wipers

cvs
cvs Senior Contributor
in HUDSON
What's the best way to boost the vacuum for the wipers? Thanks  52/53 era

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  • lostmind
    lostmind Expert Adviser
    http://www.karlssonrobotics.com/cart/vacuum-pump-12v/?gclid=CM-d5vOnwMcCFYUXHwodSq0NXgimage
  • drivergo2
    drivergo2 Expert Adviser
    The larger fuel pump with the separate vacume line
  • ken1962
    ken1962 Member
    Easy and cheap solution is to install a large vacuum bottle inline to the wipers - you could make one up from an old tin can
  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    The authentic "original" way would indeed be the dual-action fuel pump with a separate section for creating vacuum for the wipers.  These were Hudson options back to the 1930's.

    There were some gizmo's out there that you could buy back in the day at your local auto parts store, which clamped onto the car and put out vacuum.  One was the Trico Electro-Vac which commands a pretty penny nowadays, if you can find one.

    There have been electric wiper motor retro-fits for antique cars but most require 12 volts.

    I had read somewhere that the vacuum tanks work fine for the first few swipes of the blade, as you head up the hill.  Then the tanks gradually run out of steam and the wipers slow to a crawl.  What's more, once you start to go down the other side, it takes awhile to replenish the vacuum in the tank, so your wipers do not start back up right away.  However, for smoothing out occasional vacuum deficits (like when briefly accelerating) the tanks are okay.
  • dwardo99
    dwardo99 Expert Adviser
    Others may have had different experiences but I never found the dual fuel pumps to be much better than the single ones. This on multiple cars. They seem to take considerably more power to drive, also. I tried the vacuum bottle approach it didn't make much difference either. I just got in the habit of taking my foot off the gas when needed going uphill, something like a primitive intermittent wiper. I don't have my cars anymore but I was thinking about whether an electric vacuum pump might not be a good way to go. My Buick Roadmaster has an electric AIR pump to blow air into the exhaust manifolds to heat the cats up quickly after starting the engine. I bet that would pull enough vacuum. You'd need 12 volts, though.
  • cvs
    cvs Senior Contributor
    The car has the dual action pump. I've cleaned and inspected the wiper body. May have to rely on the RainX for the most part. Did find a 6 volt pump on the interweb. Don't really drive in the rain that much so I can deal with the wipers. Thanks for all the info.
  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    One caution:  your wiper motor might be at fault even though you cleaned and inspected it.  Have you done a complete rebuild (or sent it to someone like Ficken's, who can do it)?

    I sent mine to Ficken's a few years ago and they informed me that the body (pot metal) was now so warped that it would no longer seal properly.  (I trusted them on this, because it was not in their interest to tell me this.  They were sacrificing a rebuild job.)  Within a day or so I had located a NOS wiper motor on Ebay for a fraction of the rebuilding cost. When I installed it (and I do actually have an auxiliary vacuum pump on my car) the wipers worked like new, barely slowing down on long hills.
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