1969 headlight vacuum canister

[69RTSEV88]

Does anyone have any ideas, or know if there is another type of vacuum canister that can be used for the headlight doors on a '69.  My canister has unfortunately taken on the look of swiss cheese after 38 years of battery acid leaking down on it.  I have only ever seen one on ebay and that was well over a year ago (of course I didn't win it).  The internals of mine seem to be all there and look OK, but the outer can is very rusted out.  I wonder if its possible to patch it with pieces of tin and some epoxy type material.  I doubt I would ever be able to weld anything to that thin rusty metal.  Anyone else ever have to repair one of these?
Thanks

[resq302]

I know someone who reproduces Daytona and Superbird parts repros this canister as well but they want something like $150 or so for it.  I have also heard of people using a V-8 tomato juice can and attach it to the bracket and just make the hole where the valve goes in.

[NOT Just 6T9 CHGR]

Heres another

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/68-69-Dodge-Charger-headlight-grill-vacuum-canister_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ140737QQihZ014QQitemZ330118116717QQrdZ1


www.dayclona.com reproduces the cane.....

[burnt69]

I made one from another can and used some epoxy on the valve works great.

[miamivice]

what exactly does this can do?  i mean...my 318 car is missing the can and the headlights still work  

[mikepmcs]

You can use a 46 oz juice can. tomato can etc...  mine works fine as I used this method.  It cost me less than $2.00 and 1 hour of my time.

I found it a better alternative to buying one for $125.00.

use a forstner bit just a bit smaller to drill the hole and make sure it is off set so it will fit back in place under the battery and clear the brackets.
Take the vac portion and JB weld it back to the new can.  If you don't have the factory port from the old can.  try to find some plastic tees from the local parts store, drill the holes so they fit in the can snug and then jb weld them on there. 

Miamivice, if your car is not a 70 then it looks like someone bypassed the can and hooked the vac lines together to get it working.  That's perfectly fine too as I think Ace(tylercharger69) and Jim Shine(i know Jim did) have both done this.
To answer your question, it holds vac for the operation of the headlight doors and it will allow the one time operation of the doors if the car is not running.  If the lines are bypassed then you have to have the car running to operate the doors because it runs off the vac created by the running motor.

v/r
Mike

[Chatt69chgr]

The diecast fitting in the end of the vacuum can is the hard part to find.  Yours is probably good so could be reused.  Unfortunately, when they made these, they installed the fitting and then closed the other end of the can.  So you will need to cut your can apart and then extract the fitting.  If the metal around it is still good, you could just leave a couple of inches of metal and solder it to a new tomato can.  Otherwise, you could attach with some silicone adhesive.  You could remove it later if needed.  JBWeld is more or less permanent.  Be sure to save the metal mount on the bottom of the canister.  You can carefully bend up the tabs and reuse it on your new can.  Prime and paint the whole thing semigloss black.  The valve was gold colored.  I cleaned mine with a moto-tool, masked around it, and carefully painted it with some model airplane paint.

I was aware that Dayclona had the reproduction can.  I have often wondered where he got the little fitting that the hoses attach to.  I have never seen them available anywhere.  Maybe Bill from HighTechAuto could find them (he is good at finding stuff) and offer them to the adventureous who would like to reproduce one of these cans on their own (and who don't want to spend $125).

[JimShine]

Miamivice, if your car is not a 70 then it looks like someone bypassed the can and hooked the vac lines together to get it working.  That's perfectly fine too as I think Ace(tylercharger69) and Jim Shine(i know Jim did) have both done this.
To answer your question, it holds vac for the operation of the headlight doors and it will allow the one time operation of the doors if the car is not running.  If the lines are bypassed then you have to have the car running to operate the doors because it runs off the vac created by the running motor.

v/r
Mike

Yup, thats is how I did it. All the Chargers we have around here are done the same way. In my opinion, the relay mod for the electrical part and the elimination of the can are acceptable mods.

[mister bungle]

If the valve is still okay, then you can make your own cannister. i made one out of a plastic pipe, make everything airtight offcourse, and there you go.