Vaccum operated Windshield wipers
FordsGotMe
motor? I am curious what cars had them and if they worked well enough or were
they useless?
thanks
Trapper
The last vehicle I owned that had vacuum wipers was a 1937 Austin 7. I
can't recall them being installed on any post WWII european vehicles.
They were next to useless but were an inprovement over the manually
operated wipers on earlier cars. The wiper speed varied from high to
stopped depending on engine vacuum and sometimes they even had minds
of their own.
I presume they were superceded with electric wipers as the wipers
became economic.
The joys of motoring
Trapper
Tim Porton
tra...@3web.net wrote:
> The last vehicle I owned that had vacuum wipers was a 1937 Austin 7. I
> can't recall them being installed on any post WWII european vehicles.
Ford installed them in the small side-valve Fords (Anglia etc) until 1962.
Cheers, Tim
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Nathan J Nagel
Windshi.. by Tim Por...@csi.com
> In article <371f781d...@news.3web.net>,
> tra...@3web.net wrote:
> > The last vehicle I owned that had vacuum wipers was a 1937 Austin 7. I
> > can't recall them being installed on any post WWII european vehicles.
>
> Ford installed them in the small side-valve Fords (Anglia etc) until 1962.
>
> Cheers, Tim
My '49 Chev had 'em.
nate
Veeduber
The vacuum developed in the intake manifold has always been a source of
accessory power -- if your present car has 'power' brakes, you're using this
same source today.
Besides powering the wipers, there were also vacuum-driven compressors, used to
maintain a charge of up to 100 psi in a holding tank. The compressed air was
used for inflating tires, powering air-horns and so forth. Powered windows,
introduced in the 1920's, have used both compressed air and vacuum servos.
Indeed, any application presently done with an electric motor, including
starting the vehicle's engine, has been accomplished with compressed air or
vacuum servos... from automatic radio antenna to concealed headlights.
Better cars always included a vacuum reservoir as part of the system, allowing
you to climb a grade without having the wipers faulter. Cheap cars ignored
such sophistication.
-Bob Hoover
PS -- Electric wipers were introduced around the turn of the century... and
fitted to electric cars. An electric motor drove a push-pull cable which was
connected to the wiper. Electric wipers similar to those found on today's cars
were fairly common by the mid-1930's (the 1937 Volkswagen used electric
wipers).>
-Bob Hoover
Jim Randle
was a 1953 Ford 4 door sedan. It had vaccum windshield wipers. Yup,
going up a steep hill with the accelerator all the way down would shut
off wiping action for a while. You learned to ease up a little in a
rainstorm so that the wipers could get a swipe or two.
The other trick that vaccum wipers were good for was to keep other kids
from following too close. Unbeknownst to Dad, I would wire a can of
motor oil to a handy support near the engine. I'd then disconnect the
vaccum hose from the wiper motor, and stick it into the can of motor
oil. Sooner or later, some other kids would pull up behind me and start
following. Just a brief flick of the wiper switch would draw an ounce or
two of 30 weight into the carb, and it would blow right out the exhaust
as a greasy fog of black smoke. Couldn't do it long or often, or you'd
foul the plugs so badly that it wouldn't run, but it was *GREAT* for
occasional use!
AJDalton7
>from following too close. Unbeknownst to Dad, I would wire a can of
>motor oil to a handy support near the engine. I'd then disconnect the
>vaccum hose from the wiper motor, and stick it into the can of motor
>oil. Sooner or later, some other kids would pull up behind me and start
>following. Just a brief flick of the
I think I was behind you he other day !!
cmo...@ameritech.net
worked very well because I remember a lot of swearing in the car on
rainy days.
Regards,
Corey J. Motel
Joe
veed...@aol.com (Veeduber) wrote:
> The vacuum developed in the intake manifold has always been a source of
> accessory power -- if your present car has 'power' brakes, you're using this
> same source today.
>
> Besides powering the wipers, there were also vacuum-driven compressors,
used to
> maintain a charge of up to 100 psi in a holding tank. The compressed air was
> used for inflating tires, powering air-horns and so forth. Powered windows,
> introduced in the 1920's, have used both compressed air and vacuum servos.
