Conversion to electric windscreen washer

[jagnut66]

Hi,
An easy enough job, so long as you don't miss one small detail, which I did yesterday and it had me scratching my head for hours......
Remove old vacuum hand pump and tubes - tick.
Remove original (and reasonably sized for a change) Tudor washer fluid bottle, give it a good scrub and clean - tick.
Remove bottle clamp, clean, de-rust, treat and paint - tick.
Replace bottle and clamp (when dry) - tick.
Position new electric washer pump - tick.
Install new washer tubing and (in my case) replace washer jet nozzle on bonnet - tick.
Install wiring and push switch check - tick.
Then refill washer bottle and test.................
............. nothing.....................

The motor buzzed willingly, I swapped the tubes round in case I'd got them reversed, still nothing......
I tried inverting the new pump in case it was sensitive as to which way up it was mounted...... nothing.....
I had a spare, so I swapped them over, went through all the above again, the same result...........
This went on for at least an hour, at which point I got fed up, went off, had a cup of tea and did something else instead....
Then at about ten last night I had a lightbulb moment!

And I really should have thought of this earlier, as I've fitted a few of these over the years but this is the first time I've retained the original washer bottle, they're usually too small and grotty to be worth saving.
Have you guessed what the problem was?
The suction filter at the bottom of the pipe in the washer bottle! (Image below for anyone not sure what I'm on about.)
It sucked through alright with the vacuum pump. It sucked through alright when I sucked on the pipe myself to make sure it wasn't blocked (Ugh!! - spat and rinsed mouth out!)
But the electric pumps can't seem to cope with them, I've removed them from every new bottle I've fitted in the past but when I was cleaning this old one out I put it back............ Doh!!
Filter removed it worked strongly first time!
And the vacuum pump is now added to my little (growing) pile of 'freebies' that I will leave in front of my car for anyone who wants them at next years National.
The filter will hang!
One problem solved now onto the next..............
Best wishes,
Mike.

Exibit 'A' Mi'Lud.JPG (308.51 KiB) Viewed 1967 times

freebies.JPG (1.43 MiB) Viewed 1967 times

[Banned User]

Hmm, I left mine in, can I expect the washers to stop working?

[jagnut66]

I have always removed them because (as in this case) they caused a problem initially. If your electric one is working with it in place then (obviously) you are fine, for now..........
But I fail to see the point of them? The only thing that goes into my washer bottles is mixed water and windscreen washing fluid.
It's not like we fill them from the water butt or local pond, so they could clog up with all-sorts.....
They clearly (from my experience) make the pump work allot harder than it needs (or wants) to and (in my case) can cause it to fail to pump entirely.
Plus, if I am correct in that they do make those that can still pump water to the jet nozzle work harder than they should, then surely it must follow that said pump will expire sooner.
Best wishes,
Mike.

[philthehill]

The valve on the bottom of the screen washer is to prevent drain down especially in the electric pump. If there is no windscreen washer fluid in the actual electric pump the rotor if dry can stick to the pump body and tear the rotor causing it to fail. Having fluid in the pump body helps to stop the rotor failing.
Windscreen washer fluid tends to form solids in the bottom of the washer bottle if left for some time even if and when you use absolutely clean water. The powder type screen wash sachets make the worst solids. Those solids can block the jets yet pass through the pump rotor. The filter is there to stop the solids getting to the jets and blocking them.
Before fitting the valve/filter slip a large/heavy stainless steel nut over the pipe as it helps stop the pipe curling in the bottom of the washer bottle.

[jagnut66]

So two points of view here, you must go with what works for you.....
Personally I have always kept a pin stuck in the base of the drivers seat for unblocking jets with, should it prove necessary.
Best wishes,
Mike.