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1950 Prefect Vacuum Tank

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A

als

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The Prefect I bought came without a vacuum tank, so I bought a used one. The problem is that I can't figure out the right place to mount it. My manuals don't help.

Does anyone know where this usually goes?

Thanks in advance
Al
 
<THUD!>

umm... David... I think the cold is affecting you. Or th' fumes from all that plumbing repair...
 
Contact Micheal MacSems (IFHP@aol.com).
He's a contact for the North American English Ford Registry.
He's got lots of info,or can put you in touch with an
expert on Prefects.

- Doug
 
Nah, maybe it is the chill? I have a large collection of factory lit on Fords, as my Granny is fitted with a 100E motor and a shorrock. Just want to be sure.
Cheers, David.
 
/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

...just so yer safe 'n warm enuff. I was a'fear'd you were showin' signs of OldTimer's!
 
Moochas grass in your arse, Doc. No worries. It is to warm up by weeks end...snow in Malibu yesterday! I do have a vacuum tank from a 1959. Al, do you need to know the pipe arrangment as well?
Cheers, David.
 
The tank is fitted to the left side wheel arch on early cars. Later on the floor pan near the front mudguard apron. The tank has tabs for fitting...should be easy enough to find the holes in the panels?
Cheers, David.
 
I'm curious. What is the purpose of a vacuum tank?
 
The theoretical "purpose" is to improve the performance of the windshield wipers, which are vacuum driven. On my car the slightest acceleration increase stops the wipers in their tracks. I don't how much better it will be with a reservuor (sp?) of vacuum, but it couldn't hurt.

The tank is unfilled by the vacuum from the engine and is in turn attached to the wiper motor under the dash.

Thanks for the input everyone... I'll go look for the holes.

Al
 
David - I think the pipe arrangement will reveal itself, but if not I will post another question.

Thanks
Al
 
I saw that Malibu "snowstorm".. Holy COW!!!

Just so YOUR leaks and ruptures are resolved. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

And on a more sobering note: Just learned Art Buchwald has passed.
 
Thanks for the explanation, Al. I had a '50 Oldsmobile Futuramic years ago that was equipped with vacuum-powered windshield wipers. It could have used a reservoir because the wipers seemed to always quit at the very moment I needed them most!
 
Vacuum wipers sometimes need a little rejuvenation. If you carefully disassemble and clean the "motor" and then soften the leather with Neatsfoot Oil it may help. I had to do that with my old farm truck.

Have a nice day
Steve
 

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I've seen those vacuum reserve tanks on Prefects do their job very nicely, thank you! Probably 20 years ago now, my then-brother-in-law had a very nice Prefect, in which the wipers did seem to keep going in situations that would've brought the wipers on my '51 Chevrolet to a halt!

I didn't know about the vacuum reserve tank until he showed it to me. At that moment, I was struck by the fact that it (a Trico part as I recall) bore a most striking resemblance to a vacuum tank I remembered on my mom's old '68 Ford LTD Country Squire! On that car, it served as a reserve tank for the vacuum-operated headlight doors.
 
Bugeye58 said:
Steve, your mystery truck looks like an old Dodge M-37.
Jeff
Click to expand...

Very good sir!

That is a '58 M-37 that I bought from a junk yard about 8 years ago. It only had 10,000 miles on it but I had to rebuild the engine because of the mice in the cylinders. I use it on the farm and I just installed a snow plow in an attempt to change the weather.

I also do cross-word puzzles.

Have a nice day
Steve
 
Not sure if you got an answer Al but the tank mounts in front of the radiator. There should be some nuts welded to the floor panel there for it.

Bayless
 
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