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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Windscreen washers questions

Bought a new Lucas washer pump , can't see any + or - marking on spades , if I get it wrong will it run backwards ? It shows in and out for the water.
Also what size tubing do I need 3 or 4 mm looks like 4
Mike Fairclough

Yes it's a DC motor. If the polarity is wrong it will run backwards. You should be able to figure it out by experiment.
Take the pump to the motor factor and get the hose that fits best. 4mm sounds more likely to me too, but Lucas is probably imperial not metric.
Standard aquarium hose will very likely be okay so a pet shop might sort it out very cheaply.
Greybeard

Modern day auto rubber vacume hoses is what i used ...so far so good but i dont put much washer fluid thur them.. if does better to just hand wash when needed at the gas store

You may ned to make sure the pump is lower then the fluid for it to pump... the after market pump ive got was that way

Prop
Prop and the

Mike, you may want to fit a non return valve between the pump outlet and the jet/nozzle as this will save the waiting for the water too arrive when you press the switch !
P Bentley

Thanks for the responses, like the idea of a non return valve
Mike Fairclough

The non-return is a good idea as PB says. I think the pump is supposed to have one built in, but it doesn't seem very effective.

If you use aquarium air hose you can get a push fit non-return at the same time for pennies. It's intended to prevent your fish tank air pump flooding and shorting out if the pump stops. I found out the expensive way when I had to buy two pumps in quick succession.

I have aquarium hose in my car. I bought 5 metres and a valve for less than £3 from a local pet shop and I use the same stuff for brake bleeding.
Greybeard

Shirley Aquatics have a good selection of pipes and hoses.
Dave O'Neill 2

So I got some pipe, fitted the pump , and put some volts throug it and nothing apart from a clunk and it and the wires get hot . Another quality new " Lucas " part !
Mike Fairclough

Make sure the pump is below the level of the window washer fluid

Also ... recall the wiring was odd on mine and was not compatiable with the lucas system and i ran a new switch and wire from a differant power source.....i just remembered that

And you may have to prime it 1st


If the only issue you have is the washer pump
.. wait 2 weeks it will get worse....haha

Prop
Prop and the

Mike, I had this years ago with a midget 1500. The impeller is only rubber running in a rubber chamber and they don't like running dry. Try priming it first by sucking fluid through from the pump outlet or a squirt of WD40 up the inlet might work.

Rob
MG Moneypit

Cheers Rob I did as you said and did get it running, but any bubble of air and it stops dead . Doesn't help
that new washer bottle sucks air in so I have had to replace the tube from the foot filter to the cap , more crappy repro parts
Mike Fairclough

Twice before I've found that if washer fluid (perhaps washing-up liquid?) is left in the bottle unused too long it can release what I can only describe as a snot-like substance that tends to block the return valve, tubes, jets and possibly pump.

I've found it very difficult to clean out fully so replaced all but the pump and then the washers worked properly.
Nigel Atkins

The solution was to spend 1/2 hour going through my boxes of stuff and found an old one on the right probably not run for 25 years plumbed in and works great . Seems old is best


Mike Fairclough

"Seems old is best "


Can't argue with that.
Dave O'Neill 2

Thats why i hate to throw away old parts do to just wear

you just never know

Prop
Prop and the

I wrongly thought it was the old pump you were having trouble with not the new as well.

Have a look at the box to see if there's a date code for the new Lucas pump as it may be of the non-vintage years rather than very recent years.

Also NOS (new old stock) doesn't always come from the years when the stock was made well, I've had a few misses with NOS, and a few successes.
Nigel Atkins

Thanks for all your help , washers now working with an old pump. The new one will be returning to the supplier , now wiper motors I'll start another thread .
Mike Fairclough

This thread was discussed between 08/02/2017 and 12/02/2017

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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