Posted by Clint Dixon on Tuesday, September 02, 2003 at 5:37PM :
In Reply to: trico vacum posted by Jim from cincy on Tuesday, September 02, 2003 at 11:48AM :
I assume that you have one of those neat little aftermarket vacuum pumps from Trico that is driven from a self contained 6-volt motor, the kind of system that was designed to supplement vacuum to your windshield wiper motors by automatically starting when the manifold vacuum drops to a predetermined level. If so, this unit does indeed have a 6-volt motor. It is about the size of a heater motor and I do not think that the windings would hold up for very long when subjected to 12-volts. You can get a voltage drop from your local NAPA dealer that will safely reduce the voltage from 12 to 6-volts. These come with instructions, and depending upon the aplication, you may need to hook up 2 or more together in parallel or in series (I do not remember which). The number required is based upon the amperage draw of the motor. I do not know how many amps these little motors are rated at, but mine will blow the integral 30 amp fuse when placed under load for extended periods of time (long up hill climbs). I got around this by bypassing the fuse and using a circuit breaker. Lubricating the pump, with a few drops of oil at the screw and gasket located at the very top of the pump, will prolong the life of the pump and motor. I have found that a very light oil, such as sewing machine oil, works good for this purpose.
If you ever decide to part with the Trico pump, please keep me in mind. I have a '51 B3PW that I would like to get improved wiper performance out of.
Clint