Coolant & Washer Resevoirs

[Tommy F.]

Is there a magic solution to rescue the resevoirs? Both on my '75 coupe are pretty grungy looking. I have scrubbed both with degreaser, but they still appear very yellow.

ALMOST ready to drop the motor in....

Thanks,

Tommy

[Martin N.]

Re: Coolant & Washer Resevoirs

TOMMY-

I didn't have much luck either on my 74 I tried Bleech, Simple Green and so on. I went ahead and bought repo's from PARAGON but kept the originals just in case.

Marty

[Jack H.]

Re: Coolant & Washer Resevoirs

If you're talking about those made from 'white' tone plastic, you're pushing on a rope to try and 'clean' the yellow hue off. That's the result of the plastic changing composition in reaction to heat + UV. You'd have to evenly 'shave' off a microlayer of surface plastic to get down to un-contaminated original color.

There IS a color stabilization agent that can be blended with most plastics used for injection molding but it's as expensive as all get out! That's probably why the first use of these reservoirs on Corvette were colored black, but I'll bet owners and marketeers complained they couldn't see through the vessel walls to determine how much fluid was in the container....

Look around at similar computer and consumer appliances with injection molded plastic case parts. Few are translucent white in color for this reason (the color fades and the plastic turns yellowish over time)....

[Joe L.]

Re: Coolant & Washer Resevoirs

Is there a magic solution to rescue the resevoirs? Both on my '75 coupe are pretty grungy looking. I have scrubbed both with degreaser, but they still appear very yellow.

ALMOST ready to drop the motor in....

Thanks,

Tommy

Tommy-----


As Jack mentions, there's no practical way to remove the yellowing. It's not something that's on the surface; the color of the plastic, itself, has changed due to environmental factors. No matter what chemical you apply to the surface, it's not going to remove the yellowing.

So, it's either replace or go with what you have, including yellowing.

[Tommy F.]

Re: Coolant & Washer Resevoirs

Well,

Thats what I was afraid of....I'll go with them like they are!

Thanks to all who responded!

Tommy

[Joe L.]

Re: Coolant & Washer Resevoirs

If you're talking about those made from 'white' tone plastic, you're pushing on a rope to try and 'clean' the yellow hue off. That's the result of the plastic changing composition in reaction to heat + UV. You'd have to evenly 'shave' off a microlayer of surface plastic to get down to un-contaminated original color.

There IS a color stabilization agent that can be blended with most plastics used for injection molding but it's as expensive as all get out! That's probably why the first use of these reservoirs on Corvette were colored black, but I'll bet owners and marketeers complained they couldn't see through the vessel walls to determine how much fluid was in the container....

Look around at similar computer and consumer appliances with injection molded plastic case parts. Few are translucent white in color for this reason (the color fades and the plastic turns yellowish over time)....

Jack-----


I think the purpose for the black w/w fluid containers was to "camouflage" the container which would otherwise be seen prominently through the fender vents. These black containers were used, primarily, for 1968-69 models where, due to washer container location and side vent configuration, the container would have been "glaringly obvious" through the vents. After 1969, when side vent configuration changed so that the container could no longer be seen, it was back to a white container.

Some 1966-67 Corvettes may have received the black container. However, the white container, GM #3840083, is listed in the AIM as the primary part to be used with the black, container, GM #9781451, listed as "optional". I don't know if any of the black containers were actually used for 1966-67, though.

Curiously, the black container, GM #9781451, was never available from GM in SERVICE. It was always SERVICED by the white container, GM #3840083. Also curious: the white container has a Chevrolet part number; the black container has what looks to me to be an Inland Division part number. However, other than color, the 2 containers were the same.

[Stuart F.]

Re: Coolant & Washer Resevoirs

I replaced my washer fluid bottle about 20 years ago and it still looks brand new. Now mine is a 63 so my louvers/vents are all fake and I don't have the hood open in the sun all that often, just an occasional show. Also, I don't know if this may be a reason or not, but I have never used the washers and only used the wipers once or twice (got to save those precious dimpled Trico inserts ya know!)

Stu Fox