A common mistake people make with these is reversing the vacuum lines on the headlamp switch. There is actually an orientation to the vacuum lines at the head lamp switch. If you don't have them connnected properly the vacuum can not bleed off when the headlamp switch is turned on and thus the vacuum relay valve will stay in the up position.
The system is very simple if you take the time to understand how it works.
You should have vacuum at the relay valve top connection when the headlamp switch is off. When you pull the lights on the vacuum should not be present at the relay valve and this will let the piston drop down and apply vacuum to the "open" hoses.
Of course make sure you have good manifold vacuum on the yellow hose which is connected to the storage cannister and also the relay valve.
Engine running, head lamps off: Vacuum at the relay valve top hose, Vacuum on the yellow hose to the cannister and relay valve. Vacuum applied to the "close" hose going to the vacuum motors
Engine running, head lamp on: No vacuum at the relay valve top hose, Vacuum on the yellow hose to the cannister and relay valve, Vacuum applied to the "open" hose going to the vacuum motors.
Of course it does not matter which way you connect the green and red hoses to the vacuum motors as long as they do what they want when you work the lights. If not just reverse them.
Hope this helps. I've fixed many of these and it's usually something simple like this.
One more thing, best thing to do if you have not already is get the new vacuum motors from CHQ. They work great.
I ended up replacing both actuators and everything works, but this is how it played out.
1. I had an obviously bad drivers side actuator, replaced it that side worked great, but the passenger side would only open not close. I thought I had a vacuum leak, did all the tests, half stepped the lines no leaks. Replaced the actuator with a new actuator, same issue. It would open but not close. Tested the actuator on the car with a hand pump it worked fine. Still could not get it to work. Checked the vacuum signal going to the actuator...weak but there. Looked at the AIM noticed that the green hose inlet faced towards the center of the car and not the fender, we took the actuator out of the car (passenger side) and turned the green inlet from facing towards the fender to the center of the car and also noticed I had a spring washer in the wrong location. Put it back in and it worked.
The vacuum signal is weak going to the passenger side when closing the doors, but opening it is about the same as the drivers side. I checked all the lines and things seem fine. I have all original lines so what I did was snipped the last 1 inch off all lines that plug into the various ports. I did this because the hoses had swollen due to be connected to the various ports for the last 40 years. They fit much tighter now.
We did put the original actuator back on the car because we thought it was still good. It is but we could not get it to work??. (It works off the car??) The original opens fine but needs a little push to close. I am thinkg that there is a little internal resistance in the original when trying to close the doors. Dont know why but it is there. I am going to keep it just in case I need it but I did read on this board about a guy slightly lubricating the actuators with good results.?? We put the new one back on the passenger side and it works fine.
This repair was not as simple as a hose being in the wrong location.
