Why vacuum wipers?

[James Landi]

I get the "cheap" element of those vacuum motors...seems as if GM went through these "vacuum" phases  even after the 12 volt revolutions with the first generation air ride compressors, door locks, headlight shutters (on early Eldorados)- and the ever present emergency brake release and hvac mode control motors-- perhaps the "bean counters" were already undermining the brand decades before it became painfully obvious.

[Walter Youshock]

GM didn't manufacture the wiper systems.  They were purchased from Trico.  Trico supplied every car manufacturer back then. The washers, transmissions, arms, blades, everything was made by Trico.

[CEC #20099]

ALL: Buy a Mopar. 2 speed ELECTRIC wipers, 6 V, from after WW2. I believe they had Electric Autolite motors, which were not huge, didn`t suck the battery dry, & worked just fine. GM was too set in their ways to update. Same with power steering. Davis approached GM in the 30`s with a good system. They blew him off. The 1951 Chrysler had a HEMI, & Power Steering. GM finally had to respond. Styling sells.
c chleboun #20099

[Glen]

The vacuum wipers worked well when the cars were new.  Why spend a lot of money to fix something that was not broken?  The problems did not show up until the cars had many miles on them.  By then the vacuum pump on the fuel pump was worn and the check valves in the manifold on the firewall were not working.  Most people did not take their old car to the shop just to fix slow wipers.   

[Roger Zimmermann]

Lincoln had vacuum wipers till the early sixties!

[Jay Friedman]

I had my Trico vacuum motor rebuilt by www.wiperman.com, replaced all the hoses and had the fuel/vacuum pump rebuilt by Gould.  The wipers now work well.  They are very fast in high vacuum situations, to the point that I only need to turn the control button halfway open to have them go at an adequate speed.  Going up a hill they slow down considerably but don't stop.  (Luckily the area is not too hilly and I don't drive in the rain very much.)

[bill06447]

Lincoln had vacuum wipers till the early sixties!

...then they switched to hydraulic wipers driven off the power steering pump which IMO were WORSE!

Bill