1957 windshield washers
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,359
Likes: 116
From: AUSTIN Tx
1957 windshield washers
Can someone give me a explanation of how the washers function on a 57?
I am putting a car back together for a friend, and I believe I have everything for the washers but the red top for the reservoir. I have the foot pump and it makes good pressure and has no holes in the bellows, I have a coordinator cable to run between the motor and the foot pedal, I have all the nozzles and the hoses.
There was a blue top with all the parts in the boxes that came with the car, but from what I have gleaned, only the red top will work with a 57.
Does the air pressure from the foot pump operate some sort of pumping mechanism within the top to force the water out to the nozzles?
Will any other tops work for the 57?
The top I have only has a single hose port on it, and from the AIM, I can see that the 57 top has two hose ports, one for the hose to the foot pump and another that goes to the wiper nozzles. The guy I am building the car for will never show the car, is just going to be a pleasure driver, so I would put an incorrect appearing part on it, as long as it was functional. I just do not know how the system works.
Thanks, John McGraw
I am putting a car back together for a friend, and I believe I have everything for the washers but the red top for the reservoir. I have the foot pump and it makes good pressure and has no holes in the bellows, I have a coordinator cable to run between the motor and the foot pedal, I have all the nozzles and the hoses.
There was a blue top with all the parts in the boxes that came with the car, but from what I have gleaned, only the red top will work with a 57.
Does the air pressure from the foot pump operate some sort of pumping mechanism within the top to force the water out to the nozzles?
Will any other tops work for the 57?
The top I have only has a single hose port on it, and from the AIM, I can see that the 57 top has two hose ports, one for the hose to the foot pump and another that goes to the wiper nozzles. The guy I am building the car for will never show the car, is just going to be a pleasure driver, so I would put an incorrect appearing part on it, as long as it was functional. I just do not know how the system works.
Thanks, John McGraw
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 58,061
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Army
This is the info I got like that on the later washer systems...for C1s...
Last edited by Frankie the Fink; Aug 10, 2016 at 02:00 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 38,897
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From: Washington Michigan
Neither of my 57's had the optional washers, but I judged enough of them over the years to understand how they worked.
Without washers, turning the **** CW turned the wipers on slow or fast, and turning it back CCW caused the wipers to park at operating speed ("slow-park" was incorporated about #1400 or so).
With washers, depressing the foot pump did two things - it squirted washer fluid on the windshield, and a bowden cable from the foot pump to the motor activated the motor to clear the fluid from the windshield, and the wipers parked. A second foot pump stroke squirted more fluid and cycled the wipers again. The only pump device in the '57 washer system was the bellows foot pump - there was no diaphragm or pump in the fluid reservoir as there was in the '58-up washer system.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,359
Likes: 116
From: AUSTIN Tx
John -
Neither of my 57's had the optional washers, but I judged enough of them over the years to understand how they worked.
Without washers, turning the **** CW turned the wipers on slow or fast, and turning it back CCW caused the wipers to park at operating speed ("slow-park" was incorporated about #1400 or so).
With washers, depressing the foot pump did two things - it squirted washer fluid on the windshield, and a bowden cable from the foot pump to the motor activated the motor to clear the fluid from the windshield, and the wipers parked. A second foot pump stroke squirted more fluid and cycled the wipers again. The only pump device in the '57 washer system was the bellows foot pump - there was no diaphragm or pump in the fluid reservoir as there was in the '58-up washer system.
Neither of my 57's had the optional washers, but I judged enough of them over the years to understand how they worked.
Without washers, turning the **** CW turned the wipers on slow or fast, and turning it back CCW caused the wipers to park at operating speed ("slow-park" was incorporated about #1400 or so).
With washers, depressing the foot pump did two things - it squirted washer fluid on the windshield, and a bowden cable from the foot pump to the motor activated the motor to clear the fluid from the windshield, and the wipers parked. A second foot pump stroke squirted more fluid and cycled the wipers again. The only pump device in the '57 washer system was the bellows foot pump - there was no diaphragm or pump in the fluid reservoir as there was in the '58-up washer system.
Thanks Mr Hinkley!
Jay finally called me back tonight and confirmed what I had guessed. The red top for the reservoir is a 57 only part and no other top will work. The top does actually have a diaphragm pump in it that is operated by the bellows of the foot pump. The foot pump never sees water, only air. Now just need to see if the owner wants to pop for the cost of a red top, to make his washers functional.
Regards, John McGraw
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 103
Likes: 6
From: Kürten, Germany
Foot pump? Red Lid?
Hello all, I realise this is an old thread, but moving on with Blackie, the customer is looking to get the WW back in order. The only things remaining from the original system are the nozzles on the cowl...everything else is missing. I have managed to source most of the parts from Paragon, (I have given up on Eckler's), and well...getting a blue lid unless someone can help me with red one. Still need the foot-pump though.
HELP!
Thanks,
Jonathan in Germany...
HELP!
Thanks,
Jonathan in Germany...
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Michael S. Palmer
Team Owner
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 31,497
Likes: 1,313
From: Huntsville AL
Hello all, I realise this is an old thread, but moving on with Blackie, the customer is looking to get the WW back in order. The only things remaining from the original system are the nozzles on the cowl...everything else is missing. I have managed to source most of the parts from Paragon, (I have given up on Eckler's), and well...getting a blue lid unless someone can help me with red one. Still need the foot-pump though.
HELP!
Thanks,
Jonathan in Germany...
HELP!
Thanks,
Jonathan in Germany...
Last edited by emccomas; Nov 18, 2019 at 03:32 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 31,497
Likes: 1,313
From: Huntsville AL
Hello all, I realise this is an old thread, but moving on with Blackie, the customer is looking to get the WW back in order. The only things remaining from the original system are the nozzles on the cowl...everything else is missing. I have managed to source most of the parts from Paragon, (I have given up on Eckler's), and well...getting a blue lid unless someone can help me with red one. Still need the foot-pump though.
HELP!
Thanks,
Jonathan in Germany...
HELP!
Thanks,
Jonathan in Germany...
Last edited by emccomas; Nov 18, 2019 at 03:33 PM.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 103
Likes: 6
From: Kürten, Germany
Cool! I do not know if they are the same either. I will get back to you. Thanks again! Jonathan