Steeb

Not sure where else to post this. I'm still locked from posting in most of the other sections.

Anyway...

Could any of you guys with mid 50's Olds please desrcibe for me how your vacuum lines are routed to your windshield wiper motor?

Mine is disconnected, and I can't for the life of me figure out how to hook it up. There are two vacuum ports on the wiper motor, one in the middle and one off to the passenger side. Neither are connected to anything.

On my wiper switch, there is a cable and two hose connections. The cable goes to the wiper motor, and one of the hoses goes through the firewall and is just hanging out in the engine compartment. The other hose goes up under the dash all the way over to the passenger side, and I can't trace it any farther, so I don't know where it goes.

I've got two hoses coming off the fuel pump, and one goes to a block at the back of the carb. From that block one large hose goes to the brake booster, and another large one goes somewhere toward the passenger side, but I can't tell where.

So I think the wiper motor is supposed to connect to the fuel pump somehow. I just don't know how.

So if someone could just tell me what vacuum line goes where on the wiper motor, that would be great. Pictures would be awesome too. Thanks!

This is the last thing I need to do before I can go for my state inspection, and it's driving me nuts!

old98owner

This is not as good as a full answer, but it might get you going.

You fuel pump is what is know as a 'double action fuel pump'. The missing hose will go to your wiper system. It is a double action because it pumps fuel and acts as a constant vaccume pump.

You can hook you wiper system up directly to an intake manifold vac port and they will work as long as you are not accelerating.

Get a piece of hose and hook it p to the ports on your wiper motor. Suck on the hose and see if your wipers activate. I think one port is for vac and one is for internal pressure equilization.

Look at your wiper switch in the car and see if the vac lines hook up to it. I have seen these where all they are are air valves that would either pass vac to your wipers or shut the vac off.

I know this is sketchy and probably tells you stuff you already know, but it might give you a place to start.

citcapp

The center vaccum line goe to the two stage fuel pump vaccum connection. the off center line goes to intake vaccum. I believe the lines at the switch are for the washer vaccum pump which should be located adjacent to the radiator on the passenger side.

Steeb

Oh my god I'm so confused!

citcapp

Let me try this again. The fuel pump incorporates a vaccum pump to boost vaccum pressure to the windshield wipers and vaccum controls for the heater. The vaccum from the intake manifold drops when ever you step on the gas, the booster pump keeps the wipers and heater controls operating while this occurs, hence the dual vaccum hose install. Does that help. I do not have a diagram or I would post it for you

Steeb

Okay, so one of the lines off the top of my fuel pump (does it matter which one, or are they both the same?) is now connected to middle port on the wiper motor. The other line off the top of the fuel pump connects to a junction block at the back of the manifold (or carb, I can't remember). It's a two port junction block, and the other port tee's off to the brake booster.

So should I get a three-way junction block and connect my "off center" port on the wiper motor to it also? There seems to be a lack of any other available ports on the carb and manifold. Actually, I was only able to even find one- and it's the one in the back that has the junction block. Am I just not looking hard enough?

Thanks!

citcapp

I will search around and see if I can find a diagram to better explain the vaccum hose connections for you. Give me a little time for this

56oldsnub

here's some photos of my fuel pump and engine without the pesky fenders in the way. Not sure if it helps or not. I've got more photos if you need to see how mine is hooked up. I'm pretty sure it's in it's original configuration.

56oldsnub

here's an under the dash shot....think it shows the hose hook up to the switch

Steeb

Thanks for the pics, however I can't view them because I don't have permission to! My account got deleted yesterday because my email address is a gmail. So I had to create a new account go through all the hassle all over again. So maybe in a few days I can see the pictures???

Man this forum is so weird.

Thanks anyway. And hopefully despite my having a gmail account the Admins will allow me to see the pics so I can hopefully get my wipes working and get my car inspected!

old98owner

This site needs for you to make five posts and then you can post to anything and see the pics. The reason for this is to keep spammers from using the site.

Just make a few more posts and the pics will show up when you return to this thread.

88 coupe

Norm

Steeb

Thanks for all the help and pictures.

With the wiper motor connected to the fuel pump, The wipers did move a few inches when I rev the engine. I think maybe the fuel pump is not providing enough vacuum.

Should I replace the fuel pump? The pump itself is okay, I don't have any fuel problems, but I think with more vacuum the wipers would work a lot better. Would installing a new fuel pump raise the vauum level?

And also, anyone know where I can find a new fule pump?

1arunem

I purchased my fuel pump for my 56 from Antique Auto Supply in Texas.

It is/was NOS AC brand.

AAS - 817-275-2381

I dealt with Greg. He was very helpful. In fact, He has a second pump on the way to me that I will be sending back. Long story short I thought the first pump he sent was bad but turned out to be another issue. He sent me another pump (in transit) and I will be returning it so I know they will have one.

