Washer Bottle Monitor Rebuild

[Rob Peters]

I received my new Washer Monitor assembly this week.  Today we took a little ride and swung by Lutty's Chevy Warehouse and I picked up a new Washer Bottle.  If you plan to do a rebuild of this float assembly I advise, since washer bottles are reproduced and available and the monitor assembly is not, to get a new bottle and modify it for the float assembly to go into rather than risk damaging the monitor assembly trying to pull or pry it from the old bottle.  This is what I did and below is my process

 

In the first three pictures I show the two sides of the Monitor and wiring.  To remove th Fiber optic line, in the first picture, you will notice the hold where the fiber optic line goes in is slotted.  Since the plastc is old and may be brittle, carefully spread the slot open slightly and pull the fiber optic line from this slotted area.  The second picture shows the lamp, the lamp is removed by slightly pushing in on the socket and turning it till it will pull out.  In the third picture I show the area of the wiper motor and washer assembly electrical connections.  Some here have said they have seen these monitors with the power wire spliced in here and the ground  wire going to the fender.  As  you can see from the picture mine is wired right into the wiper motor and washer assembly.  

 

 

 

In the next two pictures you will see the old bottle and new bottle side by side.  You will notice my original bottle is squared off on the bottom but the new one is angled on the lower left side but other than that they look to be the same.  In another post here I think it was Carl Hanson who said the original factory bottles 

had an area in the upper recessed section with a knockout hole for the monitor but the reproduction bottles do not have this.  In the second picture I was trying to see exactly what holds the monitor into the wash bottle using an inspection mirror.  What I could see but itt is hard to tell from the picture, the tube at the top is larger and then tapers down slightly as it extends into the bottle.  What you can't see in the picture is at the top of the taper the tube has a recessed area so when the tube is inserted into the bottle you would use pressure and if you make the hole the proper size, as you slide the tube down into the bottle the plastic of the bottle will snap into this groove in the tube.

 

 

The following 6 pictures are covering the removal of the wash monitor from the old bottle.  Since the old bottles, over all of these years, have become stiff and brittle I felt it would be hard to remove the monitor from it without damaging the monitor so I made a slit at 6:00, and 8:00 and then lifted that flap portion away from the monitor and then at the 4:00 position and lifted that tab away so the monitor assembly could be removed out at that open section of the bottle.  The 7th picture shows the old bottle with the monitor removed.

    

 

The next three pictures are of the monitor after I removed it from the bottle.  When I removed it the first thing I noticed was the old float assembly stem was broken and the pieces were inside the tube.  In the second picture you will notice, at the tip of the screwdriver there is a slot in the tube and there is also a tab protrusion on themonitor head.  To remove the tube from the head you can twist the tube clockwise and counter clockwise at the same time you rock it up and down and the tube will clear  the tab.  The third picture here shows the tube removed from the head and the broken pieces of the float assembly. 

 

 

Now to adapt the new bottle.  The hole in the old bottle is centered left to right in th recessed area of the top of the bottle.  The outer upper part of the hole is 3/4 of an inch from the outer edge of the filler neck on the bottle.  The hole measured 3/4 inch in diameter.  I first tried to use a hole saw to make the hole but as it started I noticed the cut was going to be too rough so I switched to a regular drill bit and and then used a dremel rotary tool to hone it out to the proper size. These next 5 pictures show the tools  mentioned above and the final one will show the bottle with the hole ready to accept the monitor.

     

 

Now we are in the home stretch.  In the first picture below I am inserting the new float assembly into the float tube and the one after that shows the float fully inserted into the tube.  The third one below shows inside the bottom of the monitor head.  You will notice a slot inside the head.  The the new color portion at the top of the new float assembly will slip up into this slot.  As you insert the tube and float assembly into the head, aligning the colored portion into the slot and  then push the tube until the slot in the tube seats itself onto the tab of the monitor head.  Now, when you look into the lamp section of the monittor head you will notice the colored blade on the float assembly.  The next to the last picture shows the monitor head and float tube mated together and ready to install into the bottle.  If you have the hole the proper size you can use some liquid dish soap onto the opening of the hole and on the monitor tube and and gently work it into the wash bottle.  The fianl picture show the completed assembly ready to mount back into the car.

