Anyone ever use a vacuum pump?

Big cam, automatic ,power brakes equal trouble, cam allows a vac of 11, tranny wants 12 to shift right, power brakes want 14. Cant switch to manual and standard brakes, knees are shot from racing motorcycles and I really like my cam. You guys ever use one of those vacuum pumps? I dont think a reservior cannister is gonna do much. Lookin for home spun ideas, dont really want to drop 350 on the comp cams kit.

 

i dont know about over your side of the pond, but a lot of diesels have a vacuum pump on the back of the alternator you could try one of these , brittish ford mondeo tddi also have a belt driven pump on the flywheel end of the head

 

Yeh, I bought one a long time ago from an ad in Hustler magazine. Used it till it wore out and my winkey is still dinkey. So don't expect a lot.

 

winner.

 

I installed a vacuum tank and it works great with my power brakes. I also have 11 inches of vacuum at idle.

 

Id try the canister first. Borrow one if you have too. Hell, I think I've got one if you want to try it PM me.

Stainless Steel Brakes has an electric one that works great for this purpose. I think Ford Escorts had a small belt driven vacuum pumps too that might be had cheap from a U Pull it.

 

What do you think one of these canisters consists of? I know they look a lot like Mrs Folgers had coffee in them, just a larger feed bung and a smaller nipple to the thing that needs the extra jolt of vac right? I dont think theres a bladder in there do you? I gotta make one, I got way too much money into this girl, sent the gold chain to the cash for gold guys.

 

Are you running an electric fuel pump?? If so, install a mechanical pump back on the block, plug the outlet, then run a steel line to the inlet, you now have a vacuum pump! You may consider a canister along with this setup, but try it without first, worked for me in the past.

 

you should be able to make a canister out of about anything that is sealable. later corvettes had the front crossmember behind the bumper as a vacuum canisters. as skid said just a tank and check valves.

 

Check valve off the carb so it holds a steady negative pressure? What do you think about a gallon volume in any configuration? From what Im gathering I need this can no matter what, even if I go with a suction pump I need the can as a buffer. Ill make a thin box out of aluminum and place a center support in it so it dont suck smash a check valve on the suck side, a port feed and better put a residual drain on it just in case. cool Im stoked, Ill post a pic of it here when its done and let you guys know how it works, thanks.

 

a bunch of GM cars in the eighties had factory electric vacuum pump. Find one in a junkyard chances are the cannister and check valve are there still too.

EDIT---here ya go, cut and pasted out of another thread

These cars used an electric vacuum pump.

Buick
82 Skyhawk-J
82- 85 Skylark-X

Pontiac
85-86 6000
82 J2000
82-84 Phoenix-X

Chevrolet
84-86 Celebrity-A
82 Caprice-B
82 Cavalier-J
82-85 Citation-X

Cadillac
82 Cimmaron

Oldsmobile
86 Cierra-A
82 Firenza-J
82-84 Omega-X

You'll find these pumps in front of the driver's side front fender well. Look for the vacuum lines running along the fender from the brake booster. Get the electrical plug that goes to the pump and the rubber mounting plate.

The pump is also available new from GM. Various GM part numbers for vacuum pumps are 22062562, 22034995, 24505066, 10090521.

Power connections are easy. Black is ground. Red wire goes to a hot source. Black with white stripe goes to switched power. Either the accessory side of the ignition switch or to a manual switch so that the pump can be run during cool down in the pits. The pump is powered via the A connection, but will only run if it receives power from the ignition switch on the B connection.

Connection A (Red wire) battery positive, 12 volts+ through a fuse.
Connection B (Black with white stripe) ignition positive, 12 volts+
Connection C (plugged) not used (not used in factory system either)
Connection D (Black wire) ground, 12 volts-

 

I used the vac canister from summit 35 dollars has the check valve and all the hardware you need, worked great.

 

Or weiner .

 

Transmission is not going to like any form of artificial vacuum. You can have the trans modified or just adjust the modulator but it needs to know engine load.

 

good thread subscribed!

 

same!

