So hey, what’s the point of the vacuum tank? Is it just so the headlight doors can still open or close once with the engine off? Is it necessary?
Lights, tilt away steering are things that stand out to me.
Steven
The vacuum tanks (head light, AC, and tilt) allow you to operate each system when the engine is off or at WOT, just kidding. It also buffers the engine from the system. If you didn’t have a tank, operating each system would create a short vacuum leak of sorts.
I don’t have the tilt-away steering, thankfully. What about when the engine is running, the vacuum light doors will open and close fine without the tank, right? There’s no harm in me trying things out with the tank disconnected?
Just to clarify, I’m trying to isolate potential vacuum leaks, and I think the headlight actuators are where it’s at. If I disconnect the tank and things get better, that suggests the tank is the problem, right?
This is all coming about because yesterday when I disconnected the light vac system so I could attach a vacuum gauge at that spot and adjust the idle, the engine ran great. When I reconnected the headlight system, it ran a little rough. Not bad, just a little.
I already replaced the busted check valve which I would have thought would help isolate the headlight system from affecting engine performance, but it doesn’t seem to. So for now I just disconnected the headlight vac system completely, in the interest of engine performance. But I’d really like to get them back in play. The headlight doors are cool as hell.
The best way to test your vacuum systems is with a vacuum pump. http://www.mityvac.com/ They are available at almost every auto parts store, harbor freight and Sears. I think I got mine for around $50.
On my '67, both my upper head light actuator seals leaked. I just disconnected the yellow striped hose and plugged it. This means that I can open my head light doors with the headlight switch, but I have to manually close them.
Aha! Yeah, that’s the trick, you could potentially need the doors to open, if it got dark out while you were driving. But you never really need to close them. That’s a good solution you used there.
I’ll end up getting the mityvac I’m sure, eventually, I’m just not in any shape to spend extra money at the moment. So it’ll have to wait. For now I can just leave the headlight doors open and it doesn’t hurt anything.
I’m confident there’s a leak somewhere in the headlight system, since after I just replaced the check valve, after I turn off the engine there’s not enough vacuum to open or close the headlights even once, or even make them budge. Probably it’s at the actuators. The passenger side one opens faster but closes very very slowly, and there have been two times where it didn’t close on its own.
Try cutting about a 1/4 inch off each of the hoses at the actuators. Sometimes the ends become brittle and leak. Cutting the ends back give a tighter seal. This might help also check your springs on each headlight door.
Steven
I will definitely try the hose trimming. Fixes that cost $0 are my favorite.
I can open and close both headlight doors with the entire system connected except the link between the manifold and the check valve. Shouldn’t the combination of the headlight switch and the check valve prevent me from opening or closing the doors? Either/or, I mean, not both.
But yeah, it’s obvious that ultimately I just need to pick up a mityvac and do some proper testing.
And add a dab of white lithim grease to the area when sliding back on…the grease helps lube and also makes a nice long lasting seal.
I know a guy that taught me that trick 