Yes Tobytough, I fabbed it myself. Not hard just thin sheet metal cut with scissors. When I get back home next weekend I will get some pics.

 

There were 6-cyl Fords as I recall that had a water-heated spacer under the carb. That would be a better solution than the exhaust-heated contraption. Those flapper valves frequently seize up, the stock manifolds crack all the time. I've seen people pay over a hundred for a stock exhaust manifold, 60+ yrs old, that has about zero chance of surviving another 5 years. A brand new header for $200 sounds like a bargain.

There are plenty of threads on electric pumps used with tanks back at the rear of the truck.

 

Ross is right about the manifolds. I went through three before spending about $150 on an exhaust manifold that still had cracks, but not as large as on other manifolds. I spent another $100 or so to have the cracks welded. I spent this money because I wanted a stock restoration on my 215. However, once this exh manifold goes south, I'll likely replace it with some headers.

 

The exhaust heated manifolds are to get improved cold weather drivability. The heat riser valve is to trap part of the exhaust in the heated manifold. Once the spring on the exhaust heat riser valve heats up the flapper goes to full open. This happens usually within the first 10 minutes of driving. The side benefits are reducing spark plug fouling and reducing exhaust emissions. The valves work pretty well but need to be lubricated at every oil change with a special heat valve lubricant that has graphite suspended in a thin lubricant that penetrates and doesn't burn off. The stuff works well to free rusty nuts and bolts too. Failure to lube the valve usually meant that the valve rusted in the closed position or at best partially open. You can imaging the effect on power. Also probably the cause of cracked manifolds. Later models (1980s) had a steel tube running through the external part of the valve that brought heated air up to the automatic choke. If you have a heat riser valse on your vehicle check occasionally to make sure that it swings open and closed freely when cold. I have never had good luck making a fully stuck valve work right for any length of time. It was better to just replace them. When you spray lube on the valve be sure to lube the exhaust flange bolts/nuts too, that way if you have to replace the valve it will be much easier.

 

Thanks fellas.I' m thinking I'll just get the header and call it good. My little flapper is frozen solid.Kinda like my nailgun was this morning. I spose all those years of heating and cooling cause the iron to become brittle. I guess now I'll have to have a collector of sorts to tie in to the old exhaust pipe there. Better check that too.I don't think I'll be driving the truck when it's too cold out anyway.Maybe I can devise a way to have the heat riser with a choke cable operating it. Hmm.Guess I'll have to think about that one. I really would like to keep the beast as stock as possible. Someday I'll get it in my shop and start to work on it.Thanks again guys.

 

Being up north, you should probably use a system that warms air going into the air cleaner, with a "stove" on a couple of the tubes of the header. Most cars used to have these, with the flex hose to the air cleaner, before the conversion to EFI. Very effective and less troublesome than the flapper.

 

Didn't they have a valve called a thermactor or something with a flap in the horn on the air cleaner? I didn't think of that. Good idea. I remember my 75 3/4 ton having a foil hose going up there. Had a hose coming off the carb I think that was ported somehow.Man that was along time ago. I was going to do the paper filter mod on the oil bath cleaner. Could make like a hat or something to go on the outside of it at the same time. The foil pipe won't be a problem.Now for a way to scavange the heat.Of course it will all have to be presentable.That may be an issue.The wife has some nice stainless stockpots in the cupboard.HeeHee.Thanks for the input.

 

Thermactor was something else (air injection). Yes, there was a thermostatically controlled flap in the air horn of the air cleaner to make it suck air off the stove until it reached a certain temperature. Some of these air flaps were like a water thermostat, used a pellet that pulled the flap open, some used vacuum and a sensor. I'm thinking a '60's 289 air cleaner would have all that. Many cars did.

 

That foil pipe ran from the air cleaner horn down to a stamped sheet metal stove as Ross mentioned that was around top of the exhaust manifold. The vacuum line ran from the thermactor valve to a port on the carb as you noted, but it is important that this port draws vacuum from above the throttle plate otherwise it will stay on all the time. Also as I remember the nipple for that hose on the thermactor valve only had a pinhole in it so the valve would not react as quickly in changes to the throttle opening and closing.

 

New tank and new mechanical fuel pump is also good.