a section of spare hose and connect it to the pump's supply line nipple. Now, fill your mouth with water and FORCE it into the pump. Depsite the pump piston not moving, you CAN force water through the umbrella valves and out the squirters with enough manual pressure.

If fluid does NOT exit the squirter nozzles, look closely at the pump's nipple/valve assy. Is fluid dripping out there? If so, you've got a seal problem to go solve. That's why the pump doesn't work, it's leaking at the nozzle and won't hold its prime.... It's typically the fault of the triple o-ring that's been overtightened and SQUASHED.

Once you get the system working, do NOT let it go dry! That's how they dry up and die.... Exercise it periodically and keep it moist and primed.

[Charlie P.]

Thanks for the tips, all. *NM*