The mystery of the Grady Wiper wash... (265 express)

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philthefish

Member
Hi folks,

I've been slowly rebuilding this 265 grady I bought cheap on ebay. (2000 twin 200 hpdi's, yikes) I'm now working my way through some of the systems and I have come across, surprise surprise, a broken wiper motor. The motor seems to be the standard AFI 3 lead heavy duty type you can buy at Wast Marine for 180 bucks. Ok, no big deal. However, here's the mystery.

There is a fresh-water hose connected to the wiper that runs all the way to the fresh water tank. The hose that comes out of the hull and connects to the wiper blade has rotted, and if the water pump is on, water shoots a good 10 feet in the air. No viagra needed.

The 265 express has a wiper switch (on/off) as well as a POT dial that appears to control the interval. I cannot for the life of me determine what regulates the flow of water out of the wiper wash hose. When water pump is on, that thing is pressurized. The wiper itself appears to have no mechanism to regulate the flow (i.e. a wash button) as far as I can tell. Now, this thing has never worked. I've got the hose capped off now and I could go ahead and replace the motor, but I'd just like to understand the whole assembly before doing so. What controls the flow of the wash solution (fresh water) out of the wiper through the blade?

Thanks for any tips. I can post pics if necessary of the controls.

Thanks and Regards,

Phil (Team Reel Unnecessary, Navarre, FL)

P.S. Other random bits needed... 1) If anyone knows how to get the cockpit bolsters off, I'm all ears. 2) Any common troubleshooting to be done of the head pumpout sensor and switch in the bathroom? That thing reads no level and does not run the pump.
 
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Desperado

Well-Known Member
My Sailfish has a knob on the lower right hand side that opens and closes a valve to regulate the windshield washer flow. Check the fresh watrer diagram for your boat in the owners manual. if you do not have the manual it can be downloaded from the Grady White website.
 
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Enough Already

Well-Known Member
The round white knob by your kneecap is the flow regulator. There is no wiper delay function that I am aware of. To remove the cockpit bolsters, you need to find the secret hidden screws that are usually driven in from the bottom outside edge, typically through the cushion drain grommets along the bottom edge. You basically stick a Phillips head through the grommet and feel around for the screw head. You can check up inside the gunnel to see where the screws come through to the other side to ensure you got them all. Once the screws are out, pull straight up on the bolsters and they should come right off. There are friction clips that slip in to holes on the gunnel side which should release pretty easily. The bolster on the folding transom should pop right off - mine has no screws locking that one in. Regarding the head - could be multiple issues but ensure the 20A fuse is good first. You get to that one through the small access port, eye level just inside the cabin door. Put a new fuse in and see if that works. If the fuse blows again immediately when you press the button, welcome to the "I hate in-tank Groco macerator pumps" club. Likely the in-tank pump is either frozen up solid or needs a little help to free it up. Regardless, the exceedingly fun (not) job of removing the pump needs to take place. The pump is under the access plate inside the storage compartment starboard side of helm. You might want to go to a pump-out station first and pumpout, fill with water, pumpout a few times to clear the tank out. You need to remove two hoses, two tiny screws holding down the wires, and 10 nuts and washers that hold the pump in place on top of the tank - it helps to be a contortionist. If necessary to move, be exceedingly careful disconnecting the other wire that runs to the tank gauge and pump-out switch. If you screw that up like I did and break it, you won't get the tank reading on the switch - however, the pump-out function will still work. After everything is disconnected, pull the nasty pump straight up and out. Decide whether it is worth saving. You can try unfreezing the pump by putting a wrench on the bottom nut below the macerator blade and working it back and forth. Give it 12 volts and see if it worked. If you free it up, you can re-assemble the whole mess and you might get a few more months out of the thing. Some guys have come up with an external pump setup - do a search on the forum for ideas on that. Let us know if you have any more questions and best of luck . . .
 
