Morris Minor Owners Club

Can anyone shed any light on when windscreen washers became available as an optional extra on the Minor, and from what year they became standard equipment?

My search for this information is proving fruitless so far.

Hi,
From what I can find, it appears they first became a legal requirement from June 1986 though that seems a bit late to me.
I thought they first had to be retrofitted (if necessary) to pass an MOT in the early 1970's.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... d-vehicles
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/198 ... on/34/made
However, if you scroll down on this 'Pistonheads' page, someone is suggesting an even earlier date of 1934.......
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/top ... &t=1566783
Though I don't know what source they are quoting from.....
Best wishes,
Mike.

My mid-1961 car didn't have them originally. My 1962 acr had them factory fitted.
I have seen reference to them being fitted to Deluxe models from late 1961 and I would think that they were standard equipment on all Minors a year or so later? The BMC parts book gives an introduction at chassis no 934674 if that's any help.

Thanks. That’s very helpful. Well, my 1957 car still doesn’t have them. It seems nobody bothered to fit them! Curiously, it does have a washer bottle though in the usual place at the back right of the engine bay.

I have ordered an electrical type kit, switch operated, from ESM. Another little job to do before the spring…

Your car must have had some fitted at some stage as they've been a legal/MOT requirement for decades - and, as you say, the bottle is present. Many older Minor which had them added post production had the jet(s) mounted on the bonnet. Mine has. Maybe your car did and then had the bonnet changed for some reason prior to your purchase.

ManyMinors wrote: ↑Mon Feb 21, 2022 7:23 am Your car must have had some fitted at some stage as they've been a legal/MOT requirement for decades - and, as you say, the bottle is present. Many older Minor which had them added post production had the jet(s) mounted on the bonnet. Mine has. Maybe your car did and then had the bonnet changed for some reason prior to your purchase.

Yeah, that adds up. My car had a replacement bonnet a few years ago. No control in dash for operating one though.

That’s what I’ll do, I’ll mount a twin spray jet in the centre of the bonnet. Just the one hole.

I suspect that there is no sign of a washer bottle pump or switch mount in or on the dash as the Minor latterly was factory fitted with a hand operated pump mounted on a bracket attached to the flange at the bottom of the dash. A switch for an electric pump could also have been fitted on a bracket again attached to the flange at the bottom of the dash.
Make sure that the feed pipe from or in the bottle is fitted with a one way/non return valve otherwise the screen wash will drain back to the bottle and then the pump will take some time to get screen wash to the jets.
The switch should also be a press to activate - release to stop not a on/off switch.
This thread brings back memories of retro fitting dozens of screen wash kits to all sorts of vehicles in the early 1970s.

philthehill wrote: ↑Mon Feb 21, 2022 9:35 am …Make sure that the feed pipe from or in the bottle is fitted with a one way/non return valve otherwise the screen wash will drain back to the bottle and then the pump will take some time to get screen wash to the jets.
The switch should also be a press to activate - release to stop not a on/off switch.
This thread brings back memories of retro fitting dozens of screen wash kits to all sorts of vehicles in the early 1970s.

Thanks Phil. I ordered a non-return valve with the kit and nozzle. Hopefully it all comes with fitting instructions of some kind.

Couldn’t find a mounting bracket for the push type switch, but I do already have a surplus switch mounted below my dash from where I disconnected some flashing LED lights.

To keep things as simple as possible in the first instance I’d like to make use of that existing switch. I disconnected it from the fuse box and taped it up when I removed the LEDs.

jagnut66 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 20, 2022 3:39 pm Hi,
From what I can find, it appears they first became a legal requirement from June 1986 though that seems a bit late to me.

Mike
it's just that the earlier Regulations are not available online.
Motor Vehicles Construction and Use Regulations go back a long way, they can get amendments issued every year or so, sometimes more than once a year, usually to correct mistakes made in drafting the original Regulations, but for some reason they don't seem to have uploaded the older ones, even if they are post WWII.

I suspect you're right and washers requirement date from at least the mid 60s. It's in the 1978 Regs, which totally revoked the 1973 Regs, but 1973's not available online.

I seem to remember the regulations coming in around 1966 but it excluded cars (and other vehicles) with opening windscreens(!)

ManyMinors wrote: ↑Tue Feb 22, 2022 3:46 pm I seem to remember the regulations coming in around 1966 but it excluded cars (and other vehicles) with opening windscreens(!)

Still excludes opening windscreens....

MOT manual item 3.5
You do not need to inspect windscreen washers on vehicles with:
an opening windscreen
some other means of providing the driver with an adequate view through the windscreen to the front, left and right

Washers must provide enough fluid for the wipers to clear the windscreen effectively.

So in theory perhaps a really good layer of Rain-X or similar could allow you not to have washers.

So in theory perhaps a really good layer of Rain-X or similar could allow you not to have washers.

I found Rain-X to be a good product, or at least it used to be, I haven't had cause to replace my last bottle yet.....
Though I wouldn't do without screen washer jets, far too useful.
Best wishes,
Mike.

I had to fit windscreen washers to my Ford Consul Mk2 in 1973 to comply with MOT regs. Up until then, a fairy liquid bottle filled with water sufficed.

Pete

You are better off putting the jets on the scuttle as they were on the factory fitted cars, out of the way. A screen washer was an optional extra for many years, and several types were available. I have a Lucas Electric Screenjet and a Trico vacuum washer but the manual plunger on my 1000 is simple and effective.

jagnut66 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 22, 2022 9:38 pm

So in theory perhaps a really good layer of Rain-X or similar could allow you not to have washers.

I found Rain-X to be a good product, or at least it used to be, I haven't had cause to replace my last bottle yet.....
Though I wouldn't do without screen washer jets, far too useful.
Best wishes,
Mike.

It’s still good, and you’re right… one bottle is a ‘lifetime’s supply’, it lasts for ages

JOWETTJAVELIN wrote: ↑Wed Feb 23, 2022 7:59 pm You are better off putting the jets on the scuttle as they were on the factory fitted cars, out of the way. A screen washer was an optional extra for many years, and several types were available. I have a Lucas Electric Screenjet and a Trico vacuum washer but the manual plunger on my 1000 is simple and effective.

How do you get the tubing from the bottle into under the scuffle panel area to connect to the jet(s)? I’ve now decided to go for a manual push button rather than electric pump.

MorrisJohn wrote: ↑Thu Feb 24, 2022 12:37 am

JOWETTJAVELIN wrote: ↑Wed Feb 23, 2022 7:59 pm You are better off putting the jets on the scuttle as they were on the factory fitted cars, out of the way. A screen washer was an optional extra for many years, and several types were available. I have a Lucas Electric Screenjet and a Trico vacuum washer but the manual plunger on my 1000 is simple and effective.

How do you get the tubing from the bottle into under the scuffle panel area to connect to the jet(s)? I’ve now decided to go for a manual push button rather than electric pump.

Well as you can see here, my SII manual pipe goes in next to where the Radio antenna cable comes out. I had to go out and check what the black cable was. I guess it depends where the Container is situated; some seem to have their container on the Offside inner wing.

The offside inner wing is the best place for the bottle because it is the most upright part of the engine bay, spacious and away from the exhaust pipe. The washer tube follows the wiring along the inner wing and there is a bunged hole through the bulkhead. I am just saying what the design engineers did here when they were fitted at the factory. I can get a photo, if it helps.

Thanks for your help. I’ll figure it out I’m sure. My bottle is located in the same place as Berni’s.