by Tod Brown
in the May 2007 RootesReview:
The original windshield washer setup on our cars requires that you manually push a pump mechanism to get washer fluid onto the screen. However, as I got older and lazier, I thought that there must be a better way, so I switched over to an electric pump to accomplish the task. One can easily find such pumps at any parts store for around $10 – $15. The main issue is how to incorporate a switch into the car to activate the pump without it looking like a hack job.
Stu Brennan has published his solution on the Tigers United web site using the original pump mechanism to retain the stock look. I was not as concerned with the stock appearance, so I took a different approach using a push button switch I found, which fits very nicely in the hole in the dash previously occupied by the stock mechanism.
The switch I found in a local parts store is made by Calterm of Milwaukee, WI (hecho en China) and carries part no. 40184. The switch is of the momentary contact type so the electric pump operates only when the button is pushed (duh!). Works great and only a Sunbeam enthusiast would recognize it as not being stock.