The washer nozzles on my '94 Ford Escort are loose, so they don’t always spray where they should. It looks like the clips that hold them in place are broken. Everyplace I’ve looked says the part is discontinued.
I’m considering using a little silicone sealant to hold them in place. My thought is that would be better than glue because the sealant can be cut away if needed. The stuff is rated to 400 degrees F, which should be more than enough.
But I know enough to know that there are things I don’t know , and wanted to see if any of you more knowledgeable folks have a reason this is a bad idea, or any alternatives short of just not using the washer.
Thanks!
I don’t know where they are attached, on the hood, on the cowl, on the wipers etc. if you can’t just figure out new replacement clips from what is available, try a u pull lot fir new ones. Or buy new nozzles from a model that is available. They just plug in to a rubber hose. Also there is at least one small parts company that sells all kinds of hard to find plastic and other parts. Google is your friend or at least a picture of what you have.
I had that problem on my Corolla a few years ago, and nearly had a heart attack when the dealership parts store told me how much a replacement nozzle costs … lol… I think it was on the order of $65! I got the sense the counter-person knew this was going to be a no-sale situation before checking their inventory, probably had gone through the same conversation with other customers. Hard to find someone willing to pay $65 for a plastic 50-cent-looking WW nozzle.
A couple more ideas
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take an old nozzle/clip to an auto parts store. They might be able to find a similar generic part that might not fit exactly, but could be shaped to fit, using a file, dremmel tool, etc.
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fix the broken nozzle/clip by gluing it back together. I used this method for my Corolla when the plastic nozzle broke when I was trying to disconnect the tubing. Deciding glue is worth a try to avoid the $65 + tax fee above. I think I tried using CA (super-glue) but that didn’t work so I ended up using JB Weld Original. I had to figure out a way to clamp the pieces together after gluing, b/c JB Weld takes 24 hours to cure. Been working fine since.
Mine are mounted in the hood and when the paint less guys did some hail damage must have broken them off. But yeah two plastic nozzles were something like $36.
Any of these fit?
Amazon.com
But, but, but, glue? What kind of glue? Interesting that new parts are probably cheaper than the glue.
Hard to tell. None of them look quite right. Also, when I see multiple non-name vendors with the same image I suspect cheap knockoff parts.
The clips are gone, so this isn’t an option. Taking the nozzles to a parts store might be worth a try, though after looking at online part stores I’m not hopeful.
Cheaper than buying glue? Maybe. Cheaper than the silicone sealant I already have? Nope.
Unfortunately that’s what you’ll have to deal with on an old car, buy the most likely ones and see if they work.