1955 cadillac vacumme return line

[anthony]

hello
my name is anthony and i have a 1955 cadillac convertible.
i someone can help me as 1955 cadillacs are very rare down here in australia. i am trying reconnect the original vacumme wiper/washer setup on my cadillac. i have all new parts ready to go but i can not find where the vacumme return line connects into the block. i have the 1955 authenticy manual and it says This line is located at the rear of the right head. It passes down the behind the engine and around to the side where it enters the block.
can anyone help me?
thanking you
anthony
my email address is daf@webone.com.au

[George]

Tony, ask this guy. He is in Canada, and is very informed when it comes to Cadillacs.. His name is Joe Csarszar, His business is Classic Cadillacs of Canada.  He is very helpful, and this sounds like his kind of problem.
Here is his E-mail address.
csaszar@allstream.net

[Roger A. Zimmermann # 21015]

The authenticity manual is correct. You have to remove the starter motor to see the fitting in the engine block. This fitting goes to a vacuum pump located under the oil pump. Unfortunately, if this vacuum pump was not overhauled, it will not work at all. Its possible that this fitting was plugged by the previous owner. If you intend to restore the correct look of the engine, you need also a valve between the engine block and the tube; the valve prevents that the engine sucks oil when the manifold vacuum is high.
The purpose of this vacuum pump is to provide vacuum when the manifold vacuum is low. I let overhaul the vacuum pumps of the Cadillacs I have; I did not notice real improvements after: its not the best investment I did on these cars!
The main source for the windshield wipers is the vacuum port coming from the intake manifold. There is also a metal tube going to the rear of the engine. Both tubes, the one from the vacuum pump and the one from the manifold are connected with rubber hoses to a distributor installed on the firewall.
From the vacuum distributor, one rubber hose goes to the wiper motor and another one goes to the windhield washer pump. See the illustration on page 3-8 of the 1954 shop manual.
Good luck!

Roger

[anthony]

thank you george. i have sent him an email.
all the best
anthony

[anthony]

thank you for your reply.
do you have any idea where i could get this valve to stop in sucking oil. would it work if i simply did not connect to the vacumme return pump? and if the manifold vacumme was low then i could just be prepared to live with the slow wipers? does that make sense? if all the vacumme pump does is provide extra vacumme then maybe it could be just  ignored?
your comments are invited
thanking you
anthony

[Roger A. Zimmermann # 21015]

This valve can be get at a junk yard or by people selling used Cadillac parts. If the valve in no more there, let the plug in place and connect the wiper motor to the manifold. Have a look behind the starter motor to see whats there.
In my case, its about the same with or without the help of the vacuum pump located under the oil pump: as long as the road is flat and the speed not greater than 100 km/h (60 miles/h)they work fine. If the road goes up, its necessary to push more on the gas pedal to keep the same speed and the wipers stay still. If the road goes down, you lift the right foot and the wipers are working like mad. This is the charm of such an old system.

If you dont use the tube coming from the engine, dont forget to plug the unneeded inlet at the vacuum Tee at the firewall.

Roger

[Michael / Denmark CLC#21905]

I replaced the vacuumpump+ wipermotor on mine 58 ,a great improvement in function though its not perfect ,but has there ever been that?? A guy livin`here in denmark have a 58 Buick with same system,he had trouble with a sticky vacuum valve that became very clear once he had to hurry to catch a ferry.Drivin`at a 90 mph.,he lifted his foot of the accelerator to enter the harbor, the last bit of the road and the harbor disapered in blue smoke!So don`t forget to check the valve function..

[anthony]

roger you are a legend.
after reading your post i suspected that i did not have to connect up the vacumme return line to the vacumme pump in the sump. i have connected up using just the manifold vacumme and it works great. i even got the washer pump working. finished at 2am last night.
thanking you
anthony