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On the Wiper Washer Project:

Joel was able to locate a Senior Washer Knob with the washer button. So it takes all of about 2 mins to perform the swap.

The knob comes off the steering column by just pulling it firmly.

Then you can push out the black dummy button using a pen or something similar. The chrome button from the senior knob pushes out the same way. Then I just swapped them. Not seen in the diagram, but there is small spring on the washer pin to act as a return for the button.

Once swapped, the knob just snaps back on the steering column. So, what I've learned here is that if you see a black button, then it has no washer, as that is just a plug. Chrome button means it is supposed to have a washer.

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Kev,
What does the pin do? What does it connect to?
I guess I should go back a few pages to see.

It completes the circuit inside the column that turns on the washer pump.

Wiper motor boxed up and sent off to Ficken for a rebuild.

Any ideas on why the defroster pressure is anemic?

When on the defroster lever position, am I supposed to still feel the heat coming out of the passenger side heat outlet?

It's not a cable issue as I loosened it, and made sure the lever on the diverter box was as far over as possible. I guess I can pull the diverter off and see what the heck is going on.

Defroster "pressure" is hardly a concept on these cars as there are so many outlets across the base of the windshield that the flow is minimal. I have toyed with the idea of taking off the bottom windshield molding and taping about half of them shut.

If I recall, in defrost position you should still get some heat out of the bottom slot of the diverter box but nowhere else.

If you do take yours off I would appreciate it if you would post a couple of photos to refresh my memory. Can't remember if the heat/defrost diverter mechanism is as complex on the 54 plenum as it was with this 48-50 having the dual or maybe triple doors linked together.

I know the 54 plenum box is a separate piece so a different design from V8s where the plenum and heater duct is integral. I don't remember enough about those to know if flaps were still all metal but in some years the heat/defrost diverter flap(s) was made out of the tar paper like cardboard material Packard used on so many things.

On the 56 Patrician I had, it was the laminated cardboard like stuff. The material had cracked, laminations separated and warped. Even though the cable moved the mechanism, between the crack flexing when the flap tried to move and the mis shape of the flap the diverter did very little.

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So I found out the following:

Fusick sells rebuild kits, new glass jars, etc.:

fusickautomotiveproducts.com/products.asp?dept=830

However, it appears that they are actually reselling stuff from McVey's

mcveys.com/

Ficken Wiper Service will rebuild the wiper motor but advises that one find a NOS Washer Pump on Ebay.

Note that Fusick has new Treadle-Vac master cylinder castings and various other Bendix TV parts, which may be useful:

fusickautomotiveproducts.com/products.asp?dept=967

fusickautomotiveproducts.com/products.asp?dept=966

fusickautomotiveproducts.com/products.asp?dept=662

Wiper Motor came back from Ficken and it works wonderfully. This is the first time the Clipper has had working wipers since I have owned it.

Now I just have to buy all the different sized vacuum hoses I need to get the washer working.

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I went to four different parts stores and none of them had any of the vacuum hose sizes I needed. Only thing they had in those sizes was fuel line. But, they had the vacuum tee-fittings I needed. Go figure.

So I ended up ordering the hoses from Summit racing as they were the only ones that had rubber lines as opposed to PVC ones.

I did buy some body shims from one of the local stores that I needed to sort out the front passenger side door that is not closing evenly with the rest of the body. When closed the bottom of the door is sticking out relative to the body. I think if I use a shim between the top henge and where it attached to the door, that should push the top of the door out and bring the bottom in a bit.

Kev, it is getting hot down here in PA. Let's get the AC going..... What about the Ultramatic rebuild??

John