[mmartin1872]

this may be a silly question but it still needs some answering... How can i test the entire vacuum system in my car. the doorlocks have never worked since i got the car, and i'm not sure if the rear vent works either... does the campbells soup can have something to do with the vacuum system on the inside of my car? (its a 64 ford thunderbird) i'd like to start at the "front of the car" test the first item make sure its working, then test the 2nd item (the distribution block i think) then the 3rd (the switches for the 3 things (front door locks, vent, and trunk lock i believe is also vacuum (but its line is bundled up in the trunk and not hooked up) and then finally the actuators and hoses... just to make sure everything is good.. my dashboard is out right now so its the best time to replace things like hoses if that is the problem. if it is the vacuum hoses would i just pick up vacuum line in bulk and cut it to size... if i do this where would i buy it from? then if it is the actuators, can i plug the lines off until i can get some new ones brought up to canada? how much vacuum should i be getting through out the inside of the car? my repair manual doesn't have any of these questions answered

i don't want to just aimlessly buy parts just to buy parts, and replace them. i want to find the broken things and replace them and preferably only them

again thank you for all the knowledge you guys can give me

Mike

 

[mmartin1872]

well here is an update...
the vacuum door locks trunk actuator, and ebrake actuator are no longer there (never where there since i got the car... the rear vent actuator is.... so what i'm hoping to do is plug off the trunk lock hoses, doorlock hoses, and get a new ebrake actuator or else buy a new ebrake pedal assembly with the standard pull handle, or possibly even add a pull handle to the system i got.
install electric door locks, and hopefully find an electric switch that looks like the stock vacuum doorlock switch.

or i could do the job right... dilemnas dilemnas... only prob with doing the job right is no one has these parts brand new it seems... so i have to buy used stuff that i'm not sure if they will work or not.

i also solved the problem of my rear drivers side 1/4 window not rolling down... seems there is no power window motor in there, but i did however find a screwdriver holding the window up, and i also found a bolt that was stuck that i had to cut out with a hacksaw blade...

now on to a new question.

the window motor.... does anyone know anyplace other than a "tbird restoration store" to get new or repro motors from, or possibly even a donor cars motor that will work for these windows. it slooks like the gearing is all inside the window frame area but its just missing the motor

I'll post updated pics later today when i get to my computer instead of the work computer.

 

[Kevin45]

First off if the hoses are original I would replace all of them. What might "LOOK" good is not necessarily good and to check the complete line in itself might check good until you bend it to put it back on. Then it's cracked. The lines are 41 years old and way past their prime. To check each part seperately you will need a vacuum pump to pull the vacuum. As far as hose, your local parts supplier should be able to get it for you. If not..I would do a search for "bulk automotive vacuum hose" and you should be able to turn up a few places that carries it.

CHECK THIS HERE

Kevin

 

[mmartin1872]

that was my thought on the hoses. then i ran into the "guy who was restoring the car before me realized he was missing pieces" syndrome and put things together with them not being there. So far the car is missing the window motor, one of the motors is slow, the vacuum system is missing lots of little pieces, the front floor boards seem to be rusted and fiberglassed over top of. i stuck a foot through the floor board today, screws installed in the wrong holes to hold interior trim in properly... somebody decided to superglue the rear courtesy lights to the headliner, so when you pulled the lights the headliner ripped... rgg... but ahh..

the only surprises for me though are the floor boards, and the window motor... i knew the window motor wasn't working so it was probably going to need to be replaced, but i wasn't expecting to inheret a screwdriver in the process.

the vacuum system i'm not too sure about... if i can switch it all to electrical actuators/solenoids, and mechanical chords instead, thats probably what i'll end up doing, unless of course i can find a supplier for all the original pieces, that doesn't want to sell me used stuff. i have however found a diagram of the entire vacuum system from a tbird supplier so i can atleast route missing vacuum lines (if there are any) find other vacuum parts that i didn't know about etc.

and the headliner needed to be replaced anyways so i wasn't too worried about that...

all in all... i still love working on cars and still can't wait to drive this one next summer..

if i do switch to electric solenoids... for say the rear vents... they get pulled open by vacuum and stay open until the vacuum is released, can i use say a standard electric doorlock solenoid in order to open these vents, they will be under pressure once they are opened up until they are closed because i think there is a spring return system on the vents (ie will this severly shorten the life of the door lock solenoid/actuator/thingymebobber)