64 Windshield Washer Pump

[Ed S.]

Need help / suggestions re a windshield washer pump that will not pump water through the cowl nozzles. Car is a '64 convertible and here is what I have done and what it is doing.

Removed wiper & washer motor from car - opened up both, cleaned all moving parts & applied fresh lubricant (axle grease or white lithium grease; cleaned electric contacts - reassembled unit.

Washer pump: installed new black rubber plunger, installed new 2 piece white plastic hose connector with the 3 check valves and 3 ring O ring; installed new ribbed hoses (all these parts came from Doc Rebuild). Note this assembly can only go together one way as it has small nipples on one piece that have to align with its mating surface of the other piece.

Wiper / Washer motor assembly is installed in car. I am 100% certain that the plastic rotating part in the washer pump is engaged / installed correctly over the short thick rotating shaft in the wiper motor.

I blew pressurized air through all the lines when they were disconnected from the pump (did not want to risk damage from high pressure) --- all clear.

Connected all water lines & primed the pump by blowing water into the main feed line - until it came out of one nozzle.

Turned wipers on - they work - both speeds.

Had an assistant pressed the washer button when wipers were going. With the washer pump motor cover off (the one with the 2 holes) I heard & saw the magnet click - and engage the white plastic wheel, the wheel turns and clicks - the shaft behind the wheel moves in and out. Everything is working as it should but it will not push water through the lines and out the nozzles. If I remove the out-feed hoses water will squirt out but not very far.

I am certain that the plunger is connected to the shaft that moves in and out. To confirm I removed the white plastic piece and watched the plunger move in and out.

When completely assembled and operating it does not leak anywhere.

It appears that the travel range of the shaft that is connected to the plunger is not that great - less than an inch - which to me does not appear to be far enough to suck water into the chamber and then force it out the tubes up to the nozzles.

In summary - everything functions, wipers work, pump motor clicks, plunger moves in and out, but no water at the nozzles.

What am I missing?

[Timothy B.]

Re: 64 Windshield Washer Pump

Ed,

Are you sure the nozzles are open.

[Ed S.]

Re: 64 Windshield Washer Pump

Ed,

Are you sure the nozzles are open.

Timothy, "open" ???? If you mean am I certain that they are not clogged - yes, I am certain. I blew water into the hoses and it came out of the nozzles at the windshield. I put an air compressor line to them and shot water & vapor across the garage. Even with the hoses off the white plastic valve assembly the water does not come out of the white tubes with a lot of force, it will shoot about 4 -5 inches at best.

[Michael G.]

Re: 64 Windshield Washer Pump

I am dealing with exactly the same situation on my '65 - perplexing, isn't it? Yesterday I must have removed and installed the pump assembly 15 times before getting the pump slot to engage the wiper pin. Finally got at least that to happen, but no joy anywhere from the squirters. Frustration meter pegged, I went upstairs and resolved to fight on another day, still with no clue as to what the solution may be.

[Ed S.]

Re: 64 Windshield Washer Pump

Michael,
Misery loves company - my situation is about the same as yours except that somehow I have mastered getting the rotating pump slot / wiper pin interface with ease,..... its all in the wrist. With everything connected and fluid available, when "pumping" it appears to me that the travel length of the flat steel bar that moves back & forth and at the same time pulls the bellows back does not move far enough to create sufficient suction & draw water into the bellows housing. I can see this movement & pump in action because I have the access plate with the 2 holes removed. I have scoured the internet for how to videos or documents that describe the repair process - found a few but have learned nothing.

Hopefully one of our NCRS brothers (or sisters) will tell us what we are doing wrong.

[Michael G.]

Re: 64 Windshield Washer Pump

Ed, I'm thinking (hoping) that in my case I may need to prime the pump more effectively so that water can begin to flow through the system. The storage tank is lower than the pump and so it has to work against gravity as well.

Gotta hand it to you if you mastered the pin-in-slot routine. For me, when the wiper motor parked the pin was clocked at about 1:30, while the slot on the pump wanted to be at either 12:00 or 3:00. Whenever I'd position it at 1:30 it would just slide over to 3:00 by the action of the cam, the spring, and the slippery stuff right before I got the washer unit mated up to the wiper motor. Of course there was no way of knowing if it was right or not till everything was back together, wired up, battery reconnected, wipers switched on and.... Click click click click.... nope, gotta do it all over again...... Grrrrr!!!

