Vacuum "ball"

[donut]

Is the vacuum ball necessary?

My '86 is an AC truck. I tried to pull the new line off of it and snapped off the nipple. I was trying to check for vacuum as nothing in the cabs heat switches, figured I'd start there. Am I basically screwed? Or is it just a reservoir of sorts?

If everything will function without it, then I'll continue checking interior lines and actuators, otherwise I'll stop and find another.

Thanks,

[Gibson]

I believe it is. When mine is disconnected, none of the climate switches work either. You can actually just epoxy a short peice of brass tube in the hole where the nipple was and if you do it right it will hold till you get another accumulator hunted down (worked for me). LMC has them I think.
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[INSIDIOUS '86]

hust have mine hooked to direct manigold vacuum, works fine even with a big cam, just dont do anything when the engines off naturally

[78 Chevyrado]

All it does is store vacuum. without it, you won't be able to use vacuum accessories when the truck is turned off or when you press the gas pedal down hard. It's not strictly necessary, just a convenience thing.

[madcow75]

Isn't the ball used for storing air for the cruise control?

[donut]

Thanks, I thought it was just like a buffer, but I thought I'd ask.

madcow75, My truck doesn't have cruise and the ball is hooked into the HVAC system. It is the ball on the drivers side, by the firewall. Maybe there is another for cruise.

GM sure did like using vacuum for controlling things.

[camshaftgsxr]

you can get clever and hook it in line with some one way valves and keep the heater controls working after the truck is off if you want.