WSW Pump Guts

[Tony H.]

I've checked the lines from the windshield/headlamp washer pump to the WS wipers and headlights and they are in working order. (My 4-year old son, Nicholas, thought the squirters at the headlamps were great when he got wet as I tested the lines with drinking water with my lungs acting as the pump from each of the four ports at the 1970 pump.) I primed the rubber parts with WD-40 as suggested in an earlier post. When I went to test the pump from the inside switch, I don't seem to get any indication that the piston is moving. Looks like I need to check the piston itself for mechanical integrity as well as the electrical.

My questions are the following: (Mechanical) Where can I get a piston for the washer if it turns out to be defective? Is this piston available through GM/Delco or other distributors? Can I scavenge a piston from other year WSW pumps? (Electrical) What do I test for electrically? I think I read something about this in an old Restorer article. Any tips would be appreciated. Meanwhile, I'll go through some back-issues of The Restorer and try to pull out the info. Thanks.

Tony

[Tony H.]

Re: WSW Pump Guts

The Restorer Vol 22 Summer 1995: Bob Cook writes an excellent article on rebuilding the WSWs of 1968-73. What long term effect will soaking yellowed plastic parts in bleach have on the plastic? Will bleach make plastic parts more brittle? If you are out there Bob, how is your WSW doing now?

[Tony H.]

Re: WSW Pump Guts

The Restorer Vol 22 Summer 1995: Bob Cook writes an excellent article on rebuilding the WSWs of 1968-73. What long term effect will soaking yellowed plastic parts in bleach have on the plastic? Will bleach make plastic parts more brittle? If you are out there Bob, how is your WSW doing now?

[Jack H.]

Re: WSW Pump Guts

Good boy, Tony, you're getting there!

(1) Pump body (piston) is same as any other Chevy passenger car

of the era. You can swap with two cautions. (1) When you

remove pump assy from motor, take REAL GOOD notes on the

relative positions of every moving part including the control

solenoid and ratchet! (2) Make sure this 'trip' is really

necessary as piston assy rarely malfunctions or wears out

(with pump assy off the motor, you can manually force actuation

and hear/feel 'popping' pressure/squirt.

(2) When washer pump is properly actuated, you'll hear distinct

'popping' sound of pump piston at work as it triggers with

Nautilus drive gear of the wiper motor's rotation. If you

don't hear the 'pop pop pop' sound of the piston in action,

you know the pump is NOT being driven.

(3) This is typically due to bad washer motor relay, faulty

wiring from washer switch (easy to get to behind separately

removable bezel at top of center console), and/or broken

mis-synchronized washer Nautilus gear engagement prawl.

Some of this alignment/debug is covered in the CSM and

COM (chassis service manual/chassis overhaul manual).

(4) On the yellowing of plastic parts, if memory serves me

right these are Delron plastic components -- a self

lubricating plastic. The color change comes from high

energy ambient conditions (heat and/or light) causing

the surface skin of the plastic to outgas and loose its

inherent plasticizers. Short of 'sanding' away surface

material that's 'dead' (some have reported marginal

sucess with mild abrasive like Roman Cleanser), you're

stuck with the yellow....

[Jack H.]

Re: WSW Pump Guts

Good boy, Tony, you're getting there!

(1) Pump body (piston) is same as any other Chevy passenger car

of the era. You can swap with two cautions. (1) When you

remove pump assy from motor, take REAL GOOD notes on the

relative positions of every moving part including the control

solenoid and ratchet! (2) Make sure this 'trip' is really

necessary as piston assy rarely malfunctions or wears out

(with pump assy off the motor, you can manually force actuation

and hear/feel 'popping' pressure/squirt.

(2) When washer pump is properly actuated, you'll hear distinct

'popping' sound of pump piston at work as it triggers with

Nautilus drive gear of the wiper motor's rotation. If you

don't hear the 'pop pop pop' sound of the piston in action,

you know the pump is NOT being driven.

(3) This is typically due to bad washer motor relay, faulty

wiring from washer switch (easy to get to behind separately

removable bezel at top of center console), and/or broken

mis-synchronized washer Nautilus gear engagement prawl.

Some of this alignment/debug is covered in the CSM and

COM (chassis service manual/chassis overhaul manual).