Warren..

88 coupe

At idle and without the auxiliary pump, they should work normally. The pump is only a backup when engine is under load and vacuum is not sufficient.

Test it with a vacuum gauge. If it reads 14" or higher, it is good, and the wiper motor is likely worn. http://www.wiperman.com

No.

Norm

Steeb

Thanks! I'm gonna pick up a vacuum tester tonight. So where should I be testing for vacuum at? Are all the ports basically the same? In other words, should it be the same value at the fuel pump ports as the one at the back of the carb, etc?

This may be why my power brakes are so hard also. So if I do have a low vacuum problem, what can I do to fix it?

Basically I need to determine if my wiper motor is bad, or if it's getting enough vacuum out of the fuel pump. So you're saying that replacing or rebuilding the fuel pump will not help, than the problem is likely with the wiper motor? Is there a way to bench test the wiper motor? I have one of those hand vacuum brake bleeders, if I connect that to the wiper motor as a test, should that activate the wipers?

88 coupe

Remove both vacuum lines from the pump. Plug the one that goes to manifold vacuum (the port at the base of the carb). Start the engine and let it idle. Attach your vacuum gauge to the port that is sucking air. If it reads 14" or higher, the pump is good, and this is the line that should connect to the wiper motor. The one that blows, goes to the intake manifold.

Check the hoses to/from the switch on the dash.

Theoretically, yes. In reality, no.

Separate issue. Engine vacuum should be at its highest (the pump is not needed) anytime the brakes are used.

It is always best to find the cause of a problem, before trying to "fix" it.

Run a vacuum hose directly to manifold vacuum and run the engine at idle. If the wipers work the motor is good. If they don't, wet the windshield and try again. If they work, the motor might be weak. Attach your gauge to the same vacuum port and look for 14" or more.

If it ain't broke, why would you want to "fix" it? But, at this point, we do not know whether it is "broke" or not.

Norm

Steeb

Haven't had much time to troubleshoot this any further, however I did just connect my hand vacuum brake bleeder thing, you know one of those cheapy $20 jobs. So using that I couldn't get the wipers to move. Should the hand vacuum pump provide enough to move them?

88 coupe

I have never used one, but if it can provide a constant (and high enough) vacuum while the motor is in operation, it should.

Norm

Bluevista

I may have missed something but what does the engine vacuum read at idle? This sounds like it could also be low engine vacuum or a bad vacuum leak. Hard brakes, wipers won't work, does the engine idle rough too? The brakes could possibly just be the check valve on the booster but that wouldn't pull down vacuum if it's low, a bad booster or leak could.
I think you're going to be pumping a mity-vac like crazy to maintain the vacuum needed to make those wipers work.
Maybe with a vac canister and a valve you could possibly get enough volume built up to test the unit for a few seconds. You could take it off or get a long hose and hook it to another car's vacuum source but none of this solves the problem if you don't have enough engine vacuum or a leak.
If you haven't already I would check the engine vacuum see if it reads low. If so disconnect and plug everything connected to vacuum and see if it goes up substantially then work back until you find the culprit.
If it stays low you have another problem.
Don't they make electric wiper conversions for those? I had vac wipers on a few cars and the things are worthless in the rain, otherwise they're great.
You never mean to get stuck in thunderstorms on the freeway.

boatops

I'm also a NEWBIE to site and have a 1957 Olds 88 I'm looking for vacuum wiper info also. Guess I have to post five times to access photos. Bill

boatops

Just rtring to get in 5 posts so I can fix my wipers

boatops

how did you get 50 posts so fast??

boatops

been trying to figure out these wipers for 2 days now

boatops

hope this lets me view wiper vacuum photos

boatops

here's # 6

Steeb

The port on the side of the wiper motor should go to one of the ports on your fuel pump. The center port of the wiper motor... I don't know.

My problem turned out to be that I had a big hole in my vacuum reserve canister. Once I eliminated the canister my vacuum went from 5 up to about 20.

My wipers still just barely work. In fact, they won't do a full cycle. But they moved enough to make the DMV happy, and that's all I really cared about.

boatops

still can't access

boatops

Thanks for trying. I know my fuel pump boost is not working I hooked side port to intake vacuum and if I pull wiper up by hand the vacuum will pull it back down. Sun is suppose to come out tomorrow I'll take the Olds out to play with it a little more.

csstrux

try logging out and then back in, I'll check into a little something something on this end if it does not bump your status.

boatops

I tried logging out and in again NO GOOD I'm sure I'll figure it out soon

csstrux

what I tried did not work either, I have sent this upline. you should be good to go soon.

boatops

thanks for the help csstrux

boatops

just got to see photos Thanks again