Vacuum tank weight?

[69427]

Just curious what the vacuum tank on my '69 weighs. Anyone have one of that vintage/design that could give me a number? Just trying to see if a small aluminum replacement is worth the effort.

Thanks!

 

[Twin_Turbo]

It's pretty lightweight....you mean the pillow thing right? The steel is very thin. Just leave it as is. The heaviest would be the bracket, maybe drill some holes in it?

 

[69427]

It's pretty lightweight....you mean the pillow thing right? The steel is very thin. Just leave it as is. The heaviest would be the bracket, maybe drill some holes in it?

I figured it probably doesn't weigh much, and it looks like such a complete PITA to get out just to weigh it, so I thought I'd ask around. I rarely need to open the headlights or wiper door when the engine isn't running, so I was curious about making a small (beer can sized) aluminum canister to replace it.

Just trying for more ideas to get more weight out of the car without it looking like the car has been modified or gutted.

 

[Corvettes White]

I built one some time ago for my 69 and never used it because I later found a solid used one. It is noticabily lighter, yet about the same capicity. If you have an interest, I am willing to sell it, will take a photo.

I put my car on a "diet" also and took a lot of weight out. George

 

[69427]

I built one some time ago for my 69 and never used it because I later found a solid used one. It is noticabily lighter, yet about the same capicity. If you have an interest, I am willing to sell it, will take a photo.

I put my car on a "diet" also and took a lot of weight out. George

I'd be interested in a list of your weight reduction activities. I'm running out of ideas on getting more weight out of mine.

 

[Corvettes White]

Let me put a list together, but mostily the same as everyone else except that have kept the car a road car. George

 

[Corvettes White]

1969 white Corvette convertible.

Built as a road car not a racer so car still has P/W, P/B, P/S, AC, fully insulated, carpeted and etc.

What I have on the car:
Aluminum Heads.
Aluminum Intake.
Aluminum Bowtie Small Block.
Aluminum Front Brake Hubs.
Aluminum SSBC Brakes.
Aluminum Water Pump.
Carbon Fiber Drive and Half Shafts.
Aluminum Wheels.


What I want to put on the car:
Aluminum Rear End Housing, but no one makes one. Rumor had it the Tom’s was going to make one but he never has.
Aluminum Radiator.
Changing out some of the brackets and braces, a lot of steel just here and there.
The seat tracks are very heavy.
The Jack. Have been told that a ‘91 Nissan 300Z looks very similar to a Vette jack but is made of aluminum.


What you may consider:
There is a 40 lb casting of cast iron holding the steering column to the brake pedal box and dash. I understand that GM changed it to fabricated sheet metal around about '82 or whenever they redid the interior and raised the steering column.
The Fuel Tank.
82 FE7 Aluminum Strut Rods.
Titanium Lug Nuts.

George

 

[vette427sbc]

69427- Have you weighed your car yet? I wonder how much weight all of the C4 stuff lost/gained you.
Im at 2936lbs and my car is nowhere near being considered gutted or stripped.

Since you've already done most of the major weight reduction, try to find little things to get rid of or lighten.
"Look for the ounces, and the pounds will come"

 

[69427]

My car is 3050 pounds with no driver and an 1/8-1/4 tank of fuel. The C4 suspension and steering changes took about 140 pounds off the car.
The new engine this winter will drop another 160 pounds, giving me around 2890 pounds.
As I mentioned earlier, I'm slowly running out of ideas for weight reduction. The next couple of items to work on are lighter versions of the under-radiator crossmember (aluminum or tubular steel), the seat tracks (aluminum), and the seats (later seats or aluminum internals under the stock covers). I'd like to do the steering column support swap, but the PITA factor is putting that way down on the to-do list.

 

[mrvette]

On that pillow tank, Mine had failed due to metal fatique, stress cracks, I tossed it, lights/door worked fine without it.....one thing to do was plumb each vac circuit CONTROL line source to the engine independently of each other, the main power 3/8 vac lines T'd off and run together....this keeps the stuff from going up and down when you start the engine, when my headlights went in a deer wreck, I had to weaken the spring in the door vac relay to kill that action....

:smash:

 

[DWncchs]

I'm surprised you didn't block off a portion of your frame and use that as a vacuum tank.

 

[69427]

I'm surprised you didn't block off a portion of your frame and use that as a vacuum tank.

I wasn't smart enough to think of that at the time. LOL

 

[pcf_mark]

Related to your thread - I used a plastic ball used on about a million GM trucks. It is about the size of a grapefruit but works just fine. Weighs about 12 ounces or less.

Unrelated - if you have never read "All Corvettes are Red" about the development of the C5 read it. They had a program that ran for the life of the project about the "battle for grams". Everything was looked at from the windshield posts to the license frame. It is a neat sub story that runs through the book.

 

[69427]

Related to your thread - I used a plastic ball used on about a million GM trucks. It is about the size of a grapefruit but works just fine. Weighs about 12 ounces or less. That's right, I've seen those balls in several vehicles. I need to take a closer look there.

Unrelated - if you have never read "All Corvettes are Red" about the development of the C5 read it. They had a program that ran for the life of the project about the "battle for grams". Everything was looked at from the windshield posts to the license frame. It is a neat sub story that runs through the book.

I read that book a bunch of years ago. (I lent it out, and never saw it again. ) IIRC, they had some sort of weight/cost equivalent of 5 or 10 bucks a kg, or something along that line.

Thanks for the vacuum ball suggestion! :idea:

 

[69427]

In addition to some GM trucks, anybody know if GM put those things on the C4-C6 Vettes?

 

[Corvettes White]

This is the tank I had made some time ago. Weighs less than the steel one but need to put on a scale. For sale if any one want's or can use it. George

 

[SCCA VETTE]

In addition to some GM trucks, anybody know if GM put those things on the C4-C6 Vettes?

