Rebuilding washer pump...a question about grease

[repoman]

Cleaning the old pump and am wondering if I need to grease any of the parts shown in the pics.  It did not appear that there was any old grease, just some corrosion to clean out.  It seems like the washer fluid may pass thru most of this and mix with the grease, if I apply.  Thank you in advance!

[conkitchen]

I just did this job last week.  I used silicone grease ( the clear stuff) on the shafts and any area that looks like it comes in contact with something.  It won't hurt anything plus it will keep it from seizing again when sitting unused for months/years.  

 

BTW my black rubber seal was badly decayed so i used the center mass of it as a spacer and the perimeter was sealed with RTV.  

 

but what do I know. 

Edited March 6, 2020 by conkitchen

[jimk]

This is a gear pump.  Do not put grease on those gears unless you don't mind grease on your windshield.

[02Les]

What Jimk said. Knowing how small the washer nozzle orifice is, grease will probable get stuck in there and block it, thus making you think the pump's gone south again.

[Mike Self]

Take a look at the upper end of the pump motor; pry that llittle plastic cap off that end, thus revealing the end of the motor's armature.  Put a drop of light machine oil (3 in 1, not WD40) and replace the cap. 

 

BTW that little pump is extraordinarily powerful.  I once saw one that was connected to a mis-adjusted washer nozzle squirt washer fluid all the way over the car, clearing the rear bumper... 

 

mike

[repoman]

Thanks for confirming!  I was about to throw the pump away as it did not appear to work, so I thought, why not just take it apart and see what's going on inside?  The motor was strong and it was just that the plastic "gear" had broken off the shaft.  I plan on using epoxy to glue it back on....

 

I know there are different version of this VDO pump, as I have another one that has a metal "gear" that has rusted away.  I think there was a thread many years ago where someone had repaired theirs.....

 

Next to clean the spray nozzles!!!!  I want to be able to wash my car with this!!

[Mike Self]

15 hours ago, repoman said:

I know there are different version of this VDO pump, as I have another one that has a metal "gear" that has rusted away.  I think there was a thread many years ago where someone had repaired theirs.....

The early pumps had a slot machined into the end of the motor armature with a small piece of steel inserted into the slot so that it would engage with the pump shaft.  The steel would rust and the motor would no longer spin the pump.  I took a little piece of stainless steel cut from an old windshield wiper blade and made a new insert.  That was sometime back in the 1980s, and the pump's still working fine. 

 

mike

[Wilbur25]

I did this a couple of weeks ago on my '72. I found when putting it back together, if you tighten the screws down too much it wont spin.  I had it hooked up to a small power supply so I could adjust the tension of the screws to make sure it worked before installation.