While I was explaining how to connect the vacuum hoses in a French forum, some clever guy told me that my own connection was wrong: I crossed the hose coming from the manifold with the one coming from the vacuum pump, see the wrong setting on the picture.
The man said that the dash pod should not be connected to the vacuum pump hose, but to the manifold vacuum. My candid answer was: "inside the vacuum manifold, there is one large chamber, it's not important!"
The reply was: "no, there are 2 valves inside that manifold, but usually they don't work anymore. Do the following test: if you can blow air in either vacuum ports, your manifold is defective"
By manifold, I do mean the small part attached to the firewall with 4 vacuum ports. On the second picture, you have a good view to that part.
Roger
This forum is sometimes funny with pictures...The first one did not appear. Here it is:
As you may see on the first picture, the ports from the manifold are labelled with the word MAN for manifold, V P for vacuum pump and WASHER for...washer. The forth outlet is obviously for the wiper motor. The part which is pictured is from a 1956 Cad; the same part was used till 1958. 1954 and 1955 have another part number, but I may imagine that the manifold is almost identical.
Of course, I did the test suggested by my friend and on the first manifold I removed, I could not blow in one inlet; I could do it without problem in the second one. This is the explanation why I have bad wiper action when the gas pedal is pressed beyond a certain position: low vacuum in the intake manifold, and the vacuum created by the pump is aspirated by the intake manifold, therefore no wiper...
It took more than 25 years to discover that, thanks to a gentleman 77 years old!
And how to correct the situation? well by opening the valve...After filing both rivets, it can be opened and is looking like the first picture below. The red gasket has ears; with the time they get hard and cannot close the port when necessary. There are also two tiny springs; they are OK when the material is fresh.
To repair the valve, I took a suitable material more or less like a fuel pump's diaphragm and cut it to the proper dimension, like you can see on the second picture.
At the end, I asembled all together with 2 screws (so it can be opened later in case) and did the test. It is OK! Now, I can repair the manifolds from my 2 othe cars...
Roger
OK, the first picture did not come. Here it is!
Now that's interesting!....thanks Roger!
You are welcome Walt! I hope that my explanation was clear enough. It's amazing: I have my '56 de Ville since more than 25 years and I'm discovering the secret of good functionning wipers after so much time!
Roger
Roger,
The only thing I can say is "A M A Z I N G..!" I always thought this was just a plain vacuum manifold w/no working parts…!
I'm a little confused.
So does the photo of the engine compartment show the correct connections and routing or is it incorrect?
Roger,
I first tested mine with hand vacuum pump. I closed both the “washer†ports and hook the pump to the “MAN†port and vacuum was escaping out of the “VPâ€port. I then connect the pump to the “VP†port and the vacuum held slightly but eventually escaped from the “MAN†port. I took my apart and found the material was petrified and one of the tabs broke off, yes it was the "MAN" side.
I made a temp one from a small piece of 1/32†rubber and performed the same test, this time each port held the vacuum. So vacuum goes from either the “MAN†or “VP†to the washer side, but not between them.
Great 411…!
Quote from: Otto Skorzeny on November 04, 2009, 04:49:20 PM
So does the photo of the engine compartment show the correct connections and routing or is it incorrect?
Otto, you would probably not be confused if the pictures were registered in the forum the way I wanted. I confirm the answer from Lou: in my picture, the hoses are crossed. It's not important for the wipers but it is for the dash pod. To avoid stalling of the engine, the dash pod must react according to the intake manifold vacuum.
For all with these cars: I'm pleased that my little report let you learn something. Forums are an invaluable way to share experience. I got this one from a French forum and, as a Swiss guy, I'm passing it over to a US forum!
I'm almost pretty sure that this attangement was shared by other manufacturers as vacuum wipers were common in the fifties. It's amazing that this little trick is unknown from the majority. Further, I have all "Serviceman" from 1953 to 1961. I don't remember that this little important part was discussed in these bulletins.
Roger
Roger - great information. Like Jose, i thought this was just a piece of metal attached to the firewall. now I can have a look in the Spring and hopefully, fix my wipers.
Roger,
Thanks for the tip. I rebuilt mine yesterday. I never knew that was a valve--I just thought it was a 2-piece distributor. It makes total sense that it would have to equalize or regulate the vacuum from "MANIFOLD" to "VACUUM PUMP".
I'm surprised that the wiper rebuilders don't ask for this part when they redo a motor. Also, this leaking might explain why the washer jar will sometimes emty.
