Windshield washer problem

[Tom]

My freightliner ww reservoir holds less than a gallon and is a pita to fill, under the bunk.
I procured a 2 1/2 gallon square bucket figuring on putting the pump in the lid with drop tube. Turns out the pump won't lift, it has to be near the bottom. I rigged a bulkhead fitting and an elbow and it worked for a while. Now, it leaks at the bulkhead fitting and I can't seal it.
Now my question. Is there such a thing as a 12v pump that would lift 10 inches? I'm thinking that if the pump were too stout, it might blow the line if the jets clogged with ice.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

Most windshield washer pumps are designed to be near the bottom of the tank to avoid having to lift fluid or prime the pump.

A submersible 12-volt pump might be the solution. It is always easier to push liquid than to pull it.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

The next best option may be to correct your bulkhead fitting problem so that it doesn't leak. A small threaded pipe that passes completely through the wall of the container and closely fits the hole in the container. Add two nuts (one on each side of the wall), two metal washers and two rubber washers to make that leak proof. Fit a hose barb to the outside of that threaded nipple and connect that fitting to a pump.
Then just a simple, aftermarket 12-volt universal washer pump mounted lower than the tank.

 

[Snakeoil]

As a general rule, pumps do a poor job of sucking and a great job of blowing unless the pump is specifically designed to suck. So, I think P&P has the right solution and was going to suggest the same. I would put the suction line on the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket so that you have a nice flat surface and then seal it. You could used a brass barbed fitting so that you can make a good seal. Then attach the suction line to the barbed fitting.

Now I have another suggestion. Can you not run a fill line from the OEM contain to a place that is easy to access? Punch a hole in the top of the container and run a hose with a tight fit thru it. Run the hose up to a spot that you can easily get to and pour into and mount it and cap it.

 

[Ian]

Dorman HD Solutions has a variety of reservoirs and pumps, cheap too. The one for Kenworth trucks is pretty universal and we used to keep them in stock at the truck shop but I forget how much it holds. Something else I forget is what the minimum level is to pass a inter-state DOT inspection. 50% I think.

To make it work with your bucket, just drill a hole the correct size for and install the grommet from the OEM tank, then fabricobble a bracket to hold the pump in place. The pumps have to be gravity-fed.

We had a guy running gyp from the mine to the plant across 80 miles of highway and he couldn't keep his windshield clean all day on a fill. He rigged a two-gallon pump-up sprayer in the passenger seat and ran a tube through the firewall and through a hole in the lid of his reservoir so he could keep filling it from inside the cab.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

fabricobble

I am so stealing that word !

 

[Tom]

Most windshield washer pumps are designed to be near the bottom of the tank to avoid having to lift fluid or prime the pump.

A submersible 12-volt pump might be the solution. It is always easier to push liquid than to pull it.

Discussing the submersible pump idea with a friend Friday morning. He handed me a bilge pump but said it probably wouldn't build enough pressure.

 

[Tom]

Dorman HD Solutions has a variety of reservoirs and pumps, cheap too. The one for Kenworth trucks is pretty universal and we used to keep them in stock at the truck shop but I forget how much it holds. Something else I forget is what the minimum level is to pass a inter-state DOT inspection. 50% I think.

To make it work with your bucket, just drill a hole the correct size for and install the grommet from the OEM tank, then fabricobble a bracket to hold the pump in place. The pumps have to be gravity-fed.

We had a guy running gyp from the mine to the plant across 80 miles of highway and he couldn't keep his windshield clean all day on a fill. He rigged a two-gallon pump-up sprayer in the passenger seat and ran a tube through the firewall and through a hole in the lid of his reservoir so he could keep filling it from inside the cab.

Boy oh boy, Dorman has a bunch of them! Too bad they don't give the capacity of them.
Ian, I think I got hung up on keeping the pump vertical. Your solution sounds like the best one. I could use long zip ties to hold the pump in place pretty easily. The only fabricobbling I'd have to do is a protective fence to keep other things from hitting the pump.
Thanks to all for the ideas!

 

[fiver]

jus sayin the weed sprayer works, your hand gets cold, but the window is clean.

 

[Missionary]

During our Connecticut trip our WW pump was purring but nothing was flowing. Pulled all the lines and all clear.
Removed the right front wheel and dropped the fender plastic and the tank was full. Pulled the hose off the outlet tube and the pump was purrring and no juice. Pulled the tank and the bottom was covered with a black "pond scum". Car was used in Florida for all it's life and somehow the tank got contaminated with that black ooze that is everywhere in ponds, and swamps.
Flushed out the tank and pump. Replaced the tank, filled with new Bug Juice and motored along our way.
Never saw such a nasty black slime before in a WW tank.