vacuum hose routing for windshield wipers

atch

atch

Senior Member
I've had my sedan for 5 months and the wipers were unhooked when I bought it. There is no hose/tube/pipe to be found in the engine compartment.

I don't know why the wiper was disconnected but I'd like to make it work again. Rebuilding the vacuum motor, if necessary, does not present much of a problem. But how much trouble will it be to replace the hose? Will I have to remove the headliner or anything else that will make it hard to do?

I've searched here and Googled it but haven't found any information on installing a new vacuum hose.

Is there anything special about the type of hose? Can I just order it from Bert's or other vendor?
 
atch said:
I've had my sedan for 5 months and the wipers were unhooked when I bought it. There is no hose/tube/pipe to be found in the engine compartment.

I don't know why the wiper was disconnected but I'd like to make it work again. Rebuilding the vacuum motor, if necessary, does not present much of a problem. But how much trouble will it be to replace the hose? Will I have to remove the headliner or anything else that will make it hard to do?

I've searched here and Googled it but haven't found any information on installing a new vacuum hose.

Is there anything special about the type of hose? Can I just order it from Bert's or other vendor?
Click to expand...

Lots to digest here...

Most vacuum operated wipers I have experienced leak vacuum and cause the engine to run poorly, -even when the wiper is not supposed to be operating. For that reason, many have been disconnected.

I'm glad you feel that making the Wiper Motor function properly should not be much of a problem. For most people, repairing/restoring these is difficult at best, and most people fail at restoring these. Fikens Wiper Svc in NY is about the best on these.

There should be a vacuum line connecting the Intake Manifold port to a bulkhead fitting mounted onto the Firewall. On the inside of that Firewall fitting, another metal Tube should connect and route up the Coupe Pillar (Windshield Post) and then turn towards the wiper at the top of the Windshield Hinge. You will access this by removing the R/S Cowl Kick Panel and the Windshield Garnish Molding on the right side. A rubber hose connects to the metal tube and supplies the Wiper Motor. This hose will basically lay on top of the Windshield Frame and has little clips that hold the hose in position.

If you need further instruction, let me know. Steve at Berts Model A (www.modelastore.com) would be an excellent source for the needed pieces for install this.
 
Thanks Brent.

While some folks have trouble repairing/restoring vacuum wiper motors I'm familiar with them and feel confident in being able to make this one work again. My first experience with vacuum wiper motors goes back to the early 70's when I first bought Clarence, my 1948 Ford panel truck. Of course: 1. I was much younger and more agile then, and 2. I've probably forgotten everything I knew back then.

What I didn't know was why some of them have been disconnected. Maybe I'll think about this a while longer.

So this discussion begs the question: if the wiper motor is in good condition and the tubes/hoses don't leak is there still a chance that the engine will run erratically becasue of the wiper?
 
Mike -
To test, temporarily block off the vacuum line at the intake manifold with a wad of paper shoved into the intake manifold's brass vacuum fitting and note how the engine runs. That takes any vacuum leak out of the equation. Once you know how the engine runs and idles, hook up the vacuum line again and compare how the engine runs now. If there is a noticeable difference - especially at idle - you can be sure there is a leak in the rubber hose or the wiper itself. Repair accordingly.
I have rebuilt virtually every component in the Model A since 1966 except the shock absorbers (They scare the H*ll out of me!). Eventually, the success rate with my efforts has been 100% - albeit not entirely pain-free along the way. However, my success rate rebuilding vacuum windshield wipers has been 0%. To be read ZERO percent success. Use that as a gauge for possible success rebuilding your vacuum wiper. I am not trying to dissuade your from trying to do so. More power to you! The pot metal factory wiper body warps over time, which is the #1 reason why vacuum wipers cannot be rebuilt. If you are fortunate enough to possess a wiper body that has not yet warped, your chances of a successful rebuild are that much better. But if you own a wiper like the rest of us nameless rabble, the warpage in the "swish" area of the body precludes a successful rebuild. Your chances are better with a post-1931 aftermarket vacuum wiper (whose mechanism cover is snapped into place instead of screwed). But go for the rebuild anyway if you are confident of success. Experience is a harsh teacher. Report to us AFTER the rebuild and we'll compare notes. :) :) :)
Marshall
 