I can hardy wait to get stuck in the rain!
Quote from: Walter Youshock on November 09, 2009, 09:59:20 AM
I'm surprised that the wiper rebuilders don't ask for this part when they redo a motor. Also, this leaking might explain why the washer jar will sometimes emty.
I can hardy wait to get stuck in the rain!
Me too! However, I have to wait until next year as my cars are in the winter sleep now. As I have never water in the windhield bottle, I never had the problem.
Probably the people who rebuild the wiper motors don't know about this little part. I don't know if this part is to be found inder the hood of other makes at GM, Ford or Chrysler; anyway, not all the cars with vacuum wipers had a vacuum pump under the oil pump.
Prior to 1954, Cadillacs had a vacuum pump combined with the fuel pump. I'm wondering if there is such a valve assembly?
Roger
All -
Nice post, Roger!
I thought everybody knew about this one! Just make sure you get your springs back in the proper half of the valve body, on the proper side of the flapper valve. They have to go in small-diameter side down (large-diameter side against the flap). Thread the back housing 10-32, and a button-head allen bolt works well to put these back together. If you're really creative, you can shave the button-head down to rivet shape and size, screw it into place, then fill the allen socket with JB Weld (or similar) and paint to make it look like and original riveted part.
Carl Schreiber
I used pop rivets that fit and it seems to work correctly off the car.
This really seems to be a critical component of the entire vacuum system, especially on cars without vacuum tanks--IE: Hydrovac equipped cars.
Thinking of ow a loss of manifold vacuum occurs and that pump takes over, this unit makes sense. Now, once this unit fails and manifold vacuum drops, think about possible drivability issues... Could this be the "red Herring" of my hesitation issues? Could the vacuum pump have been sucking power out of the engine because of a stupid, dried-out flapper gasket on the wiper circuit?
Without that valve, the entire wiper/washer circuit is open to manifold vacuum at all times. A fully working vacuum pump really means nothing if that valve remains open to the manifold side.
Quote from: Walter Youshock on November 09, 2009, 08:14:45 PM
I used pop rivets that fit and it seems to work correctly off the car.
A fully working vacuum pump really means nothing if that valve remains open to the manifold side.
To reasemble, I used 3mm screws with nuts, it's the same diameter as the rivets. This way, it will be possible to open the part in case.
When I restored my 3 cars, I let overhaul the vacuum pump. It was a big deception when I had to use the wipers; they worked not better than before the pump repairs. Now, after this "discovery" I understand why!
wow roger c, that info. you gave us on the vacuum/valve is the best thing i`ve seen in a long time; & i`ve been around a long time.now i can fix my 57.not much hope for my 49,so i put a 55 chevy wiper motor on it. fits perfect and & its 12v. now all we need is somebody to make up those gaskets; semi-pro,would make for some happy cadillac campers lol,lol--cadman49 (richard king,calif.)
Hello Roger,
I just stumbled over your excellent post and went straight out into the garage. I removed the windshield washer manifold - and of course I was able to blow into the VP and MANIFOLD connector. I filed the rivets of and found the gasket rock hard and brittle as seen in the picture. I made a new one and put everything back together. Now the car runs as before but the next time when I wash the car (wet windshield) I will try the wipers....
Thanks for sharing this info. Stuff like this makes this forum great.
Chris
This sounds like a topic for an excellent and useful article for the Self-Starter. I suspect that many owners, who might be "internet-challenged", would benefit from this knowledge. Roger, would you consider submitting it (with photos) to Steve Stewart?
Jim
Quote from: quadfins on March 14, 2010, 11:49:31 PM
This sounds like a topic for an excellent and useful article for the Self-Starter. I suspect that many owners, who might be "internet-challenged", would benefit from this knowledge. Roger, would you consider submitting it (with photos) to Steve Stewart?
Jim
Jim, that's a good idea. I will try to recap what I wrote and send it to him.
Roger
Thanks to all who came before me for this great discussion. My vacuum manifold (vacuum valve) was no good and using this information I managed to rebuild it. I can't wait to see how the wipers perform!
I had a hard time making the new gasket/seal out of rubber and ended up using rubberized fiber gasket material. I found that the key thing to making it work is to make the darned thing as delicate as you can muster. The little flapper valves are urged (biased) by those little tiny, weak springs. Well, the springs don't really push the flappers very hard but just sort of influence the valves toward the closed position, and low pressure on the back side of the flapper does the rest to keep them closed.
