My repo OAI vacuum motor failed. It is about 18 years old. It is disappointing that this thing did not last. Car is used for shows, The OAI air cleaner is removed and stored inside during winters. Looks brand new.. Anyone else out there experience this? Any suggestions on who makes a quality, proven replacement part. Thanks

 

Unless you find something to replace rubber, that's about all you're gonna get.
Being used 'sparingly' is probably part of the reason, as it has a chance to dry-out.
18 yrs. is a reasonable time - what were you expecting?

 

Well, more that whatt I got out of it. Maybe the factory parts did not last long either.. Maybe time was the issue..

 

Are you serious?

 

For a repro part, I am a bit surprised you got 18 years out of it, being exposed to engine heat. With quality on the downhill slide, another repro may get you even fewer years with 'new, improved' chinesium.
I wish they were built as well as the originals, but that won't happen anytime soon. The profit margin is the bottom line nowdays.

 

I got about 3 years (and ten road miles) out of my repro motor before it failed. My original still works great after 42 years, but does not look as good as the the new shiny useless vacuum motor!

 

I bet your original can be cleaned up and painted the right color to look like a new one. I have been restoring similar vacuum motors for my friend's Ford AC box and have had great success. Let me know if you need any pointers!

 

I painted my original. Looks fine. (OOPS...Rob beat me to it!)

 

Here ya go....this'll take you back to the "time" when you installed the thing:

(Parental warning: The attached video contains scenes with somewhat hallucinogenic and psychedelic imagery and should not be viewed when taking various medications. Please consult your physician prior to viewing).

Music, being the best medicine in situations like this.


This is back from the days when Joe Donnelly and Mike Richards were running around with long hair and big sideburns, bellbottom pants, Mannix boots and those 3 hole buckle white belts....they'll remember (hopefully) and comment accordingly

EDIT: If you manage to make it to the 6:51 minute mark, without going through some sort of music induced flashback, you'll hear the sounds that were emanating from Del70's garage when he discovered the OAI motor had failed..it couldn't have been pretty...listen closely as you'll also hear the now-failed OAI motor laughing back (sorry...couldn't resist!).

 

i had one new in the box from the parts place that was bad. i have never had a bad OEM one. i am sure they go bad also but i never had one go bad.

 

Thanks a lot Patton. Just spent 17 minutes with Iron Butterfly!

 

Probably a combination of time/heat/cold and diaphragm quality. Anything with rubber components under the hood seems more susceptible to failure than inside the cabin.

Luckily there are MORE repops out there now for this hobby. I'd like to think that the quality may have improved over time?......

 

I am willing to bet the opposite.
Take any original part and repro and weigh them. Most of the time the original is heavier, often meaning more material. Repro AC evaps, heater cores, heater valves weigh considerably less for the 72 Cutlass. (Yes, I am starting to weigh them.) Even many old replacement parts are heavier than the new ones.
This does not just apply to car parts, either. Have you bought a bike tube in the past 5 years? MUCH thinner than an old one - more like a condom than a tube! They go flat a lot faster just from sitting. Tire are thin as well - dang cockleburs pop 'em al the time. Had to buy tire liners for them.
Less material means more profit, as you know the cost difference is not being passed to the consumer. I wished they would at least offer a higher price, higher quality part to choose if we want it. There are always higher priced ones, but the quality is rarely there, too. Better get off the soapbox now...

 

Ok, that theory's down the tubes. Well at least there are replacement parts that are easier to get than they were before....BTW, I won't take your bet. It was just a thought hoping the quality may have improved. I understand what you're saying.

Jeepers, I hate to think that the new parts we've been installing the last year will fail prematurely.

 

I have used the ea**w**d gold cad system but it never looks quite as good as the plating. What process do you use?

 

Luckily the motors I am doing were all originally cad plated. After using rust remover on them (not soaking to avoid damage to the rubber internals) I scuffed them, sprayed on a primer, and used Walmart's "Aluminum" spray paint. It puts Eastwood's silver cad to shame. The Aluminum looks almost like real cad.
I knew someone who used the gold cad stuff on a brake booster. Have to do the whole thing in gold, then apply random light squirts with red, then after a few random squirts of green. It did not have the shine of plating, noticable on a booster. To a smaller item, it would be 'okay'.

 

It looks like the diaphragm is bonded to the case. A section of it seperated from the case..

 

Just out of curiosity, is that repairable? Can you post a pic of the damage?

 

Yes, let's see!

 

Yeah, I sanded down and redid my booster 3 times trying to get an acceptable look. Still has rough, sandy finish. Next time I have it off I will just resand, prime and paint aluminum.