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What is one item you miss the most when you climb out of your current car and into your 40 or 50-year-old car? Windshield washers! If you don't drive your car much, this may not be of too much concern, but if you are like us and like to drive your classic anywhere, anytime, any distance, and in all types of weather, then this washer kit is just for you.
Very few original 1955-64 cars had washers. All reproduction windshield wiper escutcheons for the 1955-57 cars have the washer nozzles already installed, so it is very easy to install a windshield washer system. On the 1959-72 cars, there were small squirter tubes mounted to the cowl grille that sprayed the washer fluid onto the windshield. These washer tubes are not reproduced, but can be found in the junkyard (from most any year-make car) without much trouble.
Time Frame: 2 Hours
Image 1: If your '55-57 was equipped with factory windshield washers, the washer nozzles were installed on the wiper escutcheons. All of the reproduction '55-'57 wiper escutcheons already have the washer nozzles installed.
Image 2: On 1955-56 cars, the wiper escutcheons will need to be removed to connect the washer fluid hoses. To remove the escutcheons, the spanner nut will need to be unscrewed. Use the spanner nut tool PIN 57-137029-1 to remove the nut and wiper escutcheon. The escutcheons do not have to be removed on 1957 cars.
Image 3: If the car (55-56) had factory windshield washers, the washer hoses from the would have been run through the front of the cowl just in front of the cowl grille. Our car has such a nice firewall we couldn't bring ourselves to drill two 9/16" holes for the hoses. We chose to drill one 5/16" hole on the front of the cowl vent grille to hide the hose behind the cowl seal.
Image 4: Feed the larger 1/4" hose from the windshield washer kit into the new hole in the vent grille. This hose will connect to a tee that will supply washer fluid to the left and right washer nozzles on the escutcheons.
Image 5: Feed the smaller 3/16" hose from the washer kit across the cowl vent (under the dash on 1957 cars) from one escutcheon opening to the other. The back of the escutcheon has a tube that the washer fluid hose connects to. Once the hose is connected to the side escutcheon, the escutcheon and wiper arm can be installed back to the cowl.
Image 6: On the driver's side of the car, use the tee supplied with the washer kit and connect the 3/16" hose from the driver's and side escutcheons to the larger 1/4" hose that will connect to the washer.
Image 7: With all the hoses connected on the driver's side, install the wiper escutcheon and arm. We have run the 1/4" hose for the washer fluid behind the cowl seal and up under the fender mounting bracket.
Image 8: The washer is built into the washer bottle. There is a (+) terminal and a negative (-) terminal. The washer bottle has a metal mounting bracket that can be mounted anywhere in the engine compartment. We chose to mount the washer on the driver's side inner fender behind the radiator filler.
Image 9: Using the supplied black wire, connect the female spade to the negative terminal on the washer and the other end to a good body ground.
Image 10: Next, connect the supplied brown wire to the terminal on the washer. The other end of the brown wire will connect to the switch that turns on the washer.
Image 11: Now connect the 1/4" hose from the washer nozzles to the washer. We used a couple of zip ties to hold the wires and hose in place.
Image 12: Our car already had the Raingear wiper system installed, so all we had to do was connect the brown wire from the washer to the brown wire on the Raingear wiper switch. To activate the windshield washers, all you have to do is press the wiper switch button.
Image 13: If your car has the stock wipers, a momentary button switch PN 57-172001-1 will need to be installed to activate the washer. This switch can be installed anywhere on the dash. There are two wires on the button switch. One wire connects to the brown wire from the washer, and the other wire will need to be connected to an ignition-on fused 12-volt source.
Image 14: Fill the washer bottle with washer fluid and with everything wired, turn the key and the wipers on. Now press the washer button and watch the water or washer fluid spray on your windshield!