> Indeed, any application presently done with an electric motor, including
> starting the vehicle's engine, has been accomplished with compressed air or
> vacuum servos... from automatic radio antenna to concealed headlights.
Good post. We had a 63 Olds with a vacuum powered trunk release.
Ventilation doors and cruise control throttle movement are almost all
vacuum powered, even today. Ford automatic emergency brake releases are
vacuum powered.
The reason electric equivalents weren't used is that it required
increasing the capacity of the electrical system for each of these loads.
In the case of electric wipers, of course, it would have been worth it!
They were terrible. But, modern electrical loads can go beyond the ability
of designers to put generating capacity in the tiny engine compartments.
We have actually reached the point that some cars have systemic problems
with alternator overheating, and need to evolve back the other way!
--
Joe
Leroy Curtis
> FordsGotMe wrote:
>
>> How did these work, and what was the reason to use them instead
>> of an electric
>> motor? I am curious what cars had them and if they worked well
>> enough or were
>> they useless?
>> thanks
>
> Because the Hadn't INVENTED the ELECTRIC WIPERS YET
Nonsense. Electric wipers have been around since the 1920s.
> Every vehicle prior to around 1958 had vacum wipers
Obviously, therefore. also nonsense. Only the cheaper cars (Ford in the
UK) used vacuum wipers, and then only in the 50s and early 60s. The
better quality brands stayed with electric wiper motors throughout.
> They worked real good if you incorparated the VACUM FUEL pump
> with them.
I think you mean a vacuum reservoir.
> If you didn't have the Special fuel pump then they were
> connected diereclt to the Engine mainfold and EVERY time you
> accellerated The wipers would QUIT moving till the vacum built
> back up
>
At least this part is correct.
--
Regards
Leroy Curtis
Please replace "nospam" with "baram" in my address if you wish to
reply by Email
Leroy Curtis
<timp...@csi.com> writes
>In article <371f781d...@news.3web.net>,
> tra...@3web.net wrote:
>> The last vehicle I owned that had vacuum wipers was a 1937 Austin 7. I
>> can't recall them being installed on any post WWII european vehicles.
>
>Ford installed them in the small side-valve Fords (Anglia etc) until 1962.
>
having to stop during heavy rain because the damn things were so
useless.
Robert Hancock
control because they can "spring-load" it into a certain position and have
it go there if the vacuum fails, whereas an electric motor will just stay
where it was. So they can make the vent system default to heat so you don't
freeze if the vacuum line breaks, and the cruise control default to idle if
it loses vacuum. If you had an electric motor for the cruise then you would
need some way to disengage it if the system failed - extra expense. I don't
think either of these would take too much power.
BTW Automakers seem just itching to go to higher electrical system voltages
so they can use more electric goodies like electric power steering,
sound-cancelling muffler technology, even solenoid-activated valves!
--
Robert Hancock Saskatoon, SK, Canada
To email, remove "nospam" from hanc...@nospamhome.com
Home Page: http://members.home.net/hancockr
Joe <do...@spam.net> wrote in message
news:dont-24049...@news.naxs.com...
Trapper
Sorry, those late fifties Ford Models may have been flaky in the rain
but they did have electric wipers. As I recall the square box Anglia's
had electric wipers too. Elecric wipers, like fuel injection and ABS
are areas of Automobile enginering where the Europeans are years ahead
of the North Americans.
Trapper
Leroy Curtis
writes
>On Sun, 25 Apr 1999 00:38:04 +0100, Leroy Curtis
><Le...@baram.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>In article <7foap1$ejl$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>, Tim Porton
>><timp...@csi.com> writes
>>>In article <371f781d...@news.3web.net>,
>>> tra...@3web.net wrote:
>>>> The last vehicle I owned that had vacuum wipers was a 1937 Austin 7. I
>>>> can't recall them being installed on any post WWII european vehicles.
>>>
>>>Ford installed them in the small side-valve Fords (Anglia etc) until 1962.
>>>
>>Also in the MK I and II Consul/Zephyr/Zodiac. I well remember my father
>>having to stop during heavy rain because the damn things were so
>>useless.
>Sorry, those late fifties Ford Models may have been flaky in the rain
>but they did have electric wipers. As I recall the square box Anglia's
>had electric wipers too. Elecric wipers, like fuel injection and ABS
>are areas of Automobile enginering where the Europeans are years ahead
>of the North Americans.
