[V8] More about cruise control

[m35a1@juno.com]

When I got this car, the cruise wasn't working. Being the avid
'trouble-hunter' that I am, I got right into it, without benefit of
either parts book or repair manual.
First I checked the fuse panel, and there was no power to the cruze fuze.
I figured that one out and ended up getting power where it belonged. 
Still nothing. 
I also had problems with the wipers not working. I had to pull the
steering wheel to get at the column switches. The wiper switch was
shorted and I repaired that, then discovered that 5 of the 6 wires for
the cruise were broken at the base of the handle. I resoldered them and
had continuity all the way.
Still no cruise. Also have an airbag light on that won't go out, but
that's another story.
Being more than a bit irritated at the end of this, the 7th weekend of
finding and fixing all (?) of the silly little problems, I decided to
take the V-8 out for a cruise to see what it would do.
So I go  out to the main road at the edge of my 'burbs subdivision, make
a right turn onto the road, and, traffic being light, I floored it to
'feel the power'. The acceleration was great. Problem, however: the
throttle stuck wide open. I managed to get it home (a trip of about 8
blocks) at wide open throttle, shifting down thru the gears till I got it
into first, with the tranny and all four wheels smoking. This little
adventure fried the trans, so off to the tranny shop it goes. It got lost
for 48 hours trying to get home to me when it was finished, but that's a
whole 'nother story.
So I got into it to find out why the throttle stuck. Turns out it was the
cruise. The little plastic collar that holds the rod into the bracket on
the vacuum motor had disappeared (although I didn't know there WAS one, 
I figured thaere was SOMthing missing there), and when I floored it, the
rod from the throttle body to the vacuum motor fell out of the motor
bracket, onto the engine blocked and wedged there, keeping the
accelerator at full throttle.
So I replaced the little plastic collar and lo and behold, I have cruise.
Sweet.
For about 2 weeks.
Driving along in my automobile, the cruise just lets go while I'm at the
wheel. 
Nothing. Nada. Zip.
So back to the hunt. Fuse and power: good. Switch: good. Pull vacuum on
the cruise motor: good. Check the vacuum lines from the motor to--hello,
what's this? The control? Vacuum lines all connected as far as I can see.
Except, start the car, no vacuum at the tee in the line to the motor.
More hunting; here's what I find: hose from the motor to a tee fitting;
one side from the tee to the brake pedal switch (hose and connections are
good), other side of the tee to the control unit (hose and connections
are good). But, I can't find an 'In' hose to the control. Search all
around and find no sign of any hose bringing vacuum from the engine to
the control unit. Now c'mon, it worked before, right? Even if briefly, it
DID work. And there SHOULD be an 'In' hose, right? I see what looks like
a connection on the control where vacuum would go in, and drawing vacuum
on that port pulls air back into the port where the line to the vacuum
motor connects, which is what I think it should do.
No hose. Start another search. The diagram on the front panel is useless.
I've got the air cleaner top and box at the rear of the engine off. At
the back of engine there's a port with a hose that goes to a tee on the
cowl for the air conditioning controls and the charcoal canistor; they
both have vacuum and the a/c  controls function properly. But I find no
other hose, or connection at any point on the engine for a hose, to go to
the cruise control unit. 
Also, while looking around back there, I find a hose that looks like it
went to a vent port on top of the transmission, up on the cowl, and then
to---nowhere. I figure the tranny shop cut the hose to get the trans out,
then didn't reconnect it, but the other end, at the cowl, is connected to
nothing.
So, I'm looking for help to get vacuum to the cruise control unit, and
connect this trans line to something.
Anyone offer me any assistance in this adventure?
Thanx
Ken