Washer reservoir relocation

[dustboy]

Just thought I'd post up some quick pics of my washer reservoir relocation. The original, which sits behind the passenger bumper, had to be removed to make room for rocks..The bumper I fabricated has very high clearance in front of the wheels, and the reservoir was exposed. In this picture you can see how far it hangs down, and it got in the way of the sheetmetal that now covers this area.

So I replaced it with some 2" black ABS drain pipe. It consists of one vertical piece at 18.75", one horizontal at 17.5", an elbow and two end caps. You can see where I attached the pump. It was simple, I just drilled a 3/4" hole for the pump to be inserted. The rubber gasket makes a nice tight fit without any caulk. The ABS fittings are glued together with the standard adhesive (but not the top cap, you have to get that one off to fill it!!)

To the left of the radiator hose you can see the top cap where you can fill it. I made a 1/32" breather hole in the cap.

The pipe goes down the side of the fan shroud, then horizontally under the fan. There is a perfect space for it there. I held the whole thing on with 3/4" velcro tape, and strapped the pump to the ABS pipe so it can't fall out of the hole. In the pic you can see the pipe running next to the back side of the radiator, and the clear vinyl hose that extends from the pump to the original hose.

 

[laxtoy]

man, i like that! i have been scratching my head about what to do, and didn't want to move anything into the engine bay.

 

[TangoBlue]

Very ingenious! Aren't you re-gearing soon Dustboy?

 

[CYi5]

It even matches the black airbox...clean!

 

[dustboy]

Very ingenious! Aren't you re-gearing soon Dustboy?

Yep, truck went into Mudrak's Custom Cruiser yesterday. Can't wait to pick it up.

 

[ryguy]

Very smart, nice job.

 

[Bains98]

nice...my truck dont have one anymore..I just carry a jug of water around incase my windshield gets muddy

 

[corax]

added bonus = radiator preheats the washer fluid for extra cleaning ability
(some high end vehicles do this with electric heating elements)

 

[dustboy]

added bonus = radiator preheats the washer fluid for extra cleaning ability
(some high end vehicles do this with electric heating elements)

and thaws it when frozen..hadn't thought of that!

 

[obscurotron]

I wonder if that will negatively impact pump life, though.

and thaws it when frozen..hadn't thought of that!

 

[SirCampalot]

added bonus = radiator preheats the washer fluid for extra cleaning ability
(some high end vehicles do this with electric heating elements)

Great point!

That's some great work Dustboy! How much fluid does it hold?

 

[Desert Taco]

Probably not much of a concern in Oakland, but in colder climates couldn't this possibly crack a very cold windshield when its hit with some very hot washer fluid?

 

[corax]

I don't think the washer fluid would hit the windshield that hot - it'll lose a bunch of heat between the nozzle and the windshield. Besides, it only has casual contact with the radiator - it will probably never get as hot as the coolant itself (another way to heat the washer fluid would be to put a few wraps of washer hose around the upper radiator or heater core hose)

The one concern with it being constantly warm/heated like that is evaporation and possible sediment/deposits left behind - just make sure it doesn't run dry

 

[fatrat]

That is awesome! I am going to do that exact setup this weekend!

Thanks for sharing!

 

[dustboy]

I think corax is right, the washer fluid is not going to be that hot when it comes out. Also, when you first set this up you should pull the hoses off the nozzles and run a full tank of water through the system. Any burrs or gunk from the assembly will clog those pinholes. (they are easily unclogged by pulling off the hose and blowing compressed air into the pinhole)

One thing I did learn, and I should know better, is if your ABS glue is chunky, throw it away and get some fresh stuff. I have a very slow leak on the endcap that I can't seem to stop.