(4) On the yellowing of plastic parts, if memory serves me

right these are Delron plastic components -- a self

lubricating plastic. The color change comes from high

energy ambient conditions (heat and/or light) causing

the surface skin of the plastic to outgas and loose its

inherent plasticizers. Short of 'sanding' away surface

material that's 'dead' (some have reported marginal

sucess with mild abrasive like Roman Cleanser), you're

stuck with the yellow....

[Chuck G.]

Re: WSW Pump Guts

Hi Tony; I had similar problems with my 69 washer system and did, in fact, buy a Chevrolet "parts pump" at a swap meet. I think that I paid about $5.00 for it. It seems that my original piston and cylinder had way too much clearance. It wouldn't squirt with any force. Everything worked mechanically. I pirated the parts from the donor pump (white plastic) and now it squirts with some "oomph" behind it. Also did the "blow the water" test as you did to check if my hoses and nozzles were patent. Hope this helps. Chuck Gongloff

[Chuck G.]

Re: WSW Pump Guts

Hi Tony; I had similar problems with my 69 washer system and did, in fact, buy a Chevrolet "parts pump" at a swap meet. I think that I paid about $5.00 for it. It seems that my original piston and cylinder had way too much clearance. It wouldn't squirt with any force. Everything worked mechanically. I pirated the parts from the donor pump (white plastic) and now it squirts with some "oomph" behind it. Also did the "blow the water" test as you did to check if my hoses and nozzles were patent. Hope this helps. Chuck Gongloff

[Robert Y.]

Re: WSW Pump Guts

The guts are almost identical from any year vintage Chevy. The replacement seals and check valves are avaliable from Pep Boys for

[Robert Y.]

Re: WSW Pump Guts

The guts are almost identical from any year vintage Chevy. The replacement seals and check valves are avaliable from Pep Boys for

[Tony H.]

Re: WSW Pump Guts

Hello again. Thanks for the response and encouragement so far. Well I opened up the washer pump and found the cylinder which houses the washer piston to be broken in several pieces similar to the one pictured in the Restorer article (V22No1 pg 36). I think I will be going to the hobby shop to hunt down some "plastic solvent" to weld the pieces back together. Is that just what I ask for, plastic solvent? What kind of plastic is the pump made of? Regular plastic model cement doesn't seem to have any adhesive effect on this plastic. How would JB Weld hold up? Does anyone out there have experience "welding" this type of plastic together? Thanks again.

Tony

[Tony H.]

Re: WSW Pump Guts

Hello again. Thanks for the response and encouragement so far. Well I opened up the washer pump and found the cylinder which houses the washer piston to be broken in several pieces similar to the one pictured in the Restorer article (V22No1 pg 36). I think I will be going to the hobby shop to hunt down some "plastic solvent" to weld the pieces back together. Is that just what I ask for, plastic solvent? What kind of plastic is the pump made of? Regular plastic model cement doesn't seem to have any adhesive effect on this plastic. How would JB Weld hold up? Does anyone out there have experience "welding" this type of plastic together? Thanks again.

Tony

[Tony H.]

Re: WSW Pump Guts

Chuck,

Do you still have that 69 pump lying around somewhere. I'll trade you for an orange fusible link.!!:)

Tony

[Tony H.]

Re: WSW Pump Guts

Chuck,

Do you still have that 69 pump lying around somewhere. I'll trade you for an orange fusible link.!!:)

Tony

[Bill Clupper]

Re: WSW Pump Guts

Tony, if you're referring to the pump housing itself, the off white assembly with the piston in it, they are the same on '70's pass cars. NOS ones can occasionally be found, and a trip to the junkyard may be more productive than glue. I used an NOS one on my '72, direct interchange, proper color, just steal it out of a pass car unit-look at the Butler swap meet in a week & a half & you'll find one.

[Bill Clupper]

Re: WSW Pump Guts

Tony, if you're referring to the pump housing itself, the off white assembly with the piston in it, they are the same on '70's pass cars. NOS ones can occasionally be found, and a trip to the junkyard may be more productive than glue. I used an NOS one on my '72, direct interchange, proper color, just steal it out of a pass car unit-look at the Butler swap meet in a week & a half & you'll find one.