Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Early V8 (1932-53)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 11-04-2013, 11:14 PM   #21
Old Henry
Senior Member
 
Old Henry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Orem, Utah
Posts: 5,762
Default Re: Original vacuum wiper Ford 1946..!

I have never had any difficulty locking up the wheels and skidding the tires any time I want with my stock brakes. I don't know what power assisting would do for that. But, it's exactly that - locking up the wheels - that could only be improved by ABS which I've never heard added to a 40's stock car. But, I don't drive 75 on the freeways and never have been inclined to "compete" with modern cars. I drive in the far right "slow" lane between 60-65, even when the speed limit's 80! I always seem to have plenty of company going my speed in that lane. At night I add a few magnetic reflectors on the back for extra visibility.



I know. Each has their own safety comfort level. I sometimes have passengers that are uncomfortable riding without seat belts (so I put them in) but I wouldn't ride a motorcycle without a helmet when old Chuckles up the street, who has a car just like mine, rides his Harley all over the town and country without one. I figure my stock '47, even missing many of the modern safety features, is still safer than his Harley, even if he did wear a helmet. I don't sky dive or hang glide either. So, there you have it - each to his own way.
__________________
Prof. Henry (The Roaming Gnome)
"It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” *Ursula K. Le Guin in The Left Hand of Darkness

Last edited by Old Henry; 11-04-2013 at 11:19 PM.
Old Henry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2018, 03:48 AM   #22
hepkat63
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 5
Default Re: Original vacuum wiper Ford 1946..!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Henry View Post
I'm not sure a photo would be as helpful as this diagram



but if you'd like a photo I'll take some and post them.

The number on my '47 motor is SSM 114. I believe that is the Trico part number - the manufacturer of the motor. The Ford part number is 51A 17508-C



but it has a different switch than is shown in the diagram for the 46.

I know a vacuum reservoir tank for the windshield wipers sounds like a good idea and Ford even manufactured and sold one as an optional accessory for the 46-48. I thought it sounded like such a great idea that I bought one and installed it. I have since taken it back out. Why? Here's the rub: A reservoir tank sounds like a good idea, the "theory" being that it would "store" vacuum so that when you accelerated or were cllimbing a hill and lost the constant continuous vacuum from the engine that the reservoir would take over and run the wipers until you let up on the gas and restored the manifold vacuum, right? Well, yes. That part worked pretty cool. When I mashed the gas, for whatever reason, I'd get about 7 full swipes of the wiper blades on the vacuum stored in the reservoir before it was gone and the wipers stopped - about 7 seconds. Then, I let up on the gas to "refill" the vacuum reservoir to get them going again. Right? Wrong! Here's why: It takes the same amount of time to "refill" the vacuum tank as it did to empty it - about 7 seconds - during which time there are not only no wipers but no power because the gas pedal has to be clear up to refill it! So, what good did that do? None! All it did was make the wiper operation "sloppy" and out of control. I decided I'd rather go back to having total control of the wipers by feathering the gas pedal just enough to keep them going if that's what I wanted or let then stop if I didn't need them constantly then, when I needed them, I could get them started immediately again by letting up on the gas pedal just for an instant for a quick swipe of the wipers then back to feathering or none until I needed a quick swipe again. I can see why Ford did not install the vacuum tanks as standard equipment. Owners would have soon bypassed them and gone with the strictly "manual" vacuum control.

The only way I can see a vacuum reservoir working is if it was hooked up to some huge vacuum port that would have to be made in the intake manifold at least as big as a power brake port so that the tank could be "refilled" immediately with a quick lift of the gas pedal while the tank could run the wipers for 7 seconds while the engine vacuum was gone. The Ford tank actually came with a larger hose to run from the carburetor vacuum port to the tank than the standard size hose from the tank to the wiper motor. But it wasn't big enough to really work.



sorry for reviving an old thread- however, would anyone know the name of the valve that goes on the Vacuum tank in the above photo please? I have the tank, but no valve.
hepkat63 is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 09-09-2018, 02:36 PM   #23
grumppyoldman
Senior Member
 
grumppyoldman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Texas Gulf Coast
Posts: 727
Default Re: Original vacuum wiper Ford 1946..!

I'm thinking it would be a check valve to hold vacuum in tank. Al
grumppyoldman is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:32 PM.