Classic/Antique Car Repair: 1955 Packard wiper vaccuum hookup, windshield washer, windshield wiper

Question
I have a 1955 Packard clipper with vaccuum type wiper motor and glass jar reservoir. I see that there are 2 small vac hoses that run thru the firewall into the wiper switch. I know 1 of these hoses goes to the small nipple on the bottom of the wiper unit. Where does the other one go to? How does this system work?

Thanks
Rob  

Answer
Your windshield wiper control has three features:  

The main knob, as you no doubt know, controls the speed of the wiper action.  

The flag type lever that rotates under the knob controls the width of the sweep. At one position, the wipers sweep only the narrow area in front of the driver's eyes, but the wipers will work much faster - this is for driving on a straight road, fast, in a heavy rain storm.  
With the flag lever in the other position, the wipers will wipe a maximum width, even to curling around the corners of the curved windshield.  This is for driving slow, on curvy roads, watching for old ladies stepping off the curbs. The wipers work more slowly in that position.

The hose that goes to the sweep width control mechanism connects from the side of the wiper control to the lower, small tube on the wiper motor.  

A second small hose is part of the windshield washer system - it turns the wipers on for 11 sweeps each time you tap the main control knob to activate the washer.  This hose connects to the back end of the wiper/washer control, and to the top connection on the washer jar, on the red plastic cap of the control.

A third hose, which you may not have found, supplies vacuum from a tee fitting on the right side of the wiper motor, through the firewall to the side of the wiper control.

For a complete layout of the washer system, look in your factory shop manual for the car, in the accessory section, page 9.  

For details of the wiper section, look in your manual in the instruments section, pages 3 to 6.

How do I know all this?  I also have a 55 Packard Clipper (amongst other Packards) with the same setup.

If you don't have a factory shop manual, you should get one, and also a set of "service counselors" for 1955-56.  These run on eBay frequently, or you can get reproductions from any of the auto literature dealers.  I use Ed Faxon, of Riverside CA.  Contact him at (800)458-2734

Dick