Marshall V. Daut said:
Mike -
To test, temporarily block off the vacuum line at the intake manifold with a wad of paper shoved into the intake manifold's brass vacuum fitting and note how the engine runs. That takes any vacuum leak out of the equation. Once you know how the engine runs and idles, hook up the vacuum line again and compare how the engine runs now. If there is a noticeable difference - especially at idle - you can be sure there is a leak in the rubber hose or the wiper itself. Repair accordingly.
I have rebuilt virtually every component in the Model A since 1966 except the shock absorbers (They scare the H*ll out of me!). Eventually, the success rate with my efforts has been 100% - albeit not entirely pain-free along the way. However, my success rate rebuilding vacuum windshield wipers has been 0%. To be read ZERO percent success. Use that as a gauge for possible success rebuilding your vacuum wiper. I am not trying to dissuade your from trying to do so. More power to you! The pot metal factory wiper body warps over time, which is the #1 reason why vacuum wipers cannot be rebuilt. If you are fortunate enough to possess a wiper body that has not yet warped, your chances of a successful rebuild are that much better. But if you own a wiper like the rest of us nameless rabble, the warpage in the "swish" area of the body precludes a successful rebuild. Your chances are better with a post-1931 aftermarket vacuum wiper (whose mechanism cover is snapped into place instead of screwed). But go for the rebuild anyway if you are confident of success. Experience is a harsh teacher. Report to us AFTER the rebuild and we'll compare notes. :) :) :)
Marshall
Click to expand...

After this discussion I might or might not ever attempt to get this working again. Currently there is a brass plug at the intake where the vacuum line otherwise would be. If I ever reconnect it there will have to be entirely new lines/hoses/tubes, as they currently don't exist.
 
No, no, no! Make the effort at rebuilding your wiper! You might get lucky and have a rebuildable body. If nothing else, afterwards you will be able to understand why so many vacuum wipers on surviving Model A's are there for cosmetic purposes only and are no longer functional. Ford changed from the 1928-29 electric wipers in late 1929 for two reasons: (1) Customer complaints about prematurely burned-out electrical wipers that Ford had to eat under warranty; (2) and because vacuum wipers were far cheaper for Ford to buy and install at the factory. They are basically very simple animals that rarely failed if occasionally squirted with lubricant. Their drawback is that they slow down or stop entirely under power demands when the vacuum from the intake manifold is low - and when you need a wiper the most. Had Ford supplied a vacuum reserve tank to counter this drawback, the vacuum wipers would have been the best thing since sliced bread as opposed to expensive, prone to burning out electric wipers.
Once again - TRY to rebuild you vacuum wiper before settling on some other alternative.
Marshall
 
Marshall V. Daut said:
No, no, no! Make the effort at rebuilding your wiper! You might get lucky and have a rebuildable body. If nothing else, afterwards you will be able to understand why so many vacuum wipers on surviving Model A's are there for cosmetic purposes only and are no longer functional. Ford changed from the 1928-29 electric wipers in late 1929 for two reasons: (1) Customer complaints about prematurely burned-out electrical wipers that Ford had to eat under warranty; (2) and because vacuum wipers were far cheaper for Ford to buy and install at the factory. They are basically very simple animals that rarely failed if occasionally squirted with lubricant. Their drawback is that they slow down or stop entirely under power demands when the vacuum from the intake manifold is low - and when you need a wiper the most. Had Ford supplied a vacuum reserve tank to counter this drawback, the vacuum wipers would have been the best thing since sliced bread as opposed to expensive, prone to burning out electric wipers.
Once again - TRY to rebuild you vacuum wiper before settling on some other alternative.
Marshall
Click to expand...
I'm quite familiar with driving in the rain with vacuum wipers. My '48 Ford panel truck, that I bought in 1973, had them until I replaced them with electric. I always heard about big truck vacuum tanks that some folks adapted to pickups and cars to eliminate the "uphill stumble." I suppose any container that would hold vacuum could work. Even a piece of pipe. Anyone hazard a guess as to the volume that such a tank needs to be? I guess I have nothing to lose in rebuilding my motor The routing of the lines from the intake to the wiper motor is what had/has me buffaloed.

David in San Antonio said:
The pot metal body sounds like a candidate for 3D printing.
Click to expand...
I know some folks who have 3-D printers, but how would I find the data file to use in printing a body? Or whatever file it would take. I know absolutely nothing about 3-D printing.
 
Send me your direct email address to my "Messages" folder and I'll send you a scan of the vacuum wiper rebuild instructions. That way, you can judge if you want to take this project on.
Marshall
 
Sent. Check your direct email Inbox folder. If my mail with scans hasn't arrived, let me know. Anyone else need these instructions and other related scans? They're right here at my fingertips...
Marshall
 
Marshall V. Daut said:
Sent. Check your direct email Inbox folder. If my mail with scans hasn't arrived, let me know. Anyone else need these instructions and other related scans? They're right here at my fingertips...
Marshall
Click to expand...

Received; downloaded; saved; printed; and now I'm studying...

Thanks a lot, more than I can express.
 
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