Brian B

Ok, so since its getting too expensive to actually put gas in the Shark and drive, I figured I would spend my lunch hour constructively and finally fix my washers. Since I bought the car 3 years ago and I've never had washers, it was about time. A couple of issues jumped right up at me:

1. WHAT THE HECK WERE THEY THINKING WHEN THEY BURIED THE WASHER PUMP ON THE FENDERWELL UNDER THE FUEL LINE AND NEXT THE THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD??? COULDN'T THEY FIND A MORE IMPOSSIBLE PLACE TO PUT IT, LIKE INSIDE THE FUEL TANK OR NEXT TO THE TRANNY???? ok...I feel better now...had to vent for a minute and my wife just gives me a blank stare when I talk about the car.

How do I get at this thing? The pump makes a whirring sound when I pull the lever, but no fluid is being taken from the tank, (the fluid is in the hose, but it never reaches the pump body) so I either have a split in the hose or the pump is shot, but I'm at a loss trying to figure out how to reach the pump.

2. Has anyone moved the pump to a better spot?

3. Is there a seperate pump for the headlights or does it work off the the impossible placed pump? The PO must have done his usual magic because there are miles of tubing coming from the pump with T junctions prior to going to the hood, so I am assuming it runs from the same pump...

Any help or sympathy would be greatly appreciated...

thanks,
Brian
79 Euro OB

Oldtee

I have the same question on my 85. It seems everybody wants you to believe the pump is attached to the tank. On my car that pump is for the headlight washers. If you get a good answer I would appreciate knowing it.

Fogey1

Some threads and an old email post.

http://members.rennlist.com/v1uhoh/windshie.htm

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-forum/155784-windshield-washer-reservoir-removal.html

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-forum/171722-r-r-windshield-reservoir.html

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-forum/204669-w-s-washer-for-85-questions.html
W/S Washer for 85 questions

Yes, two pumps (actually three if you include the intensive washer pump
under the front apron).

One is on the sort of below the passengers (right) side head, the other is
on the bottom of the reservoir in the rear of the front wheel arch behind
the cover at the bottom. The windshield washer is the one below the head.
Common for them to fail. Hard to get to. you need to do it from underneath.
It is on a bracket held in place by two rubber fasteners.

Check the fuses first and also check that the column switch is actually
activating the circuit before surgery.

Jay Kempf
79 US 5ish speed

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Debra Girard [mailtoandaoes@adelphia.net]
>
> I have a 1978 928, My windshield washers don't work but
> the headlight washers do, Is there tow washer motors
> or just one.
> or do you think it is in the switch on the column
>
> Thanks
> Kevin
> 78 5sp

Brian B

Thanks, Guys. I'll check those posts and (hopefully) work on it this weekend.

Regards,
Brian

jpitman2

Wait until you work on a RHD car with the brake pipes in there as well! I found that by lubing the rubber mounting things and pushing them from under the wheel arch you can get the whole pump unit off the fender wall, and then wriggle it out. Mostly the insides get jammed with crud and rust and will loosen up with cleaning and wd40.
jp 83 Euro S AT 49k

Brian B

J,
Did you have to take the pump apart to clean out the insides? Was it a complicated job?

Thanks,
Brian

jpitman2

Brian, Yes you have to open the pump, but No disassembly is easy, the motor itself doesnt need to be opened if it still turns ok with +12V. 4 screws on the base will separate the mounting bracket and the pump body from the motor casing. The plastic piece and metal bracket that form the pump case are only sealed by the screws clamping them and a rectangular O ring (if that makes sense). There are two brass gears in there that get rust and crud and jam. You may need a new O ring, or just clean it up and reseal with silicon. These pumps are VDO, common to many BMW and MBs, so shouldnt be too hard to find. I have one as a fuel pump in my R/C model flight box as they will pump in either direction where centrifugal pumps only go one way. Check out Sharkskin's web pages, I think he has pics of pump fixing?
jp 83 Euro S AT 49k.

Brian B

I got in there today, and I found that my washer tank has no pump attached. There is a large screw-in fitting at the bottom with wires attached, whick I am assuming is the level sender. There is a hose coming off a nipple fitting right above this in the wall of the tank and the hose leads up through the fender to the pump in the engine compartment. When I pulled this hose, I found a small blockage and once removed, fluid started flowing to the pump and then to the washers. There seems to be miles of ww hose under the hood from the PO that I need to sort out, but at least I have washers for the windshield.

Still no washers on the headlights, though. Is that pump located inside the fender? Perhaps behind the tank what I can't see it?

Thanks,
Brian-basking in the glow of actually having washers

jpitman2

The headlight washer is under the front apron - look up through the grille below the nose, left of centre looking in , on my 83 anyway. Some people borrow this pump to replace the windscreen pump as it seem less prone to dying.
jp 83 Euro S AT 49k

Brian B

Thanks again, JP.
I'll take a look under there and see what's up. I'm assuming that the headlight washers work from the same reservoir, right?

Thanks,
Brian

Sean79 5spd

I am in the process of restoring by various windscreen / headlite washing systems. My first step was to buy a new windscreen washer pump ad relocate next to the washer bottle in the wheel well. The various systems seem to have a complicated arrangement of check valves and return lines (see the two nipples on the top of the washer tank). I am simplifying by removing these as I have never seen them on use on any other vehicle.

Just to clarify about the three pumps; the windscreen pump is factory located on pass side down low and very un-accessible. The headlite washer pump is mounted on the bottom of the washer tank and pumps through a approx 1/2" braided plastic tube to the headlite sprayers. My intensive cleaner pump which should hooked to the resevoir mounted by the headlite actualtor bar was removed by a PO so am not sure where it goes. However, Jay's description of under the front apron makes sense.

Sean

Brian B

The button for my intensive washer is missing from under the dash, so I'm not even going to worry about trying to get that working for now.

My main mission is going to be getting the hoses changed (the PO used what looks like I.V. tubing, so I'm going out this weekend and buying rubber hoses) and trying to locate the headlight pump and rehabbing that.

its strange how they seemed to move the pumps around between model years (and in some cases between chassis numbers)

Brian

Fogey1

Don't forget the check valves.

PorKen

The pump fits in a recess molded into the (engine) side of the tank.

Brian B

The hoses in the hood are all good (by good, I mean new rubber hoses and new check valves). For some reason, the PO used IV tubing leading from the tank to the pump and from the pump to the hood fittings. I'm not sure why he didn't just use the same hos throughout, though...

Thanks, PorKen. I'll check that out this weekend. I was hoping not to have to pull the tank out, but I guess I have no choice. I felt around when I had the fender open, but I didn't feel a pump. I probably was looking in the wrong spot. At least the filler neck didn't seem to be rusted out, so I guess I'm ahead of the game...

Regards
Brian