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Vacuum system HELP! Here we go again!

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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 07:28 PM
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Default Vacuum system HELP! Here we go again!

Well, I have moved on to the vac system, neither my headlights nor wiper door are working...dead.

I have the vacuum troubleshooting guide, and have been trying to work thru it, though its a little confusing to me.

So I have around 15" vacuum at the manifold, thru the filter, and on the "large" side of the check valve. On the "small" side of the check valve (going into the dash and override valves, etc) I only have about 5" of vacuum. The check valve is clear, I can blow thru it.

I havent taken the dash out yet, so access to the headlite switch, and the T down there is pretty limited.

There is good vacuum going into the vacuum tank, and the tank is holding vacuum, according to the test in the troubleshooting guide.

There is NO VACUUM at the headlite actuators. All hoses (original I think) look fine, all connections are tight and the system is correct according to my diagram.

Any suggestions as to where to go on this??

Thanks!
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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 07:44 PM
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From: mount holly NC
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Default Vacuum System help.

Hi try here for more info,
http:www.corvette-101.com/vacuum.htm Pete.
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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 08:00 PM
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Do you have vacuum coming out of the tank?
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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 08:04 PM
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Originally Posted by DWncchs
Do you have vacuum coming out of the tank?
No. I specifically checked the hose that goes directly from the tank to the left headlite relay. Nothing. Also checked the hose that comes out of the tank to the T, right next to the tank. Nothing again.

???????
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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 08:09 PM
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Originally Posted by MakoShark72
No. I specifically checked the hose that goes directly from the tank to the left headlite relay. Nothing. Also checked the hose that comes out of the tank to the T, right next to the tank. Nothing again.

???????
So you have vacuum going into the tank but nothing coming out?
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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 08:25 PM
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Originally Posted by DWncchs
So you have vacuum going into the tank but nothing coming out?
Yup..But according to the trouble guide, I tested the reservoir by removing the two hoses that go from the tank to the actuators, plugged one of the outlets on the reservoir and tested the other outlet. Got 15" (my reference number). Supposedly thats a good test for the reservoir. But with everything hooked up and the car running, headlite switch OFF and override valve pushed IN, I get NO vacuum at all at the headlite actuators. I even tried to isolate the wiper side of things by plugging the input hose on the wiper override switch.
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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 08:30 PM
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I think you should work on the large vacuum hoses first.You have to get vacuum on your large yellow hoses at the relays.Pull the yellow off and see if you have vac there.
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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 08:45 PM
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Originally Posted by DWncchs
I think you should work on the large vacuum hoses first.You have to get vacuum on your large yellow hoses at the relays.Pull the yellow off and see if you have vac there.
My hoses are pretty old and faded, which ones are the yellow ones (I could probably hit them with some Simple Green and figure out the colors!)? Do they connect into the middle position on the actuator?
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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 08:47 PM
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Rob do you have a small piece of tube so we can connect the large hose coming from the check valve going to the tank and connecting it to the hose coming from the left relay?
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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 08:47 PM
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Originally Posted by MakoShark72
My hoses are pretty old and faded, which ones are the yellow ones (I could probably hit them with some Simple Green and figure out the colors!)? Do they connect into the middle position on the actuator?
Yes yellow is in the middle of the relay
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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 08:56 PM
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Something wrong with the checkvalve, you should be able to blow thru one side, but not the other and you should have the same vac signal on the 2 port side as the 1 port side.
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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 08:57 PM
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I think he has a serious leak probably in the wiper portion.Trying to get him to do a bypass.
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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 09:16 PM
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Originally Posted by SIXFOOTER
Something wrong with the checkvalve, you should be able to blow thru one side, but not the other and you should have the same vac signal on the 2 port side as the 1 port side.
The check valve IS working properly as far as one way flow!! The small port definitely has a lower reading than the larger one. The large port vac reading IS the same as the one port side. Initially I got NO flow thru the small port, but cleaned it out and now it flows. It may be bad, due to the different vacuum readings.
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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 09:20 PM
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Originally Posted by DWncchs
I think he has a serious leak probably in the wiper portion.Trying to get him to do a bypass.
Actually thats what I was thinking as well. I need to totally isolate the wiper portion. Looks like the place to do that is at the T connection under the drivers side dash?? Any other suggestions as to a more accessible place?
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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 09:25 PM
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Originally Posted by MakoShark72
Actually thats what I was thinking as well. I need to totally isolate the wiper portion. Looks like the place to do that is at the T connection under the drivers side dash?? Any other suggestions as to a more accessible place?
I think you should focus on the large hoses they are your real vacuum----the small hoses are just triggers for up and down-just like a light switch---the large hoses are the POWER that makes things work.
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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 09:51 PM
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I guess your not actually working on this right now.If you want to isolate the wiper side just remove the T and put in a straight tube.The T under the hood.
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Old Nov 7, 2007 | 10:33 PM
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Originally Posted by DWncchs
Rob do you have a small piece of tube so we can connect the large hose coming from the check valve going to the tank and connecting it to the hose coming from the left relay?
Think I'm done for the nite but will reattack tomorrow!!!
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