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philthefish

Member
Hi guys,

Desperado, thanks for that tidbit. That knob never felt electrical, but mechanical... Now I know what it does! As the for the 265 manual, I've downloaded it... It doesn't have anything about the wiper other than 'the switch controls the wipers'. Ugh.

Enough Already, very very helpful indeed. I think I understand about the bolsters. I'm going to dig around and find that screw.

With regards to the pump out fuse, where is that access panel to speak of, 'just inside the cabin door'. Is it in the bathroom? I'm sorry, but I haven't found it yet, so please give me a little guidance. It very well could be fuse. Can you guide me, as if I'm just walking down there stairs?

My washdown pump went out today, does anyone know what brand/type pump it is? It looks like to screwed directly into the seacock... I'm not sure if there is a fuse to it...must be somewhere.

Thanks guys.

Phil
 
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eppem

Well-Known Member
Welcome to the 265 Express, I have a 2006 and love it. Pretty sure the pump "mounted" into the seacock is the livewell pump, make sure you have the correct switch on?

I actually retrofitted the aft access port, removed the screws and make a hatch out of the whole thing. Replace one or two pumps and you will see what I mean...

Lots of 265 owners on this site, all here to help!
 
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philthefish

Member
Ok, my ears may have picked up the wrong pump. It's the washdown pump that is blown...must be the other one!

Any clues on that hatch for the fuse for the pump out?

Thanks. Love the boat. Do not love the 200 HPDIs that came with it...

Phil
 
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Enough Already

Well-Known Member
Not at the boat but pretty sure the fuse port is just inside the head. It is a round 3 or 4-inch screw out plate at eye level on the back wall (may be just outside the head door but I can't recall). Looking straight in the hole, the fuse panel is up and on your left. Really hard to see, so you may need to use a small mirror or your manual or just pull out each fuse and check. If your fuse is blown, your pump is probably frozen but its worth a try. Re: your pumps, the livewell pump is the one directly attached to the thru hull. Your washdown is the bigger pump mounted on the forward wall of that same area with a hose connection to the other thru hull down there. You probably have some connectors in the wiring that may be corroded. Check that first before yanking the pump out. Also check the fuse just below the on/off switch at the helm. It is possible to replace the pump through the center 6-inch deck plate but it is a serious PITA. I suggest you pull up the floor panel and take care of everything down there all at once. See my other post on oil tank maintenance while you are down there.
 
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drbatts

Well-Known Member
FYI. when accessing the fuse panel on mt 265. I have found it much easier to just unscrew and lift out the dash/gauge panel to access the fuse box, then trying to do any thing through that little 4" hole. if you have really small hands and arms, and have not added any additional wiring in that area it may be easier for you.
 
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philthefish

Member
Grady White 265 endless rebuild...

Hi folks,

Thanks for the help.

Today I pulled off the washdown pump, it was an '04 shurflo pro blaster... Power was getting to it, but seized up. Attempts to open it and revive it failed, so just ordered a new pump. Re the hatch, a few weeks back I had clogged oil filters down there so we already maintained the tanks.

Mechanic came buy and pulled off the HP fuel pump and the injectors, they are on their way to Flagship for a rebuild...

Got the bolsters off pretty easily, thanks...and managed to find the SeaQuest ribbed Chalk fabric online to rebuild those...

Lastly, found the (obvious) hatch in the bathroom looking for the fuse for the pump-out. Couldn't find it through there, will open up the switch panel and look further... While I was there, I pulled the 'Groco touch button control panel' for the pump out... Looked ok, but there was one red power lead that was taped off and not connected... and an obvious lead to the switch that was not connected, but it looked deliberate. That device looks to have about 7 connections. Anyone have the wiring diagram for that switch (button for tank level and putton for pump out)?

I also tested the wash knob for the wipers and (duh) it is indeed a mechanical nozzle for the fresh water. Should have guessed that... So I started working on the wiper... Got the nut loose up top and took out the two screws holding her down. She still didn't budge...just for giggle I wiggled her around a bit and to my surprise, when I hit the switch, the wiper moved! It moved a few inches and stopped. Another wiggle and she moved a few inches back... That motor may be salvagable with some lubrication... I'm not sure. But I've got to figure out how to get that blade off... Anyone have a pointer to a thread?

