defiant1

I ordered a white washer fluid jar from Fusick for my 70 Cutlass S. I went to mount it and the mounting tabs do not come close to matching the original washer jar mounting holes.

I looked closer at the reproduction and it was actually smaller. Specifically, the base (curved part) was smaller. It hugged the fender at the correct angle but it did not cover as much of the fender like the original washer jar.

I measured the washer jars and took pictures of the measurements and sent to Fusick. They stand behind that the jars are molded after NOS washer jars. He did seem to think that maybe the factory used different washer jars during different manufacturing runs.

Long story short, I am sending back the washer jar for store credit. Anyone else have this problem. Is there a better vendor to use for this item? I am not looking to drill new holes in the fender otherwise I would have used the reproduction.


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Boldsmobile

I bought one too and it doesnt line up. Never mounted it, never brought it back.

Jamesbo

Yep, me too. I would guess it has sum thing to do with the new molds made from origional parts.

Lady72nRob71

The repros shrink when exposed to air.
Maybe when filled with water they will expand.

I have had my fair share of non-fitting repro stuff. Makes me wonder if they used a non-correct part to mold them after.

defiant1

Well, if I am not the only one, then I would say Fusick needs to readdress their quality control. I kept getting the same " The reproduction washer jar was made from an original NOS jar" answer. This may be the case, but obviously nobody is checking the dimensions after the fact.
He did say that if the holes were close to the tabs you could heat the tabs to "bend" them over to the hole. In my case the tabs were 3/4" too short of even coming close.

That is what I am guessing. I just don't want to drill any more holes in the fender. I just need to figure out what vendor I want to try and use next and hopefully don't have the same result.

MN71W30

Dang,
I just ordered a 71 washer container for a 71 442 yesterday from Fusicks. I'll be sure to see if it fits.
Thanks for the heads up.

Bluevista

Fusick will just keep sending them out, somebody has to pay for the mistake, bend the tabs?
They know.

I'll have to dig through receipts to see where I got my bottle but it fits perfect on my '71, got it a couple of years ago. It could have been the Parts Place, they make and wholesale a lot of repo stuff, hope they all aren't like that now?

defiant1

I will give PartsPlace a try. If you find out otherwise let me know. Thank you sir.

Lady72nRob71

Ask them to measure the bolt hole pattern. If wrong, don't buy.
Lots of the stuff Fusick sells is from the Parts place. Their name is often printed or molded into the part. Personally I find it as a warning sign, meaning "most likely wont fit, but it IS correct!"
Most repro parts I buy come with an undocumented disclaimer "modify to fit".

Cameo White

I've got a white one I bought somewhere in the 80's for the 69 442 I had at the time. I think I got it from Carolina Cadillacs or some such. I don't remember if it was GM or repro at the time, but I can dig it out and do some measuring on it if you post pics of what you need. It was never mounted and is for sale if it is what you need.

defiant1

Here are the pictures. I guess the key measurement is from the tip of the "triangle" to the base of the "triangle". If yours is basically the same dimensions let me know.

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we jeep inn

I have a Fusick one that still sitting on the shelf in the shop. I checked it today and it's WRONG just like the others here. Don't really care to punch any more holes and pretty sure my return window has expired (plus it would cost me as much to send it back as the thing is worth, Hmmmmm probably part of their business plan......)

hamm36

I know this might seem strange coming from me.
But I put it on my car. I heated the tabs and bent them to fit. I used the top hole for the top tab. I made new holes for the other to as close to the originals holes as possible. I also, pre-drilled the tabs so they would not split when tightening up the bolts. Later I will use one of the factor large finder washers to put on the bolts to cover the other holes. I too, got this one two yrs ago from an unnamed source, and just put it on last weekend.

MN71W30

I got mine to fit by drilling the holes as far out to the edge as possible.

defiant1

I am glad you got yours to work. I will be sending mine back today.

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Cameo White

Mine clearly isn't correct. It doesn't even have tabs
It looks like it was meant to slide into some kind of holder. It is marked 3 pints/2pints/1pint down the front.
No wonder I didn't use it back then.
I am glad this thread forced me to dig it out, though. It does have one of those "windshield washer fluid only" caps on it, and about a foot of hose in the jar with an inlet screen on it.

defiant1

Thanks for looking.

defiant1

I ordered another one from Oldsparts.com (BAP). I called and talked to them and of course they assured me they never had any complaints about their washer jars.

Well I got it finally and went to install it. Lined up the tabs and 2 out of the 3 lined up. I had to heat the tabs to get them to conform to the fender and reach the holes better. For the 3rd tab, I took a cable clamp (U-bolt) and cut off a piece to make into a "J" shape. I drilled a hole in the 3rd tab and place the hook of the "J" (the J is upside down at this point) in the tab and fed the longer end through the original mounting hole. I used fender washers on both sides and tightened it up with a lock washer and nut.

It is very solid and like others have mentioned it is very hard to find reproduction parts you don't have to modify somehow.

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silverriff

I got that same jar from Fusick for my 72 Cutlass and it fit fine. I just used one of the provided screws to screw one of the tabs down, and then used the other 2 to pull the tabs into place. Didn't have to predrill the tabs either, just went right it. I can understand if some people don't think it's a "perfect" fit, but after 10 minutes mine was in there perfectly. Just my opinion!

71 Cutlass

Just got my washer jar from Fusick 2 weeks ago. The holes did not line up with those on my wheel well. Simply had to return it as it was impossible to make it fit, and I was not about to drill more holes in my wheel well to accomadate this piece. I had read posts on this site where people had the same problem and also returned the part. Too bad I had already ordered the part.

ddd777

Not to beat a dead horse, but mine also did not fit.

It is the right sized object, but the concave shape on bottom is just not deep enough.

In one of my attached images you can see that the tab does not reach the existing hole, and in the other the smudge where it rubs up against the wheel well in the triangular area.

Though I wish it would have fit, the good folks at Fusick took it back, no questions asked. I think they know it is a semi-dud.

ELY442

Oh damn. I just bought mine from Fusick last Sunday. I'll check it out tomorrow morning.

ddd777

maybe they will send you mine ;-)

perhaps i should have hidden a secret note in it for you...

but seriously, hopefully you will be one for whom it fits perfectly

ELY442

Are you kidding me? With the luck I'm having this week, mine will fit but when i'll add washer fluid, it'll melt on me.

Lady72nRob71

That is sad, how repro parts almost always have fit / functional issues, and are never fixed. Incentive to keep my bottle in good shape!

Octania

1) plastic shrinks when it cools. Any competent injection molder knows this, knows how much larger the mold must be than the desired final part. A lot of the molding process is art as opposed to science also. Process control. We make a 4 ft long plastic item, the mold is about AN INCH longer than the final cooled part.

2) I realize that parts "should" fit right, but we all know they often DON'T. So, why not just make 2 little stainless steel tabs that go from the hole you have in the fender liner over to where the other hole is? This ain't a show car, right? If it is, then have a few drinks and buy the NOS one and kwitcherbitchin. It's only money.

Bernhard

Good to know thanks for posting.

texxas

I bought one from Fusick for my 67 Cutlass, it fit perfectly.

64Custom

I've ordered repro parts from USA Parts Supply, and have had good luck with them.

frankr442

Don't feel TOO bad. I've got an NOS jar and I left the lowest tab un-screwed because it didn't line up.