[Alan D.]

Re: 64 Windshield Washer Pump

Suggestion, get a copy of the 63 Service Manual, section 12. It has some good relative information.
One thing I noticed when doing mine was that the new rubber parts (little disks & plunger) where nowhere
the thickness of the original rubber.
Also I would try to use the old plastic hose connector (yellowish) first - thinking the repo specs may be incorrect, but just a short in the dark.

[Ed S.]

Re: 64 Windshield Washer Pump

Suggestion, get a copy of the 63 Service Manual, section 12. It has some good relative information.
One thing I noticed when doing mine was that the new rubber parts (little disks & plunger) where nowhere
the thickness of the original rubber.
Also I would try to use the old plastic hose connector (yellowish) first - thinking the repo specs may be incorrect, but just a short in the dark.

Alan, thanks for taking the time to suggest some solutions. I do have the 63/64 Service Manuals - followed them to the letter. I have also tried every suggestion & process described in past TD thread I could find on the subject as well as other how-to articles and You Tube videos. Still not getting sufficient volume or pressure out of the squirters.

Re the little rubber pieces - I found the repros are very firm and not pliable - ie, they don't give much because they are much thicker than an older set I have (just the opposite of what you have experienced). I am using a valve assembly that is a bit older - round rubber check valves are much more flexible and bendable. My unit does not leak - it just doesn't squirt very hard. I am hoping that I just need to do a better job at priming the plumbing - if I can eliminate most or all of the air in the bellows and hoses, hopefully it will squirt properly. Will keep all informed of progress and the solution ---- when I discover it.

[Mike M.]

Re: 64 Windshield Washer Pump

i have a 60cc syringe. i fill it with water, remove the filter from the rubber hose in the storage tank, then turn on the wiper washers and forcefully inject the water thru the syringe into the hoses and pump and out the nozzles. and i mean forcefully. good luck. mike

[Ed S.]

Re: 64 Windshield Washer Pump

Bingo! Mike - thank you. I have been trying to prime the system when it was off - in a static mode - with a large syringe. It never occurred to me to prime it while the pump was operating. Makes perfect sense. Will try it tomorrow. Can't believe I didn't think of that.

thanks again.

[Ed S.]

Re: 64 Windshield Washer Pump

SUCCESS! Following Mike's recommendation (comment # 9), I was able to get great pressure out of the cowl squirters - Thank you again Mike.
To expand on his approach, before I connected each rubber line to the pump I blew water in them - to fill them us as much as possible. Then using my compressor - with the pressure turned down to about 5 psi I gave the feed hose a few short burst of air - and would recharge the hose with water using my wife's kitchen syringe to fill the hose again between each blast. Essentially what I was doing was the same as bleeding a brake system - getting all or as much air out of the system as I could. Then, with the line as full as I could get it and the syringe full I turned on the wipers and activated the washers - and quickly forced more air into the line - all works perfectly. Now with no air in the lines, the water is holding its own vacuum and I was able to put the line back into the reservoir and get blue water out of the squirters. The trick now is never let the system suck air - and exercise the washers probably at least once a month. Thanks again Mike -- take a bow. -- Why didn't they explain this in the shop manual or anywhere else for that matter.

[Frank D.]

Re: 64 Windshield Washer Pump

i have a 60cc syringe. i fill it with water, remove the filter from the rubber hose in the storage tank, then turn on the wiper washers and forcefully inject the water thru the syringe into the hoses and pump and out the nozzles. and i mean forcefully. good luck. mike

Well this one is going in the 'ole memory banks....

[Ed S.]

Re: 64 Windshield Washer Pump

Well this one is going in the 'ole memory banks....

No kidding - it works. This needs to be included in all those "how-to" videos and PDF files. I fought the problem for 4 or 5 days, lost count on the number of times I removed the pump looking for a problem or reason why nothing was coming out of the squirters. It was so simple - thanks again to Mike.

[Michael G.]

Re: 64 Windshield Washer Pump

All I could get from the local pharmacy was a 5cc syringe - too puny - no luck. Now I'm searching for the giganto 60cc model ... gotta show this pump who's the boss!

[Mike M.]

Re: 64 Windshield Washer Pump

henry schein medical supply has them. mike