monte70car Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 So I'm trying to restore my fiber optic windshield washer system. Over time someone had cut the optic line that runs from the jug to the inside of the car does anyone know where I might be able to find the bulb that goes in it that has the wiring ground and a hot lead? I did find a repair kit for the fiber optic line in a corrvette book mamotorworks.com part number 602-643 its a 2' repair kit so I order 10 kits(so I will end up with alot of extra cable) Also is there any good way to clean the plastic jug as you can tell in the picture mine has over spray on it from painting in the garage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CKZ03 Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 Try some laquer thinner or acetone, auto paints normally don't adhere so well to this type of plastic, so it should come off. Test a small area first on bottom of jug to make sure it doesn't damage the plastic, it shouldn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LS5 Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 Mr King........ the bulb... isnt it just a 194 just like in the dash that goes in the holder there on top of the jug.. its in the picture there correct thats the one in question..??? and have you tried engine shampoo or disc brake cleaner and a firm toothbrush to get all that off maybe .?? Darren. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LS5 Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 Sorry Robert, I read it all again and slower this time... if i understand right you are looking for a bulb in the simular plastic rubber housing that the bulb sits in now that has a ground wire and a feed wire too .??? the Fasten the seat belts light in later half 71's and all 72's use that exact set up with the same twist lick style housing and 194 bulb with ground and feed wire there.. I believe one is pink and the other grey maybe ??? is that what your after.??? Darren. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monte70car Posted December 23, 2012 Author Share Posted December 23, 2012 Darren that is what I'm looking. I was looking at the side marker socket that came with my wiring kit and though that was the right socket. I did find my jug and got it mounted on the fender tried to use my new windshield fluid cap on the jug but it is to lose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Brichta Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Hey Robert, Â If you are still looking for some help let me know what questions you have. I have done a couple of these myself and may have some tips for you. For example: Â - I found a guy on the internet that will make you a new fiber optic line to whatever length you need. It is a single strand wire and therefore it will be brighter than the original. I think the last one cost around $20. - The plastic jugs are kind of hard to get looking clean again. Since the only difference between a normal washer jug and the fiber optic one is the hole in the top I usually just order a new one and drill a hole in the top for the float tube. - I can tell you where to wire the live and ground wires into the windshield wiper motor so it will work correctly. - I replaced the original bulb with an LED bulb which shines much brighter and does not get as hot in the socket as the original bulb. Â Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monte70car Posted December 23, 2012 Author Share Posted December 23, 2012 I do have a brand new jug I could use, does the float tube just pull out of is it screwed in? I didn't want to try and pull it out and break it. As for the line I got some 2' sections coming which I'm going to put together. So the power wire for the light goes to the wiper? If so which wiper plug does it use and I'll just run a wire to the jug area while I'm doing the harness. I know my original setup I had the power wire going to the horn rely light was on all the time. I know the ground wire clips on to the fender for the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overdrive Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 The light is only powered when the wiper motor is running. The factory installed ones splice to the wiper motor 12v+, in front of the firewall, just before the wire reaches the motor. The factory, believe it or not, used these for the splice:  solderless splice  Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Brichta Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 Hey Robert, Â The float just pulls out of the jug. It may not come out easily but it does not screw in. The float mechanism is the hardest part to find in working order so try not to damage it trying to remove it. Â Also, both wires from the float light run along the inner fender (along with the fiber optic wire) towards the firewall. Obviously the fiber optic wire goes through the firewall to the indicator inside, but the two bulb leads both go to the wiper motor since it only lights when the wiper switch is on just like Dan mentioned above. There should have been a special "jumper" connector on the end of the two bulb leads but it sounds like maybe yours is missing. The jumper would allow you to just plug into the already existing wiper motor plug but you can still connect them in if you don't have it. Is your missing? Â Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monte70car Posted December 24, 2012 Author Share Posted December 24, 2012 Mike I'm rewiring the whole car so I can run both needed wires up to the wiper motor. The system came off another 70 Monte back in the 90's. I know it worked when I original had it install on the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overdrive Posted December 25, 2012 Share Posted December 25, 2012 Quote: I know the ground wire clips on to the fender for the ground. That's right. On mine, and it's original to the car, the ground wire is short and it has a clip that just slips over the inner edge of the fender, right next to the jug. It doesn't go near the wiper motor. No need to. