Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

There is a wiper control switch and some instructions on ebay listed as late 56. It is the same physical style as the regular 55-6 control but the electrical contact in the rear for the washer is missing and there is a vacuum port on the side instead. Description says late 56 for use with washers without the red cap.

I am curious when this might have been introduced. Does anyone have this style or have seen anything like the older circa 53 and earlier purely vacuum style washer on a V8? Didn't see anything in the parts manual other than the electric model and only one control is mentioned. Any speculation as to why they might have chosen to do this?

There is a fascinating little piece of history. I have never seen one but will keep my eyes open.

There is logic to it--because of the variable sweep feature, there is already vacuum piped to the control. With a clever redesign of the control its possible to apply vacuum to the washer pump. One new vacuum hose replaces two wires, a solenoid valve, a tee and and another vacuum hose. In mass production, that is a worthwhile cost savings. It is simpler and functionally equivalent.

My guess is that in actual fact Packard production was so slow in 56 that they didn't use up their original stock of electrically operated units.

Apparently "late" must mean the very last ones. I have Patrician #4747 (#4775 was the last one) and it has the red cap with 2 wires. I used to have Clipper DeLuxe #6399 and it had the red cap style, too because I had to glue it back together when it cracked.

I always thought red cap was 12v and black cap was 6v as far as the mag-nu-matic washers are concerned.

The one in my car is a 12v unit, and is the same unit that GM used on their cars.

You're right. Apparently this control is for a totally different washer -- non electric and similar to 53 and earlier. Those had the knob on column turn backwards to pass vacuum thru the extra port on motor to provide the washer charge.

Since the 55-6 motors did not have that extra port, this control must have been made to provide the vacuum directly to use that style washer. The question is when and where it was used. I and apparently others have never seen a V8 washer that wasn't electric and a different style washer or control is not mentioned in parts book.

My Esquire/400 hardtop (Model/Serial 5687-4121) was apparently only 103 cars of the 400s from the end, and it has a red top with two wires. I also have a spare washer unit from a 56 Patrician (production date unknown) that seems identical. I haven't examined the wiper switch to see if it appears to work with a vacuum for the washer function. Whether any of the washers really work is still a mystery that I have chosen to leave untouched because this car is highly unlikely to ever need windshield washing. The wipers do work with the original vacuum motor reasonably well, but their use is also improbable because one trip on a wet street will entail hours of wire hubcap cleaning when I'm safely home in a dry garage.

If you have the red cap your wiper switch should have the normal two vacuum ports on the side toward the dash end and an electrical connector straight out the firewall end. The switch on ebay does not have that electrical connection but instead has the normal two ports and a third hose port off the side toward the firewall end.

Forgot to check back with ebay at the time but it appears that late model all vacuum wiper switch did not sell.

Just happened to notice the notation on schematics today that Packard definitely had planned to use it at some point. Even the schematics say the electrical switch was early cars only.

Am still curious what the entire setup consisted of and what the jar top looked like. Am assuming the co-ordinator was still available. Since the vacuum switch would have replaced the solenoid and cut off the vacuum supply when released, I think it would have needed a different vacuum path for the co-ordinator to work in the same way.

Be nice to know if it was actually ever installed or if any other documentation exists somewhere.

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