Thanks! That all makes sense, except I won't have EGR anymore because I got the 2181 intake, and there is no provision for it. I think the EGR might be long gone on this truck anyway.
For the PCV, there should be a PCV valve on one of the valve covers, and the hose goes a vacuum port on the carb? Also, the original air cleaner housing is long gone as well. It currently has an Edelbrock filter complete with rusty chrome.

 

That makes sense, thanks! I may just cleanup the old valve covers and cut and grind away any unused tabs.

 

PCV should be on one valve cover and goes into carburetor spacer through a typically a largish rubber hose/ metal pipe maybe 5/8 diameter. PCV valve is a little metal or plastic that rattles. This is a maintenance item and should be replaced as a matter of course.

On the Elderbroke, it should be the large pipe nipple on lower front/rear center

 

Here's a diagram.

[img][url=https://flic.kr/p/2iHDJZZ]

 

Thanks you guys for answering so many questions! This is much clearer to me now. When I first got the truck, looking at that mess under the hood made my head hurt.

So I understand the PCV valve, now I would like to order one along with a "breather" for the other valve cover. That stuff is missing on my truck.

What kind of PCV valve goes on the valve cover? I'm thinking these are pretty universal? I'm putting together a small order of stuff from summit so I wouldn't mind getting that and the breather too.
Also, do I need a carb spacer for between the inake and carb? I saw a reference to that somewhere on the forums.
Thanks again! You have all been rock stars!

 

I was advised by Edelbrock to use a spacer on mine. It helps to keep the carb. from getting too much heat.

 

PCV valves are not universal. The engine see's them as large vacuum leaks, and the amount they "leak" is adjusted to the engine application. Just order one for your particular truck and you should be ok.

 

Awesome everyone. Thanks again for the guidance!

Today I will clean up and paint my intake, as I got it second hand. Then I will start cleaning up under the hood, tracing and labeling vacuum lines, and trashing the ones I don't want.
For the valve cover PCV valve/breather solution, I believe I will simply clean up my old valve covers, cut and grind away the little brackets that held those stupid EGR things, and paint them up.
I believe I will order this PCV valve for one valve cover, an ACdelco, part # 19310788:


And for the breather/oil filler cap, I think I need this:


This looks like it will work because the passenger side valve cover has a simple round grommet and the driver's side has a hole for a twist-in cap.

 

Today's update: I removed almost all of the vacuum hoses and their related valves/solenoids/brackets/fittings/etc.... The engine bay is already so much clearer. I took the valve covers off, cleaned the crud off, cut and ground off the tabs that mounted the emissions thingies, and painted them. Sorry Ford folks, I just used silver engine paint since that's what I had

I also plan to remove the smog pump bracket and replace it with a different alternator bracket. I'll update if that is successful!

So now I'm getting ready to pull the old carb and intake so I can mount the new intake (my 2181 Edelbrock I got second hand). I have three more emissions related questions before I begin;
1: There are two catch can looking things down in front of the engine on the passenger side. Can I get rid of them? My crap photography skills weren't enough to get a good picture, but here they are. They have a bunch of 5/8" or so vacuum hoses running into them from nowhere. Can I get rid of them since I'm using a simple PCV and oil cap breather?



2. Do the fuel tanks have vent lines that need to go somewhere? I know there is a selector valve under there somewhere, haven't found it yet. I just want to know before I plumb the engine bay vacuum system.


3. I think that nipple towards the back of the manifold is a manifold vacuum. Does it make a difference if I use that or the fitting on my 1406 carburetor? I am assuming I use one and cap the other.

 

The "catch can thing" is actually the evap. charcoal canister where the vent lines from the fuel tank attach. This is usually plumbed to the carb. also, but I don't believe your Edelbrock has such a provision.(My 1806 did not, so I ignored it)
The nipple on the the back of the manifold is your manifold vacuum attachment point. This is usually connected to a "vacuum tree" to allow connection of manifold vacuum to different areas. On mine it is connected to the heater control, the transmission vacuum control module, and the top of the factory air cleaner to power the air intake flap.

 

thanks! So did you just cap the vent lines from the tank?
I had a problem putting gas in this thing when I last drove it. It would only take a slow fill, and I suspected something to do with the vent lines.

 

The answer to #2 is in your #1 question. The fuel tank vents into that canister. By removing it you gain authentic 60’s car gasoline fumes and not much else.

 

Leave the vent lines from the tank/s to the canisters Remove the lines from the canisters to the engine

 

The tanks still need a venting system, which originally took vapor forward to the charcoal canisters via the small line.......or they will pressurize.

The tank filler caps have a one-way vent which only allows air inwards; this prevents fuming & loss of fuel vapor into the atmosphere. When the tank heats up & vapors need to escape, they go forward to the charcoal canisters via the small vent line. This also applied to vapor vented from the carb float bowl.
When everything was in it's original working state, valves in the engine bay opened while the engine was running & the vapors stored in the charcoal canister were drawn into the engine to be burnt.
Some heavier trucks without canisters, just vented at the tank. I did this with my truck when I de-smogged it & cleared out the engine bay.

The slow-fill issue is vent related, but not involving the line going to the canister.
There is a larger air vent tube inside the fuel filler neck that is somewhat inadequate, & also can become dislodged; but even when that tube is in place, filling is much easier if the truck happens to be sitting higher on the driver's side. Later model trucks had a modification to the system that helped.......I think from '87, not 100% sure.

 

That large nipple sticking up at the rear of the intake, I would hook the brake booster to that. You will have another large connection on the carb, going by the instructions hook that up to the PCV valve. Hopefully you will have another small vacuum connection on the carb that will have vacuum all the time. You could use that to run a small line to the vacuum tree on the firewall.

The canister in the picture, I would do what matthew said, leave the lines going back on the frame to the tank(s) hooked up, disconnect the lines to the engine. If you get an objectionable gas smell under the hood, there are ways to hook it up later to get rid of that.