     

 

 

 

I hope this helps others.  Sorry for the long post.

rob

[Rob Peters]

Sorry everyone, the pictures did not attach.  I will have to come back to this over the next few days because I need to go to bed because I have to be up very early tomorrow...

rob

[Rob Peters]

OK, I have fixed the picture problem now so you can relate what I was saying with Pictures..... After all, if there are no pictures...... IT DIDN'T HAPPEN, right?

rob

[DaveC]

Awesome job Rob!

Thanks for the tutorial!

[bigtankjones]

Thanks for sharing. Really cool write up.

[Rob Peters]

Today I installed the new wash bottle.  I tested it with the bottle empty and it glowed red just as it should.  Here is a picture of what an empty bottle indication looks like:

 

I did not get picture of a indication of a non-empty bottle because I got side tracked due to the fact the washer pump is malfunctioning and I started working on that.

rob

 

[1970mcss]

Nice Write up Rob. I replaced the bulb in my monitor and it lights up with the wiper switch on. I believe the float works but I don't see anything in the car. Is there a way to test the fiber optic? Or is there a way to test the system?

[Rob Peters]

Paul,

To test the fiber optic system you could disconnect the fiber optic line from the bottle and have someone shine a flashlight into the end of the fiber optic line and if the line is not damaged somewhere along the line it should show bright on the inside indicator.  If it does  then the line it good but maybe the float assembly may be bad.

 

The float assembly is not reproduced.  A member here had someone specially make a  bunch of them and he sold them to our members.  The repair was not very hard but you do have to be very careful not to damage anything in in the disassembly and reassembly.

rob

[overdrive]

I restored mine a couple of weeks ago. Someone had cut into the side of the fiber, and I replaced it with new. I used a new fluid tank and repainted the red and green on the top of the float stick. I only used one drop of paint of each color.

 

Dan

[1970mcss]

Thanks to you both for the response. Dan, I notice in your picture that the optic exits to the rear. Mine comes out the front, could that be the issue? I'm not sure if i can spin it around. Any tips on that, It seems like it doesn't want to come out.

[Rob Peters]

Thanks to you both for the response. Dan, I notice in your picture that the optic exits to the rear. Mine comes out the front, could that be the issue? I'm not sure if i can spin it around. Any tips on that, It seems like it doesn't want to come out.

if you notice in my pictures, my fiber optic also points to the rear. I dont think it pointing to yhe front would cause it not to work but I dont think that is correct.

rob

[1970mcss]

Rob, is there an easy way to spin it around. It doesn't seem to want to come out and I'm afraid I'm going to break something. I'm also not sure how to remove the fiber. Another question is the location of the indicator in the car, mine is mounted on the front edge of the dash. It looks like the prior owner drilled a hole. I think I have seen the indicator more toward the bottom

[Rob Peters]

Paul,

I will try to copy and paste the second paragraph and pictures from the first post in this string but I don't know if the pictures will transfer. Regarding spinning it around, I think the areas that stick out on the monitor will hit the bottle fill neck. You may want to buy a new bottle and remove the monitor as I have instructed in my original post above. Here is the instructions on how to remove the fiber optic line.

"In the first three pictures I show the two sides of the Monitor and wiring. To remove th Fiber optic line, in the first picture, you will notice the hold where the fiber optic line goes in is slotted. Since the plastc is old and may be brittle, carefully spread the slot open slightly and pull the fiber optic line from this slotted area. The second picture shows the lamp, the lamp is removed by slightly pushing in on the socket and turning it till it will pull out. In the third picture I show the area of the wiper motor and washer assembly electrical connections. Some here have said they have seen these monitors with the power wire spliced in here and the ground wire going to the fender. As you can see from the picture mine is wired right into the wiper motor and washer assembly."