My 85 has one in RH front of the car under the headlight. Here is one of them!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/84-8...r_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item53dd720a0c

 

[Twin_Turbo]

Those ball type tanks come on all C4 vettes, not sure about 5 and 6s. Also all 80s Vans, F bodies, Trucks...they all have those.

 

[mrvette]

Those ball type tanks come on all C4 vettes, not sure about 5 and 6s. Also all 80s Vans, F bodies, Trucks...they all have those.

Since I ran my '72 without any storage tank and no issues, I wonder what one of those tanks is needed for on most any other car, ?? :amused:

 

[Twin_Turbo]

vac buffer, offers a steady vac. signal to accys needing it, would suck if your headlamps went up slower or not at all @ higher throttle (lower manif vac) no?

 

[68/70Vette]

I'd think someone could relatively easily fabricate an aluminum version of the cast iron piece that connects the steering column to the frame under the windshield. I'd think some thick aluminum plates could be cut to duplicate the shape and then bolted/welded together would make a much lighter functional replacement. The current cast iron piece is gross overkill for strength. For a hobby car, this piece doesn't have to so strong. Even if it broke, there'd be no problem steering the car and driving home. I have a spare cast iron which I bought on the possibility I might take it somewhere to have it duplicated. In the AIM it's called a "bracket," and the part number is 3976457 (1970 AIM, drawing titled Column and Support Asm, UPC 9, Sheet A4)

Similarly the under radiator cross member is a good candidate for an aluminum conversion.

With regards to the above comments, the vacuum tank is pretty light compared to some other parts, especially those parts made in Detroit wonder metal..cast iron
...................

I've bought an aluminum differential crossmember (from a 82). I haven't decided if the weight improvement is worth the fuss and expense of replacing the standard 70 steel differential crossmember. I'd be a lot more motivated to use the 82 alluminum crossmember if Tom would ever get his aluminum differential case to market. His catalog says "sometime in 2009."

For weight improvements for the 70, I have a Keith Black aluminum block (BB), Brodix heads, SSBC aluminum calipers, aluminum MC, composite rear spring. I will be buying an aluminum radiator, aluminum wheels, aluminum AC compressor. Also, the spare tire and carrier has been removed, stock exhaust is removed (will buy Hooker headers). I took a weight hit "upper" by buying a Hydraboost. (sucker is heavy). I have a steel Lakewood scatter shield, but I think I'll go back to the stock aluminum bellhousing..don't plan on any violent shifting (Richmond 5 speed). I plan on keeping the stock AC. The car is a coupe.

 

[Carb Doc]

One substantial weight savings is to dump your 69 seats in favor of a set from a 81 or 82, they are a very simple swap using your seat tracks and the foot of the 81-82 track, these fit very nicely, better access into the rear area and weigh less than 1/2 as much as the 69 seats, I did this on my 70 and have photo sequence to show what to do.

 

[Carb Doc]

I would NOT dump the Vacuum Reservoir in favor of a small aluminum tank, If you run a lot of CAM you need that large reserve of vacuum to operate the brake booster and the other vacuum systems in these cars, the reserve tank is not very heavy and is one of the secrets to running long duration cams on the street.

 

[Bee Jay]

You don't need a vacuum tank if you go with hydroboost. I want to do the aluminum rear end too. I already have the batwing, so it should be pretty easy.I gotta have a 3.55 or 3.7 in it though.
Bee Jay

 

[69427]

You don't need a vacuum tank if you go with hydroboost. I want to do the aluminum rear end too. I already have the batwing, so it should be pretty easy.I gotta have a 3.55 or 3.7 in it though.
Bee Jay

Hydroboost seems the wrong way to go if you're trying to reduce the vehicle weight.

 

[mrvette]

You don't need a vacuum tank if you go with hydroboost. I want to do the aluminum rear end too. I already have the batwing, so it should be pretty easy.I gotta have a 3.55 or 3.7 in it though.
Bee Jay

Hydroboost seems the wrong way to go if you're trying to reduce the vehicle weight.

Use a aluminum M/cyl to make up for it....the superior stopping is well worth it...

wonder why aluminum cast HB units not out there???

:drink:

 

[enkeivette]

You guys love to over engineer don't you?

I ditched mine, think it was about 48lbs? Then I sold it to JD Corvettes for $100. I run a 239in 245ex @.05 duration cam, with the stock booster and a small reserve where the charcoal canister used to be. Brakes work wonderfully. It should be in gear when you're braking hard anyways, which will make enough vacuum whatever kind of cam you have.

 

[Twin_Turbo]

wonder why aluminum cast HB units not out there???

:drink:

Because no one in his diesel dump truck could give a rats ass if the thing weighs a ton.

 

[69427]

You don't need a vacuum tank if you go with hydroboost. I want to do the aluminum rear end too. I already have the batwing, so it should be pretty easy.I gotta have a 3.55 or 3.7 in it though.
Bee Jay

Hydroboost seems the wrong way to go if you're trying to reduce the vehicle weight.

Use a aluminum M/cyl to make up for it....the superior stopping is well worth it...
wonder why aluminum cast HB units not out there???

:drink:

I already have an aluminum m/c (C5 @ less than a pound weight), and the HB stopping superiority claim is ********.

 

[69427]

One substantial weight savings is to dump your 69 seats in favor of a set from a 81 or 82, they are a very simple swap using your seat tracks and the foot of the 81-82 track, these fit very nicely, better access into the rear area and weigh less than 1/2 as much as the 69 seats, I did this on my 70 and have photo sequence to show what to do.

I've got a line on some late C3 seats, but don't have any weight measurements on them yet. I'd be interested in your photos. How about starting a new thread about them, along with some details?

thanks