Windshield washer problem on '72

[Kurt G.]

I am in need of some help. The windshield washer on my '72 coupe won't squirt. I've replaced the plastic pump seals, the switch checks out OK, the wipers work on both speeds, the fluid bag is full and no obstructions in any of the lines. Low pressure air blows thru all the lines. When I turn on the wipers everything works and sounds fine. When I push the switch for the washers, I hear a clunk coming from the wiper motor area. Any suggestions.

[Jeffrey S.]

Re: Windshield washer problem on '72

Kurt:
Do you hear the clicking as the piston in the washer pump goes back and forth? If not, I would guess that the plastic cam has broken. Take the pump off and look at the cam where the stud from the wiper motor goes into the slot. These do break at this location. They are removable and replaceable if you can find a new one or salvage one from another pump that is no good for other reasons.

[Robert S.]

Re: Windshield washer problem on '72

I had this same exact situation on my 74'. You will need to remove the 4 bolts holding the square white (or black) nylon like plastic top to which the fluid lines attach. Underneath are small round black rubber fluid seals (3 on mine as I recall) which are likely the cause of your problems. The seals will probably look fine but need to be replaced. I suspect the rubber simply loses it's flexibility with age. I was fortunate to find a rebuild kit at my local NAPA store (about 2 yrs ago) which had all the necessary parts and cost around $5.00. With this kit, it is a quick fix, total time to repair maybe 10 minutes.

[Daniel T.]

Re: Windshield washer problem on '72

The instructions with my replacement pump say something about your clunking noise. This is what it says: Before installing pump follow these instructions. 1. Wiper motor must be in off positon. 2. Rotate the 4 lobe cam until the index hole (.125" dia.) on the 4 lobe cam is positioned beneath the corresponding hole in the pump mounting plate. Insert a pin through the mounting hole into the matching hole in the 4 lobe cam.
3. Position the pump assembly on the wiper gear box so that the slot in the 4 lobe cam fits over the gear assembly drive pin. Install pump plate mounting screws. Then remove the locator pin temporarily inserted in step 2 above. 4. Turn on wiper washer pump to check pump operation. Then it say in bold print: IMPORTANT: If a loud knocking noise is herd, this will indicate that the 4 lobe cam has not engaged the gear drive pin properly and steps 1 to 4 must be repeated. Lastly it tells you step 5. When connecting the power connector to the wiper motor , pay particulsr attention to the "U" shaped slots on the female connector. These should align with the two angled tabs on the wiper motor. I would first make sure the pump is installed properly and check the 4 lobe cam and drive pin for proper installation or damage as another member stated.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Windshield washer problem on '72

Also, try sucking fluid out of the bag using the hose as it enters the pump. On my 72, the hose had dried as it attached the washer bottle and air was entering at this point. A bit of black weatherstrip cement, and an airtight seal resulted. Next attempt I got a nice taste of windshield washer fluid - and the pump worked. It had been sucking air prior to that.

Patrick

[Harmon C.]

Re: Windshield washer problem on '72

A good way to get the pump working is to take plastic bottle and rig an adaptor to the cap for the washer line from the tank to fit. Hang the bottle on the windshield above the pump,hook up the line and let gravity flow the water to the pump. With the system now working switch back to the tank and it may work fine if used often. Before your opps check at a meet check this item every time as it will save lost opps points.