So, now I'm down to the wiper and the washdown for now... Provided the stuff from flagship does the trick... Short of a power head on the port side, everything else is basically new on these engines.

So, questions for this round:

1) tips for removing wiper?
2) Wiring for groco switch for pumpout?

I hope my pain is helping someone out there... I do deserve it for buying this boat for 31K off of ebay. :-|

Thanks again guys...I *still* love this boat.

Phil
 
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philthefish

Member
Found this from 'little jenny'
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by little jenny » Apr Sun 11, 2010 1:35 am

if you were un able to locate the screw to remove the wiper you may have a arm that does not have a retaining screw. i removed my wiper arm today by looking under the base of the blade w off thr motor arm mount pry it my need to gentlyere it mounts to the motor arm and used a screwdriver to depress a little metal clip that held the arm in place and pulled the arm right off if its sticking you may need to gently pry it off
----

Can anyone translate this into english for me?
 
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Enough Already

Well-Known Member
Part of the joy of boat ownership is learining how everything works. One way to do that is to personally get involved in every fix and ensure you replace/repair with the best. Hopefully you get everything fixed before the first things you fixed start breaking again. Its great to document things here so that the next new guy coming along has a knowledge base to tap in to. Best of luck on the wiper - mine still works. Not sure I would spend too much effort on that one, though - can you ever imagine a situation where you would actually use it? I've had mine for 7 years and been in some nasty stuff but never actually used the wiper. Too low for me and not even in my line of sight.
 
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philthefish

Member
Enough already, you are absolutely right about learning everything. I've insisted the mechanics work on-site so I can work along side and learn a few things... Yeah, I'm not going to spend a whole lot of time on the wiper. Who knows, maybe I've earned an easy fix after 4 months. Heh heh. I'd personally like to just take the sucker off, but if I could get it working, a bonus! After you run into this many problems, you start getting OCD about things...
 
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retrofish

New Member
Hey Guys,
I realize this is an old thread, but rather than start a new one I thought a little resurrection would be ok.

I have a 2004 sailfish 282 with the same wiper washer assembly talked about here; white knob, lower right side of the helm station near the cup holder. The little rubber hose that feeds the wiper fluid through the wiper blade broke off the cap assembly that's attached to the outside of the helm station, so when the water pressure switch is activated, I get the same 10 feet of viagra like arc shooting from the plastic assembly on the outside of the helm station. Actually soaks the underside of my brand new custom half tower from Mainland Welding in St. Lucie (thanks Mike!).

Here's my problem; no matter which way I turn the wiper fluid knob at the helm station, the wiper water DOES NOT turn off. I've had to cover the damn thing with a beer coozie so the kids can use the fresh water washdown at the stern until I figure this out.

Any direction is greatly appreciated!
 
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Bonnie Blue

Member
Concerning the fuses-- I also pull the instrument panel to make it easier to change one. I recently replaced my macerator and yes you need to be "rubberman" to do it but it's done, hopefully for a long time. The sender has two floats on it to give you the tank level on the switch in the head. If they have rotted off then you won't get a reading. Yea, fished those out of my tank and replaced the sender unit. "Rubberman" again.
I'm ready to go fishing.
 
Iceman2010

Iceman2010

Well-Known Member
Bonnie Blue said:
Concerning the fuses-- I also pull the instrument panel to make it easier to change one. I recently replaced my macerator and yes you need to be "rubberman" to do it but it's done, hopefully for a long time. The sender has two floats on it to give you the tank level on the switch in the head. If they have rotted off then you won't get a reading. Yea, fished those out of my tank and replaced the sender unit. "Rubberman" again.
I'm ready to go fishing.
Click to expand...
Dumb question, how do you fill it with fluid? You just turn the knob to use it? I am 6 weeks in on my 2006 sailfish and trying to figure that one out
 
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