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monte70car Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 Well here is fiber optic windshield washer set up I used a left over side marker light from the new harness kit and ran the power wire up to the wiper motor for power I did test it with my power probe and the light comes on when the wiper motor is running. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve G Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 this is new to me...... what is a fiber optic windshield washer? what does it do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monte70car Posted January 1, 2013 Author Share Posted January 1, 2013 Steve the way it works or my understanding of the system is it tells you when the washer fluid is low by shinning a different color light to the inside display. The light only comes on when the wiper motor is running. From my understanding this is a rare item and only found on the 70 Monte's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve G Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 so cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overdrive Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 The light bulb on top of the jug is lit any time the wipers are on. The fiber goes from the light and float assembly to a low washer fluid display that's mounted under the dash, next to the emergency brake release handle. When the level is good, the float sits high enough in the reservoir to block the light from shining through the fiber. When it's low, the fiber carries the light to a red lense on the display. Â Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CKZ03 Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 If you look real close at this pic (zoom in) you should be able to see (except there is a cobweb patially blocking the red lens) that on the top of the float there are actually two lenses, a red and a green. When the solvent is full the light shines through the green lens, when the level gets low the float drops then the light shines through the red lens (transfered to the interior via fiber optic line to monitor which appears to have a glass marble embedded in a plactic housing. Green your good, Red your low. Pretty cool set up for 70, high tech but yet so simple. Â Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam (Bones) Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 that is pretty high tech for 1970 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monte70car Posted January 1, 2013 Author Share Posted January 1, 2013 I did not know about the lenses mine is missing those Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CKZ03 Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 THATS NOT GOOD! They are built into and right on top of float, almost seem to be made of glass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overdrive Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 Â I haven't put any fluid in mine or done any work on it, so I didn't realize it would show green also. Thanks for the correction. That's good to know. Â Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr70Monte Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 As said before, when the fluid is low, the float drops & the red part of the float is placed between the light & the fiber optic cable, when the fluid is high enough, the float is raised & the green part is between the bulb & fiber optic cable. The float internal piece is plastic, it is very fragile & will break easily, the top part that changes the color from green to red is plastic also, its just tinted enough to change the color.  Here are a few pics I just took of an extra float assembly I have. Years ago, I was lucky enough to find a NOS one at Super Chevy Indy, for the amazing prize of $5.  http://carphotos.cardomain.com/images/0016/83/21/16063812_large.jpg  http://carphotos4.cardomain.com/images/0016/83/41/16063814_large.jpg  http://carphotos.cardomain.com/images/0016/83/51/16063815_large.jpg  http://carphotos.cardomain.com/images/0016/83/61/16063816_large.jpg  http://carphotos.cardomain.com/images/0016/83/91/16063819_large.jpg   Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CKZ03 Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Well I think we know someone here that would be interested in buying that one  Thanks for the close up pic, nice to see the "high tech" inner workings of this. Can you tell what the lenses are made off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr70Monte Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 if your referring to the lens at the top of the float, it just plastic, I redid mine, repainted it with a translucent paint I found at a craft store. You will also notice the repair I had to do in the middle of the float itself, heat shrink tubing worked fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monte70car Posted January 6, 2013 Author Share Posted January 6, 2013 I got some of the fiber optic repair kit in today. I got two of the 2' section put together and tested it with a flash light and it gives a nice bright light out the other end. Now I just need to figure out how to keep a tight seal at the washer bottle and in the display. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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