Vacuum Pump Knock - 88 90q

["Smith, Kirby A" <kirby.a.smith@lmco.com>]

FWIW

As promised several months ago when I reported to someone on the list
that the famous vacuum pump rattle appears to be curable by cleaning out
the excess oil in the pump, I now provide a follow-up report.  The pump
on my car started again making noise this Spring.  Last weekend I
removed it and cleaned it out again.  (See QFOM for details.)  Again the
noise went away.  To my mind this tends to confirm that this maintenence
action is anti-correlated with the noise, and may well work for others
who have this problem with their cars.

My wife's car has never developed this noise so far as I am aware, and
has roughly the same milage.  This suggests to me that one or more of
the valves and/or seals in my unit are defective in some way allowing
oil to build up on the vacuum side of the pump.  Does anyone know if the
interior parts of the vacuum pump are available separately?

                .... Kirby   (Kirby A. Smith)
                              2 x 1988 90q
                          New Hampshire USA