I have made up some rough schematic drawings of how I think this system works. As shown in Figure 1, with the engine off, both flapper valves are gently urged toward the closed position. With the engine running and producing good manifold vacuum and good vacuum from the oil pump based vacuum pump, both flappers are drawn open. This is the situation when you are idling, going downhill or cruising under a very light load. See Figure 2. In this situation, the wiper motor has excellent vacuum power to drive the wipers. When you put a load on the engine and lose engine manifold vacuum (like when going uphill), the flapper on the intake manifold port closes and only the vacuum pump flapper stays open. See Figure 3. In this way, the high vacuum created by the vacuum pump isn't lost to the intake manifold, but instead remains powerful for driving the wiper motor. To accomplish this, the vacuum power from the vacuum pump is communicated to the back side of the intake manifold's flapper and tends to pull it closed, with a little help from the biasing spring. So the spring doesn't have to do all of the work and is very delicate.
The upshot of this is don't make the "hinge" (neck) of the flapper too stiff or thick, otherwise the thing won't close easily enough and won't work as intended.
By the way, not only is this little tiny part critical to proper wiper function, when this thing fails it can have disastrous consequences. I spoke to the owner of that 56 red Eldo coupe at the GN yesterday and he said this part killed his engine three times before he figured out what was going on. He would rebuild the engine and take the car on a long trip. Going along the highway, the oil would get sucked from the oil pan up the vacuum hose and into the intake manifold, causing smoking. The smoke was bad enough, but he ran out of oil and cooked the engine. Same thing happened after the subsequent rebuild. (and a third time, I think).
Art Gardner
Yes Art, it's the way it should work!
By the way, this manifold valve has nothing to do with the engine failure of that red Eldorado; the culprit is the check valve behind the starter motor. I had that problem too, but search the cause before all the oil was gone. I also can tell you, when the engine smoke, you don't see anything in the rear view mirror but a grey/white fog!
Roger
Roger,
This is brilliant!
I have just accepted that vaccum wipers are useless and lived with it. Now thanks to this i will ckeck the valve on my 57 during the winter lay up.
Sometime in the past the washer system was converted to electric and the port on the valve has nothing connected to it. Would this cause any issues?
Joe
Joe, you have to close that port, otherwise you are sucking air from it.
I noticed a change in my wipers; anyway, electric ones are better...Anyway, for the number of time I'm under rain, they are acceptable.
Roger
Hello Roger,
Would it be ok to pm you re the vacuum issue.
Joe
You are welcome, if I can help!
Roger
Well, I think I have sorted out the little manifold on the firewall. But I don't have any vacuum coming from the vacuum pump - zero inches of mercury on the gauge. Does the brass check valve on the engine block (near the starter) sometimes get plugged up and block the vacuum from reaching the manifold? Or is it more likely that my vacuum pump has failed?
Art Gardner
Art,
From what I recall the vacuum pump provides about 17Hg at the high RPM mark. The check valve should be wide open with no vacuum pressure at the “out†side (tube going to the firewall manifold). If you show no vacuum pressure at this tube it could well be a stuck/restricted valve.
I know removing this valve is a pain due to its position and the starter blocking the access. Once you removed it you could check the vacuum from the pump, hopefully your pump is good.
Good luck..!
Jose - I was also thrilled to get this explanation from Roger and others...what a help!
However, now I see there is something before the vacuum manifold on the firewall to be concerned about. I recall a port in the block with a brass fitting that, through a metal tube, brings the vacuum from the pump to the manifold.
Can you provide a bit more information on the "check valve" that is in this route of vacuum?
Thanks, Dan
Quote from: Dan Koser on August 18, 2011, 02:24:35 PM
Jose - I was also thrilled to get this explanation from Roger and others...what a help!
However, now I see there is something before the vacuum manifold on the firewall to be concerned about. I recall a port in the block with a brass fitting that, through a metal tube, brings the vacuum from the pump to the manifold.
Can you provide a bit more information on the "check valve" that is in this route of vacuum?
Thanks, Dan
Dan,
I left that one hanging, sorry..!
The check-valve aka vacuum assist valve would be the brass fitting on the side of the block just behind the starter. You can reference David King’s comments and pictures under this post http://www.cadillaclasalleclub.org/forum/general-discussion/1956-1957-1958-cadillac-vacuum-check-valve/msg155026/#msg155026.
During normal conditions the engine vacuum pressure would be greater than the vacuum produced by the vacuum pump.