 

1 Fiber Optic Line Connection.jpg 2 Lamp Connection.jpg 3 Monitor Connection at Wiper Motor.jpg

[overdrive]

The direction of the fiber in my pic is correct, I believe. That's how it was when I got it, and the original fiber was too short to be turned the other way. Try the flashlight directly on the end of the fiber. I polished the ends of mine with very fine emery paper to allow for good light transfer. Think of it as trying to shine a light through a very dirty flashlight lens. The ends of the fiber need to be clean, as well as the top of the float, where the light shines through it and then into the fiber.

 

Dan

[1970mcss]

I will try that tonight and report back. I seems like everything on this car was done wrong but with the help of all the folks here on the forum I'm slowly putting it back to original, thanks

[1970mcss]

I was able to spin the the float assembly around and straighten out the optic but a very dim light. My next step was to remove my air ride compressor and remove the fiber optic. I found the problem, see the picture. Someones idea of a fix. Dan can you let me know where you found a new optic cable?

[Rob Peters]

Paul,

You may be able to repair the existing one if you are careful.  My car is equipped with the fiber optic monitoring system which uses fiber optic lines.  The ones for the rear package tray were cut and I was able to splice them together. 

 

I used a razor blade and made a very straight cut into each of the cut lines.  I then slipped a very small piece of shrink tubing, that just barely fit over the line, onto one of the ends, followed by a a piece of shrink tubing that was slightly larger than the first.  (Both of these shrink tubing pieces were black but you could also use a clear one.  

 

I then slid the smaller one  to extend out over the end and inserted the other cut end of the fiber optic line into the first until it btted right up against the first.  While holding these two ends tightly butted up against each other inside the the shrink tubing,  I had someone heat up the shrink tubing causing it to shrink tightly against the fiber optic lines.  I then slid the second larger piece of shrink tubing over the first piece and heated it to give a more secure hold onto the lines.  It has held up well over the past 18 years.

 

The two keys here are a nice clean squared off cut on the fiber optics and holding the ends butted up against each other while shrinking the tubing around them.

 

Just a note, many Cadillac's have fiber optic light monitor systems and I was able to go to a salvage yard and snagged some of the fiber optics from one off them.

 

rob 

[monte70car]

I have a part number for a repair kit not sure if they are still available, I will get the number in the morning and post it. I got it from corvette central for 84-86 vettes as they used fiber optics fr lights.

[1970mcss]

Rob, I got the repair done, I would still like to have a source for a new one. Thanks for all the info

[1970mcss]

All, I ended up replacing tne washer jar because of course when I got it all back together the jar was leaking. Rob, i used your instructions and had no problems reinstalling the float. Everything is working now but the only thing is the float doesn't come up high enough so the optic is always red even when full. The float moves freely up and down and I don't think there is any adjustment. Any Ideas?

[Rob Peters]

No, there is really no adjustment.  When you had the assembly out would have been the time to attempt repairs.  It is possible the actual float material is waterlogged or the float is binding.  .

rob

[overdrive]

The float doesn't travel up and down very far at all. If you painted the red too far down, it would cause your problem. How much red did you paint?

 

The dash monitor mounts low under the dash. There should be 2 holes in the dash for it. 1 for the screw, and 1 for a locator pin that is on the monitor. It's to keep the monitor from turning sideways.

 

Dan

[1970mcss]

The float seemed to travel up and down while out and the float seems fine. I didn't have to paint it as the lens is still green and red. The float travels up but the opticis on the red more than the green. I would hate to take it out and remove some of the red ti add the green paint. Not sure what to do, although I may never drive the car with the wipers on but I would like to have it function properly.

[monte70car]

Here is where I got my fiber optic repair kit http://www.mamotorworks.com/Corvette/product/fiber-optic-light-monitor-repair-kit-602643-1 I used the kit to make a complete line for my washer bottle.

[1970mcss]

Thanks Robert