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1978 Emissions whatsis and doohickeys (now with pics)
I see lots of superfluous tubing under my hood, what is it and what can I just junk right now. I don’t have any air pump either.
My mechanical experience with cars skipped the 70’s and 80’s altogether, this truck is the first 70’s vehicle I have ever owned. I cut my teeth on my first car, a 1966 Mustang Sprint 200 which I’d give my eye teeth to have back. Anyway, what is this stuff?
I’m concerned about that mess coming out the back of the carb and spacer, what were they for and are they necessary? If not, what can I plug them with?
Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but all you really need hooked up: vac line for brake booster, vac line for auto transmission module, vac line for the distributor, and the pcv system. As far as plugging them, go to the parts store and pick up a few packages of vacuum caps, they come in assortment packs. Pick the right sizes and go to town.
Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but all you really need hooked up: vac line for brake booster, vac line for auto transmission module, vac line for the distributor, and the pcv system. As far as plugging them, go to the parts store and pick up a few packages of vacuum caps, they come in assortment packs. Pick the right sizes and go to town.
I picked up an assortment box at Northern Tool a while back for a couple bucks.
I didn't see a sphere, but if it's black plastic, it sounds like a vacuum reservoir. It would be plumbed to vacuum, but via a check-valve. It is what allows your air conditioner and ventilation controls to cycle once or twice after the engine is shut off. Or it's for emission controls. I'm pretty sure that the emission controls vacuum reservoir is required to be separate from any other vacuum accessories. Ford also used what is/looks like an unlabeled coffee can or juice can, as a vacuum reservoir.
You might be better off to just make it all work as Henry intended. It's probably not that far away from working. Typically you will find missing or failed vacuum lines. Sometimes folks will plug the hoses and cap off the ports, but after ≥40 years, you figure something was messed with by someone who couldn't/didn't want to return it to full factory specs.
I am guessing that all of your needed pieces are present, and if you're missing anything, it's just vacuum hoses which are easily replaced.
Your truck should (I think) have a V.E.C.I. label/decal somewheres under the hood, and that will give you the vacuum diagram for the engine vacuum accrssories and especially the emission controls. They are not that difficult to decipher and understand, once you know what each part of the system is.
And at least on the carbureted Fox Mustangs I've had, the V.E.C.I. label's diagram kind of gives you the location of everything too.
Once you understand the whole system and what each part does, it's not really that complicated.
I see the manifold vacuum port/block there, along with a ground bolted to a layer of paint - or is it sanded to metal under that ring terminal?
I see the spherical reservoir, and I'm guessing that it's for the AC? I'm thinking the holes in the air cleaner base are for Temperature Controlled Vacuum Switches for incoming air? They typically have two vacuum hoses going to them.
I know there are TCVS's which thread into coolant passages in the intake manifold, and they control the distributor advance, along with some emission controls, according to coolant temperature.
Distributor vacuum advance along with the fuel line and filter: I'm not sure what goes to the capped-off port on the thermostat housing, but if it's a threaded hole and not a bung, it would be a good spot for a mechanical temperature gauge sender.
Vacuum block again. I'm guessing that the painted hard line originally went to the distributor? It looks capped off on the other end. The rubber hoses coming from the vacuum block are probably one for the automatic transmission, and one for all other vacuum accessories. I'm thinking that the emission controls might be supposed to have their own dedicated vacuum supply, but I'm not sure. You can follow the hoses to see where they go. I think half the trucks on here have vacuum ports capped off with a short length of hose which has a bolt clamped in the end. I can think of one for sure on my truck!
Choke heater and wire:
Missing PVC stuffs: I'm thinking that hole in the air cleaner base is for the PVC filter, which is where the line would go from your oil cap. I didn't see a PVC valve anywhere. Probably at the rear of the passenger side valve cover.
Charcoal canister appears to be missing a vacuum line, along with the 'mushroom' cap on the large top port:
Duraspark ignition module/box along with vacuum reservoir: It appears to have puked its insulation or whatever that stuff is, but if it says "Motorcraft" on it, it is still probably better than whatever the McParts stores typically sell. I think that might happen when you leave the ignition on without the engine running? My aftermarket replacement box recently did that, but I have a genuine Motorcraft 'blue grommet' unit stashed in my hoard.
This is the tube I believe was meant to supply the distributor. It's not unusual for the dizzy to receive a dedicated line, home runned to the manifold.
Not a bad looking engine, the foundation is certainly there! Get all of the soft parts arranged and buttoned up, and maybe some paint on the water pump, and it would be a real looker. (I would leave the water pump on, and carefully paint it with a brush, if doing anything there...)
Good eye NumberDummy! Had you not, I might've caught that while making this post - maybe...
01-21-2019, 05:17 PM