Since the vacuum pressure is higher at the valve “out†port (pipe to the vacuum manifold) versus the “in†port (from the vacuum pump) the valve is closed. The small brass disc (see David’s pictures) with the small spring and high vacuum keeps the “out†port close.
When engine vacuum drops there is a difference of pressures between the “out†and “in†ports, the valve would start opening when the differences are at about 1-2Hg (small spring tension). This allows the vacuum pump to provide assisted vacuum to the wipers as they need about 10-13Hg to operate.
Now the manifold also serves as a regulator as described by Roger, Art and others on this post. The two port valve opens and closes depending on the pressure at the “VP†and “MAN†ports. So vacuum assist is “only†distributed to the wiper side via the manifold “VP†port, and thus the higher pressure at the manifold keeps the “MAN†port close during vacuum assist.
You do not want to re-direct vacuum from the vacuum pump up to the engine and skew the timing when engine vacuum is low. :)
Hope this helps..!
Very, very interesting subject..thanks.
Now we are on the subject, I remember seeing some time back the special, combined vacuum/washer lines
- four rubber tubes, two small dia and two larger dia, side by side.
Can anyone point to from where they are availalble.
Also it would be interesting with a diagram of the vacuum lines in the case where the vacuum wiper motor
has been replaced with the direct fit electric motor (-59 through -62, I believe), that is which ones to plug
and which ones to leave operational.
It should be possible still to use the original vacuum driven washer pump and even
make some sort of pushbutton operated vacuum switch to turn on the electric wiper motor,
when the washer is activated.
Has anyone experimented with this?
Kurt
Kurt, I bought this combined tubes at Mastermind. As my cars still have the vacuum wiper motor, I cannot answer the second part of your question.
Hello Guys,
On a 57 cdv Is the vacuum pump an integral part of the oil pump or is it a seperate unit attached to the oil pump?
The workshop manual only shows the oil pump with no mention of the vacuum pump.
Joe
The vacuum pump is explained in the shop manual. It is the part of the pump with the vanes. I'd have to look up the page number.
Even with it working properly, don't expect miracles. It only draws 20 in. hg. which may be enough to give one wipe when manifold vacuum drops. There is a reason cars have electric wipers--VACUUM SUCKS! And there is no vacuum reservoir tank on '56 or '57. 1958 was the first year they installed a reserve tank.
Another critical part of the entire system is the washer pump itself. Vacuum is applied to the washer switch on the dash; to the pump itself; and to the coordinator that turns the wiper on along with the washer. I've found that if the fluid level is low in the washer bottle, the car will run like it has a vacuum leak.
Thanks, Roger - do you have a more exact Mastermind address? Seems difficult to Google them.
About the second part of my question, I've looked at a Chrysler site and see that there is a dedicated
co-ordinator switch mounted sort of piggyback on the motor, bypassing the wiperswitch.
Anybody know if this was used on Cadillacs?
Just found a picture of the combo on a Corvette site
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-and-c2-corvettes/2791634-1961-wiper-coordinator-question.html
Yes, Cadillac used the coordinator switch. Pushing the washer button activates the washers AND turns on the wipers. There is a brass adjustment screw on the washer pump that "tells" the wipers how long to stay on. Once the circuit is closed, vacuum turns the wipers off by cutting vacuum to the coordinator on the wiper motor switch. Spring pressure then moves the switch to the "off" position on the wiper motor. It is fully automatic, unlike the first electric wiper systems. On those, the washer switch activates the washers and moves the wiper switch to low speed but the driver has to manually turn off the wipers...
Walter, on my cars the wipers are cycling 3 or 4 times and then shut off automatically. This is also the reason why I "like" the vacuum wipers: the system, when working correctly was very modern. If you want intermittent wiper action, you give more gaz!
Roger - do you have more on Mastermind?
That's the way they're supposed to work. Adjusting that brass screw will keep them on longer (turning out) or shut them off sooner (turning in).
Vacuum wipers do have some advantages... INFINITE speeds (provided there is enough vacuum to keep them going and dependent on switch position); completely silent with the cable drive system; and the fully-automatic washer feature. But why was Cadillac the last GM brand to adopt or offer electric wipers?!?!?!
A quirk of the '57 and '58's is that the passenger arm likes to wiggle loose and eventually walk off the cam, scratch the windshield then fly off the car, preferably before it plops around and bangs the hood. I had to epoxy mine to the transmission. Plus, the splines on the arm mount strip and won't hold to the transmission.
