windsheild washer switch??

[63-4drpost]

Hi, dumb question again. I bought a 1960 t-bird hardtop last summer. I am restoring it, installed a 430 I overhauled, and a cruise-o-matic I rebuilt. works great, very smooth and powerfull as I remamber them. It has a toggle type switch mounted on the left side of the dash, under the windsheild dog-leg. Is it for the washers?? thanks,Henry

[Guest]

Hi, dumb question again. I bought a 1960 t-bird hardtop last summer. I am restoring it, installed a 430 I overhauled, and a cruise-o-matic I rebuilt. works great, very smooth and powerfull as I remamber them. It has a toggle type switch mounted on the left side of the dash, under the windsheild dog-leg. Is it for the washers?? thanks,Henry

Hey Henry,
There is no dumb question! The only dumb question is one that is not asked.
This switch is the washer switch. It was ran off of a mickey mouse set up that ran off the belts of the car. It was mounted on the generator on the 352 and I think the other side of the block on the 430. It had a pulley that rode on the belt, when you push the switch it completed the vacuum, squirting water on the windshield. These pumps were problems from the start. Very few Squarebird owners still have these that work.
Most will install a electric washer pump motor with a auxiliary switch mount somewhere on the dash. Or some have installed a electric wiper motor and changed the switch out to one that will squirt water also!!!
Richard D. Hord

[Dutchbird]

Hi Henry,

I repeat Richard there are no dumb questions.
He answered your question, we had this on the Forum before also, just click on:

http://www.squarebirds.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=6232&highlight=washer+switch

[JohnG]

If you are trying to get it to work as part of the stock system, check it for leaks.

I had about 5 of these on the workbench once and all but one leaked air. Since you have little vacuum to spare in the system anyway, you really can't afford to be leaking additional out the switch.

With careful application of silicon sealer, I was able to make a couple of the others leak-free while still retaining their functionality.

[Anders]

For quite some time, I thought I was a proud owner of a functional vacum switch. It sat on the right place, have the right bezel but by some reason, not a correct knob, as mine was a round one and not the diamond shaped original. Well, well, I thought; I buy a new one on Ebay. Did so, and got it home.
When I then took the one in the car down to change it, i discovered that mine is electric....
Well. It does work, and I will not change it at this moment anyway. Just need to find out a clever to see if I can swop the knobs....

[JohnG]

so do you have an electric pump tucked away somewhere to spray juice on the windshield??