Anyway, these vacuum motors aren't what I'd call easy to source. Maybe this will help others, here are some cross-reference part numbers to the Motorcraft CX-149 that you can search for:

Ford D7AZ-9D612-C (from the box it came in)
Wells E308
Airtex 6V1021
Standard Motor Products VA-11

...and many more indirect cross-references available at YoYo parts.

In an post about a year ago I mentioned Standard Motor Products VA19 as a possible substitute. I bought one of those as well and it is NOT compatible. The case dimensions are the same but the actuator pushrod is not the correct length (it's about 3/4" too short). Thanks to Chris that old post was updated, and now points to this discussion.

 

Well, at least we now know what part number to look for since that's the one I want to run as well.

 

Chris can edit it for you.

 

I also purchased couple ACTS bi-metallic vacuum switches. I didn't order anything specific, only what I could find, since as I said earlier you don't really have much choice left these day.

I was able to find two: a Motorcraft CX-1384, and a Delphi TS-10169. The Motorcraft cost me about two bucks and the Delphi $15. No idea the reason behind the price difference but these were both about the last of the ACTS devices of any kind that Rock Auto showed in stock.

Both have a big blue splotch and a red dot on them. I'm going to assume those colors don't mean anything to us because they show up on most of these things. The Motorcraft also has a green paint stripe along the top (hard to see in the photo). According to the specs posted a few pages back, I'm going to assume the green means this one opens (bleeds) at 105*.

The Delphi has a pink paint stripe along the top. So I'm guessing this one must be the 90* bleed.

I could probably try to test this empirically somehow using my oven and a vacuum pump, but I'll probably just trust the paint splotches.

I don't really see any cross-reference to the Motorcraft number, but here are some interchange numbers for the Delphi.

 

As I had mentioned earlier, the CWS I want seems unobtainium, but there is a TVS (purple) that has the same specs. I was able to find one of these on eBay, Ford E2FZ-9A995-A.

NPD still has these NOS for sale, click here. But they want $30 for them, which is insane. I'd search eBay first, or the junkyard.

 

Finally, the air cleaner "gasket" seal from NPD arrived, and it is a perfect match for the lip of our air-cleaner lids. It's also more than long enough for the largest diameter.

For reference, this is NPD Part Number 9673-2A. And it's quite reasonable at only $4.40.

The photo below shows a cross-section of a piece I peeled off an old air-cleaner, and the NPD seal. The NPD looks smaller but I think the old one had started to fluff out. Believe me when I say, the NPD is a perfect fit.

It doesn't come with adhesive so will need to be glued in place with something like 3M Super Weatherstrip Adhesive.

 

Anyway, that is probably all I have on air-cleaner stuff for a while. Mine was shipped off to Leanna at Phoenix Specialty Coatings last week, but when I talked to her she indicated there were 24 jobs ahead of me in line. So I am not expecting to see it back any time soon.

 

Good info, Luke! Thanks. Gotta find another vacuum motor but I think my ACTS will suffice. However, the gasket is a must.

 

I contacted Chris on your suggestion Gary, and he went back and changed the old post to point to here. Thanks Chris! I'd feel bad giving people wrong info.

 

I know the feeling, and I know Chris is big on fixing bad statements as well, so was sure he would help. FTE doesn't want to be the good 'ole boy's club where you can read anything and learn nothing. That's why he pushes people to document what they are saying.

 

Interesting. I always wondered why the standard air cleaners had a check valve inserted in the hose from the vacuum motor on the snorkel, while the "H.O." air cleaners did not use them at all.

Maybe this is the reason?

 

Maybe so. The standard units could open under even moderate throttle while the HO's take very heavy throttle. In fact, most automatics will downshift with that much throttle and you'll be rolling pretty rapidly before getting as low as 3 1/2". But, those of us with manuals might want to watch the throttle when the engine is cold. However, you really shouldn't be flogging a cold engine anyway.

 

I just bought a rough 86 F250... And this thread makes me want to rip it apart! My wife is going to kill me! Excellent work. Seriously. Your truck looks better than most do off the show room floor!

 

Thanks nsshull, I appreciate the compliment. I went and checked out your F250 in your gallery, it's a nice one. The paint scheme appears to be the same as mine originally, though yours is in better shape. All I can say about ripping it apart is, don't expect to use it again anytime soon!

Here is the update on my truck. It sort of looks finished in recent photos but in fact is not.

- The garage I've been renting for two-and-a-half years, and working on cars in, decided to lay down the law and prohibit people from working on cars there. So I moved out at the beginning of this month and the truck is now in a storage unit. Ironically the managers of the new storage place don't mind people working there, but the thing is so cramped it's hardly possible. I have to fold the mirrors back just to get the truck in. However I've been able to do a few things there, and when it's driving, I can also bring it to the apartment over the weekend and work on it in the street.

- I finally got new wheels and tires (Alcoa rims and Michelins). I don't have any good photos yet but will post some later. They look super nice. The difference in road noise was amazing. Afterwards I got it aligned finally, and now my steering wheel is back to straight.

- After I fixed the block-heater fiasco by removing the heater and pounding in a freeze plug, I thought my leaky days were behind me. Not so. I began to notice a very small puddle of coolant that would only appear after the truck had been sitting a few days. Never dripped while driving and never the night after driving. Could have been the engine heat burned off the drips, or else as the parts expanded the leak was sealed. The amount was minor, a few tablespoons a week at most. For the first week or so I thought it was just extra that had been sprayed all over from prior leaks and didn't think about it. Then if I drove it every day nothing would happen, so the thing was intermittent and hard to troubleshoot. Eventually it became clear a leak existed and it Really Bothered Me. I had horrible nightmares it was a head gasket blown from my overheating episode. But I took it to a shop and had them do a pressure test on the system, the leak appears to be coming from a bolt in the timing cover. No leak was found anywhere around the heads, thank God. I will post more about the timing cover leak later, but unbeknownst to me, one of the bolts enters a water jacket and needs to be sealed.

- If you recall I had my headers ceramic coated by Jet-Hot. During the break in they overheated and the coating began to flake off. Jet-Hot specifically warns about this and it was pretty much my fault (though not intentionally) that this happened. Jet-Hot however also offers a no-questions-asked warranty. Usually when I hear something like that, I think, yeah right, where's the fine print? But I figured I'd give it a try anyway. I got the headers pulled this weekend, and called them this morning. The friendly man didn't ask me a single question, didn't accuse me of anything, he just said, "I'm sorry this happened, we'll make it right." Then he sent me free shipping labels and off we go! Can't beat that.

- Obviously until I get those back the truck isn't going anywhere. In the meantime I can work on fixing this coolant leak in addition to a minor fuel leak I noticed around the frame rail fuel pump. And there are some other small things that need doing.

- After the headers come back, she's going straight to the muffler shop to have an exhaust put on, which this truck has sorely needed since before I bought her.

- Also I have had some custom work done on my dash pad, which has taken the better part of a year to complete. Supposedly I may be getting it back this week, but I won't hold my breath. When that is done I can finish up the interior including my stereo install, which I will post more about then.

So that's where things stand, and that gives you an idea of what is yet to come.

 

Wow! That says a lot about and for Jet-Hot. I was already planning to take mine down to OKC so they can coat them, but your experience just reinforces that plan.

And, I'm anxious to see what you've had done on the dash pad. Must be good if it took a year. (Oh, wait! My truck has taken a year and a half and isn't close to done. So, does that make it REALLY good?)

So, what did you use on the bolt? Or, have you?