Follow the adjustment procedure in the Shop Manual. If the transmissions aren't aligned properly under the dash and tightened down, they won't follow the angle of the windshield and that plastic cam will wear out and that will cause them to pop off the cam.
Sorry, I forgot you. The last contact I had with Mike Rizzuto was: Mprizzuto at aol.com (replace "at" with @)
Roger
Try this:
MASTERMIND, Inc.
Michael P. Rizzuto / President
32155 Joshua Drive
Wildomar, California 92595 USA
(951) 674 - 0509
mike@mastermindinc.net
Thanks Walter,
I only checked the index in the rear of the manual and this dosen't mention the vacuum pump. However then applying a little common sense i found it in the engine section of the manual next to the oil pump section.
Re the wiper arm problem, my driver side wiper will not stay on the cam at all. The passenger side works fine.
I got caught in the rain a few weeks ago and the driver side wiper raised up off the cam, twisted 90 degrees and jammed on the corner of the screen. Fortunately i had the foresight to retain the old non cam wipers (that were on the car when i bought it) in the boot (trunk) so i pulled over and replaced the driver side and continued my journey without further incident. The cam wipers do look better but i just can't get the driver side to work. Very Frustrating considering they were very expensive to purchase and ship to the UK.
Joe
Thanks for the Mastermind reference...
Kurt
Ok, i read thru the whole section. With the engine (newly rebuilt...0 miles) on, I pulled the tube from the vacuum manifold and oil started pumping from it. My check valve was really messed up, the disk was flipped on its side and separated from the spring (the disk was out of the 4 pronged grooves). So that is why I had so much smoke blowing when the engine was on.
So, I'll replace the check valve, but why would there be oil coming thru at this point. Shouldn't this be sucking all of the time if the check valve is open? Does this mean that my vacuum pump is bad? The shop manual is not very helpful. And the master parts list does not show what it looks like for the 54 cdv.
Is there a kit for rebuilding this pump? Or do I need to send it out? I have not found any where on line that offers either one of these options.
Also at idle, what should the intake manifold vacuum pressure be?
And lastly, wouldn't it be easier an easier fix if you put in 'in-line' check valves before the vacuum manifold that is faulty? The rubber flaps are just check valves...yes?
By the way the information that here among the Caddy People is amazing and is appreciated.
If the intake manifold vacuum is greater than the vacuum created by the pump, the oil will be sucked into the manifold if the check valve is not working properly, even with a correct working vacuum manifold.
I believe that the intake manifold vacuum is about 18" at idle.
Roger
I get that part, thanks for intake pressure.
But should there be possitive pressure (oil coming thru) the vacuum pump line if the bottom brass check valve is 'stuck open', as mine was? Shouldn't the vacuum pump be working continuously?
Thanks
Yes, the vacuum pump is working all the time when the engine is running, as it is part of the oil pump. At idle, the rpm are low, the vacuum generated is low, but in the intake manifold the vacuum is high; therefore, it suck the oil when the check valve is not OK.
It seems that you don't know the condition of that pump; you can measure the vacuum at the rubber hose by disconnecting it from the vacuum manifold. Measure the vacuum at idle and with some more RPMs, you should have about 20" of vacuum.
Roger
Everyone, excellent information on this subject. Art, the diagrams were exactly like the ones you drew on the bar napkins at the GN. I used EPDM material to make the diaprams. It is a composite roofing membrane that is very flexible and holds up well. It is close to 1/32 inch thick. I traced the outline of an old gasket on it and then laid it on to a piece of soft wood. I used an exacto knife with a new #11 blade in it. If you take your time and turn the piece when cutting, and holding it down with your non cutting hand, after a couple of tries it should come out pretty close to the original. When reassembling, if you really want it to look like factory original, I used 1/8 x 5/8 solid aluminim rivets. I found them at Aircraft Supply in CA. You can Google them for the address and phone number. You can get them in 1/8 pound incriments. Very inexpensive. When I reassembled the halves together I put one rivet in with the round head up and the other rivet in the opposite way temporarily to keep both sides lined up. I used a piece of hardwood as a backing and set the rivet head on it. I took a small ball peen hammer and started peening the first rivet over. When it just starts to hold, I reversed the other rivet and started it. I worked back and forth on the rivets to equalize the squeezing motion. It now looks brand new and as mentioned in a previous post holds vacuum when a gauge is applied. I reinstalled it in the car, wet the windshield, and tried the wipers. Totally different. They work excellent.