 

Damn, this is a valid point, lets try to proof this one out on paper before we part with any paper.
Heres the di-lemon:
351w with a Comp Cams 35-250 4 cam, .541-.544 9.8 comp
Dyno @ vac of 11 @ 1100 rpm
c6 trans, 2800 stall per cam spec, trans likes 12 vac to shift, per papers TCI
Brakes with a booster system, GM style, like 14 vac
Engine is tuned to 16 initial 32 duration MSD mechanical dist.
Vac is 11, rpm 1100, @ 3000 rpm vac is 20 -21
Upon engaging trans with foot on brake vac drops to about 6 and recovers, engine stumbles when the trans wants to shift, maybe because as it shifts it loses all of its vac and drops rpm, right?
So because the trans needs a vac signal to engage the gear shift it will not respond to the constant pressure of the pump, therefore no shifts.
So a trans cant be hooked to a vac pump, there is no way you could get a vac signal, is there?
Is it possible to replace the modulator to a lower vac response? TCI did not offer that, I will ask.
Is it possible to run a trans as a manual valve body? Can you operate an automatic transmission as a manual, would suck a bit as Im on the column.
Can you operate a trans with no vac?
If you run a canister with a check valve the canister will charge to over 11 vac as the rpm increases, upon the modulator recieving and registering the shift signal does it waste, or discharge vac or does it just fluctuate a diaphragm within itself and transfer the signal from pneumatic to hydraulic?
If you install a check valve on the canister wouldn't the canister just pressurize and not be able to feed a signal to the trans?
Would it be better to just leave the canister without a check and let it operate as a buffer vessel so the engine has residual pressure against the trannys request.
I think the brakes are alone in this, a canister and a pump just for them, They should not require a signal of any type?
I see the mechanical dist as an advantage here, the poor thing would wacky out if it were vac operated.
We will find out, if it were not Friday at 530 Id be askin them, you betcha.

 

IF I remember correctly from my parts days. You could get a direct replacement modulator that was adjustable. How much I don't know. I have always run a stick or mopar trans.

Hope it helps.

 

I built a canister for my Studebaker out of an empty propane canister (looked better than a can), and a check valve from a power brake unit, it helped, but not enough. So, I installed a vacum pump from a vega, not sure what year or engine anymore though, but I don't think it was anything special since there were a lot in the junkyards at the time, I don't know why they needed the pump.

 

YES, an adjustable modulator. In stock at any transmission shop. Reasonable.
They may want to install and adjust it for you as well. I used to use them on street rods, because of the vehicle weight difference.

 

Damnit, I just hate that.

 

1998 + powerstroke,{f250} + use a small electric pump and a large canister for reserve. its on the pass wheel well. should be a good small and dare i say reliable setup that could be t d into your existing vac line and hidden. stil in use at least to 2004 models

 

tci also made a cable operated modulator for theeese situations too. converts your trans to a t.v. intsted of vacum. i think this and a canister would do ya.

 

Early 80s 6.2 Diesel V8 from a full sized Chevy pickup or Suburban has the part you need . On 6.2's that were put in front of 400's there was a vacuum valve and switch assembly on the pass. side of the injector pump. The valve was basically a variable leak that gave a high vacuum signal at idle and progressively lower vacuum as the throttle is increased. It also had a switch that closed near full throttle to actuate the downshift.
It's pretty easy to identify - it has two nipples for the vacuum connections and an electrical plug for the downshift solenoid.

If you find the module and put it on, make sure the vacuum pump and modulator go to the correct ports respectively, otherwise you won't get the correct vacuum signal to the modulator.

 

Early 80s 6.2 Diesel V8 from a full sized Chevy pickup or Suburban has the part you need . On 6.2's that were put in front of 400's there was a vacuum valve and switch assembly on the pass. side of the injector pump. The valve was basically a variable leak that gave a high vacuum signal at idle and progressively lower vacuum as the throttle is increased. It also had a switch that closed near full throttle to actuate the downshift.
It's pretty easy to identify - it has two nipples for the vacuum connections and an electrical plug for the downshift solenoid.

If you find the module and put it on, make sure the vacuum pump and modulator go to the correct ports respectively, otherwise you won't get the correct vacuum signal to the modulator.

Fit some sort of vacuum pump ..... better than a canister which will still only store vacuum at the lowest vacuum reading from your manifold. I prefer the one on back of a light diesel alternator.. however they need a pressure oil feed and drain back to the sump.

 

If I remember correctly from my days of working with Cadillac they had a vacuum assist pump on the 4100 engine that increased the vacuum enough to allow all of the components to work properly.Apparently the engine didn't produce enough vacuum.Maybe you could use a similar system.Worth looking into anyway.

 

Haven't finished reading the whole thread so if it was brought up already sorry. Yes to check valve, this lets the canister hold the highest vacuum levels from the engine at differant rpm and load levels.

 

We run a Ford pump like this on the MoPar race car and it works. I've thought about putting one on the 460 in my Bronco because I have the same problem...too much cam.

I work in Ford parts, PM me if you decide you want to get a pump and I'll help you out.

 

LOL! You ain't right!

 

Sorry, I couldn't resist!