>
Check out a 100E Anglia. You will notice that the wiper switch is
mounted centrally on the top of the dashboard, and is like a little
rotary tap. It is definitely the control for vacuum operated wipers. The
switch on the Mk II Consul/Zephyr/Zodiac was under the instrument
housing (on the Highline cars) or along the centre of the dashboard
(Lowline cars) but once again, you twist it to switch the wipers on and
it doesn't operate anything electrical. These were *certainly* vacuum
operated wipers. I also clearly remember my mother nicknaming one Mk II
Consul we had as "Wheezy Anna" because the wipers hissed so loudly when
being used (vacuum leak somewhere, perhaps?)
Another poster here has mentioned the combined fuel and vacuum pump, and
this was certainly fitted to the Mk I & II Saloons.
To check my facts, I referred for confirmation to Michael Allen's superb
book; "Consul Zephyr Zodiac; the big fifties Fords." Page 18 contains a
description of the wiper system of these cars, and they were vacuum
powered.
sd...@my-dejanews.com
fords...@aol.com (FordsGotMe) wrote:
> How did these work, and what was the reason to use them instead of an
electric
> motor? I am curious what cars had them and if they worked well enough or were
> they useless?
> thanks
Most cars had electric wipers as standard equipment by the 60s. However, I
know American Motors products had vacuum operated wipers as standard
equipment and electric ones as optional equipment as late as 1971.
Consumer Reports wrote about the 1971 AMC Hornet that they tested with vacuum
operated wipers, that you shouldn't bother buying the car unless it had the
optional electric wipers.
I can't see much advantage to them.
Every time you stepped on the gas, the wipers would slow down to a crawl. Not
so great if you get splashed with water from a passing truck.
Paul
>> UK) used vacuum wipers, and then only in the 50s and early 60s. The
>> better quality brands stayed with electric wiper motors throughout.
>>
>> > They worked real good if you incorparated the VACUM FUEL pump
>> > with them.
>>
>> I think you mean a vacuum reservoir.
>>
>
>vacuum pump on them to help power the vacuum wipers. A vacuum
>reservoir would only help for a few swipes, a vacuum pump would
>keep them going at a reduced rate indefinitely.
>
>
>--
>username. dbrewste
>domain. ix.netcom.com
This is true, I had a '71 International Scout with vacuum wipers and the vacuum
pump on the fuel pump. This vehicle was years behind its time...
-------
Paul Wheelock magnumATiastateDOTedu
S.G. Ouderkirk
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roy G. Bragg
40's-50's.
My uncle even had a 42 Chrysler with electrics.
Some specifics, Chevy made electrics optional in 56, standard in 58. Cadillac, Buick
&
Oldsmobile used them (with booster vacuum fuel pump) thru 1958. Even Cadillac power
door locks in 1960 were vacuum, and as mentioned in the group, remote trunk locks
on 63 Olds. Cadillac even used a vacuum powered compressor for self leveling shocks
as late as the mid-70's.
Roy
rogg...@iname.com wrote:
> On 22 Apr 1999 18:27:12 GMT, FordsGotMe <fords...@aol.com> wrote:
> > How did these work, and what was the reason to use them instead of an electric
> >motor? I am curious what cars had them and if they worked well enough or were
> >they useless?
>
> They have a large paddle in a vacuum chamber that moves back and forth
> via suction provided by engine vacuum and (usually) a booster pump doubled
> up with the fuel pump. If you look at the shape of one from the outside
> you'll get a pretty good idea of how it works.
>
> They're not too bad if everything is in good shape, booster pump working
> OK, etc., but in general electrics are preferable. The wipers will
> tend to slow down when the engine is under load and vacuum falls off.
> (If no booster pump they'll just stop! Real fun while trying to pass
> someone in the rain!)
>
> In the U.S., Ramblers were the cars most infamous for coming with vacuum
> wipers long after other makes had abandoned them. AMC cars came standard
> with 'em through the '71 model year. (I can imagine someone buying, say,
> a new Hornet or Matador in 1971 and not even giving a thought that the
> car wouldn't come with electric wipers. Surprise! :-)
>
> --
> Roger Blake
> (remove second "g" from address for email)