1955 272 vacuum line routing?
 

New member and first post!

Stock 272 with standard trans. Previous owner disconnected the bulk of the vacuum lines, and I'd like to put this back together correctly, but I've been unable to find any factory diagrams. Does anyone know of a source or have photos laying around?

The one photo he took prior to disassembly shows a tee in place (which I have), visible just to the right of center in the first photo. It looks like one side goes through the firewall to the wipers, but where does the 2nd line from that tee go? Also, since the hard line from the manifold heads straight to the fuel pump, is it possible it was originally equipped with a double-action pump? I assumed the double-action fuel pump was only available with auto or OD.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/tq...a=w800-h600-no
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Kb...R=w600-h800-no
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/TY...G=w600-h800-no

Re: 1955 272 vacuum line routing?
 

Look at this earlier post. There are diagrams from the '55 Ford shop manual. Pick photo to enlarge.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...ghlight=vacuum
There have been many posts in the past regarding this subject. I can remember another one some time back that had an enlarged photo of a vacuum diagram posted on it. You can use the search box, do an advanced search and type in "vacuum" then look at the results to see which ones might interest your based upon your application.

Re: 1955 272 vacuum line routing?
 

If you don't have the dual action fuel pump, you should get one. Its not like they are rare or anything. The purpose for the dual action pump is that it has the vacuum booster specifically to counteract loss of vacuum at the wiper motor if you step on the gas to pass or proceed up an incline. Without the booster, your vacuum motor starves for vacuum during those instances and completely stops until engine load is decreased allowing vacuum to resume at normal levels.

Re: 1955 272 vacuum line routing?
 

Thanks, Dave. Old guy that I am, I'm no stranger to vacuum wipers. I didn't see anything pertinent in the shop manual, but thinking about it I suspect the tee was some ancient kludge to keep the heater valve open, and one of the last receipts I have for the car before it was parked in 1999 was for a fuel pump, so that might explain the hard lines there.

Hooking it up, I've definitely got a vacuum leak under the dash, which was probably the PO's motivation in the first place.

Re: 1955 272 vacuum line routing?
 

you are on the right track with vacuum leak as I think it is probably from the line that fed the wipers and then a tee fed the heater control for temperature via a vacuum line.you are also going to need a piece of steel line if and when you get a dual action pump as Dave suggested and I agree on you getting one.lucky for you that valve is still working as they had a habit of leaking as the diaphragm rotted and sprung a leak.once and if you get the pump the vacuum line from intake will go to the pump as you can see by the line as is the a piece of 1/4 steel line will come from pump to rubber wiper feed line.then the line that goes on valve should follow the heater hoses and go through the firewall at point the heater hoses do.if memory serves me right there will be hole the hose will go to tee from wiper feed.that is probably where the leak you hear is coming from.if you need an idea of routing on engine side a picture of t-bird engine will show how they run much easier to find t-bird engine shots then ford.

Re: 1955 272 vacuum line routing?
 

Times 2

The vacuum lines and heater controls were/are all missing from my '55 Bird project and my understanding of how they should go back together is the same.

The steel line from the intake manifold (photo 1, yellow circle) goes to the vacuum booster that is the top half of a dual diaphragm fuel pump. (photo 2)
From there a steel vacuum line goes back over the top of intake manifold toward the firewall. A rubber hose is attached (arrow, photo 4) that goes thru the firewall to a Tee fitting.
That under dash Tee fitting, one side goes to the wiper motor and the other to the heater box control valve. (red circle, photo 3)
From the under dash heater controls a vacuum line goes back thru the firewall next to the heater core and follows the heater hoses to the water control valve at the front of the intake manifold. (photo 1, yellow arrow)

There should be a vacuum line from a fitting on the carburetor directly to the timing advance canister on the distributor, no Tees or other connections.

IF you have the option windshield washer and it needs a vacuum source there would be another Tee fitting under the dash near the Tee for the wiper motor.

And at the suggestion of 54vicky... a T-Bird picture (not mine, photo 4)
Note how the 2 steel vacuum lines connect to the top of the fuel pump, with short rubber hoses.

Re: 1955 272 vacuum line routing?
 

Okay so what you originally had was the water-control valve working in conjunction with the vacuum thermostat control valve. That assembly is shown on page 266 of the 1956 Ford Car Shop Manual. You need to add a whole lotta stuff back in to make the wipers work again.
Where the nylon "tee" is under the dash, 1st connection comes from the dual action fuel pump, 2nd connection goes to thermostat valve, 3rd connection goes to windshld wiper motor. If you have the "See-Clear" windshield washer, there must be a second "tee" under the dash routed to the W.W. foot pump, unless you want to manually operate the wipers from the dash control knob while using the washer.

Re: 1955 272 vacuum line routing?
 

Thanks, all, think I've got a handle on it now.
No washers on this one, the footwell's already plenty crowded with the switch for the siren.


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/4L...l=w800-h600-no

Re: 1955 272 vacuum line routing?
 

I'll bet the dashboard is pretty crowded too. :D

Re: 1955 272 vacuum line routing?
 

not something you see every day or two:Dby the looks of it not from the rust belt.

Re: 1955 272 vacuum line routing?
 

I posted more pics over in the 2-door wagon thread, impossible not to get a big grin while driving it around town. It spent most of its life sitting in unheated garages, so it's not in bad shape.