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How 'bout having Mr. Ficken rebuild your vacuum motor for about $120 and then just installing a nice new 55 Thunderbird dual action fuel/vacuum pump for another $90 and done. You will pay more than that for a rebuilt standard fuel pump.

The system will work terrific: the wipers park properly at the molding, you have infinitely variable speed, and dual sweep for the really heavy rains. Plus, if you are enthusiastic you can make the coordinator cycle the wipers when you push the button for the washers. My '56 did over 60 beats a minute when I turned them all the way up. What's not to like?

They will need rebuilding again in 2080 though.

Just noticed the other day that the lovely 56 Continental came equipped with vac. wipers.

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so its a 55 Thunderbird fuel pump that is used for that!! I saw someone on here that used that set up and I thought was pretty dang cool! Is it a direct bolt on fuel pump? and why would I need the packard vacuum pump (which I believe you are referring to the vacuum pump on the oil pump?) rebuilt when this combo fuel pump you suggested already have a vacuum pump? or are you referring to yet another vacuum pump on these cars?

dumb question, I know it is a ford pump, but is the support for that fuel pump similar or better for that then pump on these packard engines (which I believe is a carter pump)?

It replaces the vac pump that was built onto the oil pump on the 55-56 cars. I ordered the Ford pump from Napa and it arrived the same afternoon. New.

Hello Carfreak

Looks like you have some excellent suggestions for your wiper system after the vacuum unit on the oil pump is lost. I particularly like the sound of the Thunderbird fuel/vacuum pump which has the advantage of retaining vacuum operation and probably the existing controls.

My oil pump was replaced more than thirty years ago. There were fewer wiper options then. Mine has a custom-built but fairly simple mount for a widely available two speed (GM) electric wiper motor. It's hooked up to the existing switch, which has provision for washers but - best I can tell - these were never fitted to my car. The wipers in this form work a treat. The electric motor will cost about $30 to replace if it ever fails. On high speed the wipers can cope with a biblical deluge - as I found recently on a very wet Packard Club run here, when all the other Packards stayed home.

Here's a (not very clear) pic of my setup, but it looks like you have better options now.

Cheers

Brian

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This past weekend I got a little time waiting for mud to dry in the garage that I got some work done on the dash disassembly. I have the interior trim out here to be sanded and painted, but figured I should get the dash and column torn down so I can do that all at once.

Didnt get to far with the tear down due to having to mark every single wire on where it will go and cleaning every connection to prevent issues when I go to reassemble everything. I had to steal some bezels out of the other dashboards due to the ones I have being damaged or the plating just plain sucked. I had to rob a headlight switch out of one of the other dashes due to the Patricians being damaged in some areas.

As you can see the radio is not the packard one. I have the wonderbar radio in the other dashes I would like to use, but I do not have the wire routing or the wiring diagram on how the wonderbar radio works with the dash speaker, rear speaker and the speaker switch on the dash. The radio will get updated with modern electronics to give me AM/FM and an AUX input, but I would like to see if I could incorporate that speaker switch with this conversion. I posted in the 55-56 V8 section for a wiring diagram, but if anyone here has one please share!

I also dont have the a/c wiring diagram. the 55-56 a/c install listed on this site only has a small one detailing the switch wiring, but not the relay(?) that is mounted on the under side of the dash near the torsion level shut off switch.

both those areas are not detailed in the service manual that I can tell.

initial inspection of the harness shows the wires to be in decent shape with the exception of the yellow ignition wire coming off of the ignition switch... that wire has the insulation burned off and continues to look that way into the wrapped section of the harness. So that is a fire waiting to happen. once the harness is off the dashboard I will have to cut open the harness, trace that wire to the fuse panel instrument panel feed and replace that wire. Probably with a little heavier gauge.

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Don't know if you have all the components to the AC switch but here is a photo showing all the pieces minus the knob for the assy. The 55-6 AC install guide for dealers doing a field install is in the literature section available for download and shows where everything else goes. Item 43 in the Service, Shop and Training Manual section.

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The knob is the same as that used on the power antenna switch so should be easy to source if missing.

thankfully the switch and its entirety were there.

I did find the A/C wiring diagram thankfully.

Where did that bracket for the A/C switch mount too? Mine was just hanging out on the backside of the dash. I didnt find any mention of how that switch mounts behind the dash.

It mounts to the firewall (Howard, I'm sure, can provide details) and is controlled by the flex cable to the dash control. I've not done it yet but I understand that it is very difficult to install!

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Instructions on mounting the switch are in the book I suggested you download. There should be two screws or at least two holes in the bottom of the defroster channel near the original L defroster duct flange. That duct flange is cut flush and eliminated with AC so there should be some kind of flat plate covering the remaining hole. The switch mounting screws could be part of that plate or helping secure the plate. The switch mounting slots slide over the screws and assy is tightened in place. Switch has a slight offset with the shaft angled toward the dash hole location. A gentle curve of the flex cable will provide the drive connection to the knob.

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