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During the course of restoration of my 1954 Pacific, I am rewiring the car and have encountered an unknown switch(I think might be a switch) that has a wire connection to the unknown item. The part is located on the steering column left side about 8 inches down from the steering wheel.
I have been unable to locate the part on the electrical diagrams. Can you please identify this part? Thanks, Carl

Sounds like the wiper motor switch which should be vacuum operated. Maybe you have an accessory for a windshield washer?

Thanks 51 Pac, you nailed it, the car does have a washer accessory and this item is not shown on the drawings. Now to get into the thing to rewire. You have saved many hours of searching. Carl

Here are factory instructions on wiring the washer.

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This has been most helpful, I as very thankful for this valuable information. Carl

I have this on my 54 Clipper and didn't really investigate. I have nothing under the hood that would lead me to believe that it was for a windshield washer set up.

The washer was an option so may not be on the car but starting late 53 the washer option started going electric so switch to operate it was generally present. Switch was built into the wiper control casting and wire tucked inside the shroud. The knob may not have had the hole for the button though. In 54 they used the same control with switch, different knob, and also changed the motor so the added coordinator package on the electric washer option could mount.

On earlier cars before the transition the switch was not present and the washer was entirely vacuum. Those controls had a rounded shaft with a slot thru the middle for the knob to press onto. On the chance the late 53 electric washer (without coordinator) was to be installed on those earlier cars the entire wiper control assy had to change.

On controls with the switch present -- IIRC, ID'd by a hexagonal shaft on the control with a hole in the center -- the button and long stem to activate switch was usually part of the option kit as the illustration shows. Generally on non optioned cars there was just a black dummy plug which didn't move. To use the switch, the plug was removed and push button and stem installed in its place and wire was dug out of the shroud and connected.

My 1954 Cavalier has the same switch with the pushbutton on the steering column.

Turning the knob operates the wipers using a Bowden cable.

A quick push of the button activates the washer which sprays water on the windshield and turns on the wipers automatically. The wipers run a few strokes after the water spray stops due to a little pneumatic cylinder.

This all requires the correct wiper motor as well as the Trico Mag-Nu-Hydrostatic washer pump.

I used mine to clean muddy cat prints off the windshield just this morning, works like a charm.

All on vacuum.

Jim

thank you

thank you