Vacuum hose issues

[Stuart M. Cohen]

So last fall, my mechanic pulled the dash to do some work. When he re installed it, the AC and heat wasn't working correctly. We figured the vacuum hoses were put back wrong on the lower dash control unit. He's bee trying to get it working, but can't. He has all the diagrams, but can't figure it out since there are 10 hoses coming from under the dash and 12 receivers on the lower dash control unit.

I haven't seen any of this personally; I'm just going by what he's told me. Any ideas?

[frasern]

From the factory, the hoses had coloured stripes on them, and matching tiny paint dots on the fittings. The hoses may be long gone, but he should still be able to find the dots, and match them up. On my '63 parts car, one of the dash fittings is capped, so no hose goes there. It was already apart when I got it, so possibly more than one was capped before.

[Suicidekid63]

Stu,
Here's an old post about vacuum lines. If you scroll down, I posted up a picture of servo ports and functions.
replacing all those lines was one of the worst jobs I did on my 1963 sedan, but felt the best when done, after everything vacuum related worked!
Good luck with your issue.
https://www.thelincolnforum.net/phpbb3/ ... es#p399219

[TonyC]

If he has the diagrams, then I'm guessing he isn't studying them thoroughly enough. If the system worked before the surgery, then it should work again if he focuses more on detail and less on time. But that is the issue with mechanics: They have schedules to be met. That's the main reason I chose not to utilize my skills as a money-maker.

That isn't necessarily meant as vitriol. He may very well be very good at his work; but he is subservient to schedules, as is the case with all businesses. If he focused thoroughly on the issue with yours, like I could, he'd figure it out.

---Tony

[papawayne]

Stu, have your man check those little motors on the passenger side of the cowl, they, (and the multitude of colored hoses) was the reason I had no heat or defrost. What a complicated system for a simple procedure! Wayne

[Stuart M. Cohen]

It's not a matter of time. The owner of the shop himself (who doesn't work on cars anymore) is working on it. Yesterday he spent all day working with the diagrams, but the problem is that the color coding is not there, and as mentioned, there are 12 receivers and only 10 hoses. Based on Steve's diagram, I now know one reciever is capped, so we're still looking for one more hose. I'll get that diagram to him in case he doesn't have it. Thanks, Steve.

[frasern]

Just a wild guess, but is the missing hose, the supply hose from the engine?
I like Steves idea about paint dots on the hoses, but that is difficult to add now. Factory used tape I think, later cars had the stripe formed right into the tubing.

[rick]

I don't want to confuse this issue and I know it's a '63 you're dealing with.

But on my '61 (a different configuration) the main supply line going from the engine to the round HVAC Control Unit has a JUNCTION and splits into two hoses just prior to connecting to the Control Unit and thus connects to TWO of the nipples. That would mean you would have ten hoses yet eleven Points of Contact. Then the capped one would make twelve.

Stu, do you have John Brewers pamphlet on the Vacuum Hoses?

Rick

[Stuart M. Cohen]

"Stu, do you have John Brewers pamphlet on the Vacuum Hoses?"

Nope.

[Stuart M. Cohen]

So my mechanic is at wits end. He's followed the diagram in the MM, along with all the other info I've given him and still missing 2 hoses.

Anyone know someone other than LincolnLand or Rich Lianna that might be able to help troubleshoot vacuum issues?

[1Bad55Chevy]

I don't think he is following this diagram properly.

I have never worked on one if these cars so I can't be 100% on this. That heater control assembly has 12 ports but it only appears to use 11. This system honestly dosen't look that complicated.

Tell him to hook his scanner up and pull the climate control codes out of the BCM and we can go from there!


I will be here all night if anyone needs me.....

[mge825y]

Stu - I've done this job before on my '63. But my car does not have AC, so I had to follow a slightly different diagram. I do know that your car (with AC) and and mine (without AC) will have more male nipples on the back side of that switch than there are hoses. And, those male nipples on the back of my switch are color-coded with a spot of paint to match the color-coded vacuum lines that attach to it. Male nipples on the back of the switch that were not color-coded are not used and should be capped. But the caps can fall off - which can confuse matters.

To get mine working was more a process of elimination. I connected the correct colored hose to the correct colored nipple on the switch. Then took my print out of the diagram and marked it complete. Then looked for what was left over and that narrowed it down to something manageable.

Attached is the diagram for your car (with AC). The damnable thing about this factory diagram is that it shows vacuum lines in the engine bay and under the dash without really showing that most connect through the firewall vacuum block. I'm pretty sure that the green line is the firewall vacuum block. Everything north is in the engine bay. Every thing south is under the dash.

[Suicidekid63]

The link I posted above has the factory diagram with firewall junction block noted.

[mge825y]

The link I posted above has the factory diagram with firewall junction block noted.

You're right Steven - that vacuum line routing diagram in the link you shared came from the 62 /63 Shop Supplement and is more detailed than the one BadChevy posted that came out of the Lincoln Heater Manual. Crazy how the two Lincoln documents are different. Plus the additional info you created with what connects to what is really helpful.

Anyone that's gone through this work never wants to have to do it twice. When I did mine I created my own version inspired from yours for my non-AC car. I also used hobby paint and painted all the hose ends with the correct color. Did the same on the vacuum block.

Fast-forward to this past winter...I was driving around and noticed my heater blend doors didn't quite work the way they were supposed to. I have my guide to get in there and fix it, but it's such a PIA that I never did do it. But it's on the "list" and I'll get around to it eventually - or just not drive it when it gets cold!