The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 1949 Chevy 1/2 ton Windshield Washer System

I'm working on an original 1949 Chevy 3100 1/2 ton truck restoration and have been trying to figure out what the original windshield washer system looked like. Pictures of washer bottles on Ebay are often slightly different from the accessory manual illustration. Some include a push button to dispense washer fluid but the accessory manual does not reveal any such switch. From the accessory manual it looks like fluid would be dispensed every time the wipers were active. A push button seems more reasonable but I haven't seen any illustrations about how such a switch is integrated into the washer system. Can somebody please explain what options were available for this vehicle so I can make in informed decision?

Are you looking at an accessory installation manual with instructions somewhat like these?

My '51 Chevy 1/2 ton came originally with the same accessory washer unit that tclederman has in his link.

Yes, the Chevrolet Accessory Installation Manual you provided the link for is similar to the one I have. However, mine is for 1949 Passenger Cars and Trucks. The illustrations in the manual do not show a washer push button or a pump on top of the washer jar. In the '49 manual two hoses from the jar are shown - one hose goes to the wiper vacuum motor, (located in the center of the dash). The second hose has a "T" or split so it can be routed to the base of each wiper where special nozzles must be installed. As mentioned, the jar does not have a vacuum pump on top of it like I've seen in some photos or like the one in the '51 accessory manual. So, it seems like in '49, the fluid would pump every time the wipers were turned on. I suspect that having washer fluid pump every time the wipers were engaged was not "acceptable" and that a push button enhancement was added in '50 or '51 for better driver control. If a push button washer was anticipated as an option in '49 I'd also suspect that there would be a knockout plug on the dash for such a button, (kind of like the the "radio delete" insert that's often traded on Ebay. I do not have such a knockout in the dash. However, there are two holes on the under curl of the dash between the ignition switch and the steering column - perhaps these holes are for mounting a push button washer switch? Ideas/comments?

One more observation. The '49 manual says:
1. Washes windshield by twist of the windshield wiper control.
2. Control switch operates with windshield wiper control.

Not sure what the "control switch" is but it seems like my earlier comment about squirting fluid automatically while the wipers were turned on seems likely.

Or, maybe the wiper control switch does more than I think. I admit, I haven't actually looked at it. I just assumed it was a simple vacuum control valve to turn the wipers on or off.

I have an NOS unit and if my memory serves me, it is foot activated. They have a rubber covered floor pedal and the rest of the unit is under the hood. It's put away in boxes, otherwise I would take a picture of it. I do remember it was marked for a truck. I am pretty sure that the washer and wipers work separately and I do not remember any other button or switch with the unit.

It looks like the truck windshield washer was "Push-button start; atutomatic operation and shut off." from 1947-1950.

From 1951-1953, the washer was foot-activated (a button, as shown in the 1951 Accessory Installation Manual, linked above).

In 1954/55, there was a foot-activated lever that not only activated the washer, but there was also a cable from the foot-level that turned on the windshield wipers. That is why the 1954/55 windshield-wiper motor is a different part number from earlier years.