Hi guys,
What's the best mod you can do to a Calibra? HIDs? Lowering kit? Polybushed gear linkage? Yes... and now we have another one to add to the list.
I'm sure you're all sick and tired of the sh*tty Calibra washer jets that squirt a thin streak of fluid onto the bottom of the screen. Well, here's the answer. These Vauxhall Insignia washer jets are a fairly easy mod, and give a flat "blade" of spray which covers the screen nicely. They are also very cheap from Vauxhall or Autovaux (between ?5 and ?10 per pair inc VAT)
Big thanks to Neve on Allcorsa.co.uk for this. I've re-hosted the pics on my photobucket pro!
You new jets whether you buy them from eBay or a dealer should look like this, and the bag they arrived in for reference:
Next you need to get your self a couple of M8 nuts, not nylon lock nuts though as they are too deep, and a couple of suitable washer, (I?m using stainless steel ones)
Remove the thin rubber seal that is fitted to each jet, don?t loose them though!
You can see the jets will not be a direct fit for the mk3 bonnet (same washer fitting as Calibra - Ben) so some modification is required, note the difference between the jet on the left and the jet on the right which has been trimmed using a Stanley knife: Shifty, if you do this, I hope you slip and take your cock off - Ben
Next you will need to file or dremel the thick plastic stumps down abit but its important not to take to much off, if the nut slips down the shaft to the base of the jet you have gone to far! The jet on the right shows the plastic stumps reduced to about the right thickness:
The next stage shows you a tool which is used to cut threads, its important to use one that will cut the correct thread for the nuts so in this case I?m using an M8 1.5 Die. Now you will be cutting plastic so you need to go slow and keep it level, I clamped the jet in a vice with a piece of rag to protect it and then went for it. The handles are used to twist the die cutter while applying a little down-ward pressure.
I found because the shaft of the jet isn?t very long and the die is quite deep it was had to cut it in the vice so I removed the die from the handles and did the cutting by gripping the die with my hand and twisting clockwise which wasn?t to hard:
You should then have jet with a thread!
Replace the rubber seal and add your washer and check your nuts screw on
Next job is to fit them, remove the old jet from the bonnet, they are clipped in but I found tapping them out with a screw driver from underneath work well, remove the water pipe, I found the best way was to twist and pull quite hard!
Fit the new jet in place of the old on insuring the rubber seal is between the jet and bonnet, place the washer on and secure with the nut, make sure the jet is pointing at the screen and refit the water pipe. Do the same for the other jet and test the washers to make sure you are getting good coverage on the screen, if not, loosen the nut and adjust etc. I did find fitting the new jet with the nut and washer quite fiddly as the holes to get your fingers in are tiny so there's a good chance of dropping the nut or washer in the bonnet cavity so be cautious!
Protip - If you're trying to feed some pipes through the inner bonnet skin, cram a steel bolt or screw in the end of them, and use a magnet to guide them through the sections of metal you cant reach! - Ben
So we have gone from this rather broken and blocked jet:
To this:
I ?m sure you have guessed this mod was carried out on Jo?s Corsa B because her jets were shockingly bad however it will work on a mk3 Astra and Vectra B and probably a few others too!
Same jets on a Calibra/Cavalier - Ben
I hope you all enjoy this mod, and bring the Calibra a little closer to the 21st century!
