What the crap is this thing

[mellow65]

it sits on the passenger side of the engine bay towards the firewall. It seems to have a hose that runs inside the passenger compartment. I figure that is to run the heater controls. But just what the heck is it for.

 

Sorry for the crappy photo, can only do so much with a camera phone. but you get the idea.

 

[Turbone]

Vacume tank, its supposed to hold a reserve for your heater controls, etc.

[subyrally]

that would be what my rx is missing, most likely the entire reason my vents dont work, lol.

[mellow65]

Vacume tank, its supposed to hold a reserve for your heater controls, etc.

 

cool thanks,

 

not that mine was broken, just always trying to learn more.

[Gloyale]

My 89 Gl Trubo has the crappy dealer installed cruise control. The kind that uses engine vaccum instead of an electric pump. Common on DLs but in this case added to a base model GL Turbo. Whatever tank was in there is gone. I've seen round ones in there but that doesn't fit with a turbo, unless maybe that's why it caught fire:rolleyes: . Anyway the little standard(the one in original pic) tank isn't enough to hold vacuum for the cruise and heater controls both. Espescially with a turbo at highway speeds just enough to make near constant boost. Here was my then temporary now still....well....there... solution.Works Great. With the spare over it's held in place well.

[Gloyale]

C'mon, no one thinks that's funny?

[robm]

In A Subaru? What is so funny about that? Looks like standard heuristic engineering practice to me. I'm not sure it is the best shape or material to hold vacuum, but if it works, and is well hidden under the spare, what the heck. And not an inch of duct tape or baling wire in sight!

 

I might try that myself, as my cruise control runs out of grunt on the hills, and needs a helping foot to keep up the speed.

[Turbone]

Ok, I'll bite.

I'm sure Tupperware or Rubbermaid would have been a better choice:-p

[Gloyale]

Ok, I'll bite.

I'm sure Tupperware or Rubbermaid would have been a better choice:-p

 

 

No way. Glass is 100% static. It's impossible for it to constrict or expand. The metal lid works great too to hold the Vac hose. I just punched a small hole in it by twisting the tip of my knife. Made the hole a bit smaller than the diameter of the tubing and shoved it through. The curved in lip produced by the way I hogged out the hole, holds the tube in very well.

[daeron]

No way. Glass is 100% static. It's impossible for it to constrict or expand. The metal lid works great too to hold the Vac hose. I just punched a small hole in it by twisting the tip of my knife. Made the hole a bit smaller than the diameter of the tubing and shoved it through. The curved in lip produced by the way I hogged out the hole, holds the tube in very well.

ACTUALLY glass is a LIQUID. I didn't believe it myself, but the Encyclopedia Brittanica, and my engineer landlord, corrected me on that. a VERY slow-moving liquid, but a liquid nevertheless.

 

I still agree with you that it should be a perfectly worthy accumulator canister.. I just had to share that because, well.. its kinda mind boggling.

[nipper]

Why not just solve the problem with an auxiliary vaccum pump. They do that on the cars with cruise.

 

nipper

 

 

i can see that bottle breaking..

[mykingcrab]

ACTUALLY glass is a LIQUID. I didn't believe it myself, but the Encyclopedia Brittanica, and my engineer landlord, corrected me on that. a VERY slow-moving liquid, but a liquid nevertheless.

 

True, it it a liquid,and when it flows in a moulton form,it can conduct electricity

[Gloyale]

Why not just solve the problem with an auxiliary vaccum pump. They do that on the cars with cruise.

 

nipper

 

 

i can see that bottle breaking..[/Quote]

 

This car has cruise. It just has the different dealer add-on style. Works fine with enough vacuum reserve. Why would it break? Not from heat. It's held pretty secure but without pressure on it by the spare. I do have an extra stock white canister to install but I just haven't done it.

 

ACTUALLY glass is a LIQUID. I didn't believe it myself, but the Encyclopedia Brittanica, and my engineer landlord, corrected me on that. a VERY slow-moving liquid, but a liquid nevertheless.

 

Well, yes and no, the same way that water is still water when it feezes. Glass is technical an amorphous solid at normal atmospheric temps. Truely aliquid when molten. There is a clear transition point where the glass "freezes" and it molecular structure aligns in ridges.

[nvexplorer]

There is a clear transition point where the glass "freezes" and it molecular structure aligns in ridges.

 

Solid glass is more of a plastic than a liquid. It just takes forever for it to deform, but let it sit for a few years and it will deform. Check out an extremely old house. The window panes will be thicker at the bottom than the top, even though they were originally the same thickness throughout when installed. In any case your glass jar should do just fine.

[idosubaru]

so we should rotate/flip windows say....every 50 years??

i've seen those old windows, neat stuff.

[Milemaker13]

Gee Gloyale, you seem to know alot about glass!

[opelsuby]

For some stupid reason I was thinking that that those goofy canisters that hikers use to carry liquids would work. I was thinking the material they make them out of is called Nalgene:confused:

 

i think you are on to something with flipping the windows:)

[robm]

The polycarbonate water bottles would be good. The polyethylene ones, maybe not thick enough to hold the vacuum without collapse.

 

That glass juice jar is probably OK, as the pressure is pretty darn low, maybe 10 psi. It has been proven to work, and if it does collapse, it is well shrouded by the spare, so flying shards are unlikely to injure anyone.

 

You are more likely to hurt someone by picking up a rock in a tire. If it gets flung off the top of the tread, it is moving at double the vehicle speed.