Just a correction on the supplier of the rivets. It is Aircraft Spruce and Specialty Co. 877 477 7823
Jose,
I have now overhauled both the vacuum manifold on the firewall (making a new gasket) and the brass check valve behind the starter (valve was plugged up with debris). Both of those seem to be okay now But I still don't have any vacuum on the vacuum pump line. I guess I'll have to drop the oil pan and take the vacuum pump apart. I'll test the vacuum pump pressure one more time before I commit to that effort...
Art Gardner
Quote from: Art Gardner CLC 23021 on August 30, 2011, 12:50:42 PM
Jose,
I have now overhauled both the vacuum manifold on the firewall (making a new gasket) and the brass check valve behind the starter (valve was plugged up with debris). Both of those seem to be okay now But I still don't have any vacuum on the vacuum pump line. I guess I'll have to drop the oil pan and take the vacuum pump apart. I'll test the vacuum pump pressure one more time before I commit to that effort...
Art Gardner
Art,
Ouch, that is a major task in getting to the oil/vacuum pump…! Hope you can get it back in working condition.
Good luck..!
On the subject of Trico vacuum washer pump - anybody know where to get a rubber
seal for the lower piston, the one that pulls up the water inside the pump?
Thanks, Kurt
Quote from: Kurt Kjelgaard on August 30, 2011, 05:08:01 PM
On the subject of Trico vacuum washer pump - anybody know where to get a rubber
seal for the lower piston, the one that pulls up the water inside the pump?
Thanks, Kurt
Kurt,
I recalled McVey’s having the complete rebuilt kit; I can’t find it on their web site you may have to ring them up. There are also Chevy site that list them maybe cheaper but can’t say for sure.
http://www.upconlinestores.com/impala/index.php?route=product/product&path=142&product_id=2965
http://www.classicchevy.com/chevy-windshield-washer-pump-rebuild-kit-trico-1956-1957.html
Good luck..!
Excellent, thanks
Thanks for the info on the check valve at the bottome of the engine block. My original one was shot.......and by the looks are not really designed to be leak proof. Anyways, I got a new one from McMasters, and now I have zero smoke from the tail pipes.
Speaking as a newbie.......if it seems you have more smoke than you think and;
1) have the original check valve
2) vacuum manifold is faulty
3) vacuum pump is less than optimal
then, the intake manifold could be drawing in small or large amounts (as mine was) oil into the engine and giving you your extra tail pipe smoke.
Thanks again for the help.
As a final note on my vacuum wiper troubles with the 56, I tried a few times to re-do the auxiliary vacuum pump and never did get it to work. I finally gave up and then eventually sold the car. The pump seemed to be in pretty good condition overall, in keeping with the low mileage of that 56 FW. But it never developed any good vacuum (as measured in front of the check valve, not after). That was one of the few problems on the 56 that I never resolved.
Now I have a 54 sedan with the same system. I haven't checked the vacuum system. But I do have an NOS vacuum pump that I lucked into on ebay...
Art,
I thought you got some of those replacement rubbers awhile back when I made them for the Cadil-Ikes Chapter?
I still have a few left if anybody needs them.
Phil
Yes, I think I have two of them. They are in my stash of special or high-value parts for the 54. Once I get the car running again in a week or two, I'll check the wiper system out...
Here is a update on this thread. I have a professionally reproduced part that will solve this problem. If interested, please send me a PM.
David
And I have found that ace hardware has rivets that match in size, only thing is to be able to crimp down, I used a ball bearing larger than the end and used vise grips to squeeze the ball to mushroom the end and worked great.
The second picture: right rivet mushroomed, left rivet not done yet.
Jason
I have learned from rebuilding these and washer pumps to not over tighten the rivets! The gaskets actually need a bit of give or the units will not work properly.
Ok,
But my original didn't have any play in it, also wouldn't that cause an air leak?
Yes, it could. Over tightening can also cut into the gasket thereby causing a leak. These are not gaskets!!! They act as valves. They need a bit of play to get seated properly. It would be like trying to sleep on a sheet of cotton or a sheet of steel. It needs some give to work properly.
Quote from: quadfins on March 14, 2010, 11:49:31 PM
This sounds like a topic for an excellent and useful article for the Self-Starter. I suspect that many owners, who might be "internet-challenged", would benefit from this knowledge. Roger, would you consider submitting it (with photos) to Steve Stewart?
Jim, I wrote that article. Unfortunately, it was never published; I got once a notice that too many things are on the waiting line; maybe it will be published in the year 2095!