Goldfinch

[Goldfinch28]

Installing a powerbrake kit on my 56bird. There is a vacumm port out of the intake manifold in front of the carb with a line to.the fuel pump then out of the fuel pump to the wipers.can I remove that block and install anew one supplied with the kit.this block has a port on top for the brake and one to the fuel pump. The other port inthe block could be capped off. Am I on the right track?There is no port on the rear of the carb

[scicala]

Originally Posted by Goldfinch28

Installing a powerbrake kit on my 56bird. There is a vacumm port out of the intake manifold in front of the carb with a line to.the fuel pump then out of the fuel pump to the wipers.can I remove that block and install anew one supplied with the kit.this block has a port on top for the brake and one to the fuel pump. The other port inthe block could be capped off. Am I on the right track?There is no port on the rear of the carb

In 1955 they took vacuum for the wipers and power brakes from the fitting on the manifold in front of the carburetor. In 1956 they took vacuum from a brass fitting on the back of the carb at the base of it for power brakes and wipers.
Either one will work for you, but if you have a '56 T-Bird and there is no hole on the back side of the base of the carb for vacuum, then you have the wrong carb on the engine.

Sal

[scicala]

Thinking again, if you're current intake manifold has a hole for vacuum in front of the carb, it must be a '55 manifold or engine.

Sal

[dmsfrr]

Originally Posted by Goldfinch28

Installing a powerbrake kit on my 56bird. There is a vacumm port out of the intake manifold in front of the carb with a line to.the fuel pump then out of the fuel pump to the wipers.can I remove that block and install anew one supplied with the kit.this block has a port on top for the brake and one to the fuel pump. The other port inthe block could be capped off. Am I on the right track?There is no port on the rear of the carb

Yes you are (on the right track).
The largest vacuum fitting on the manifold that the new fitting in the kit will go into is the one you should use. The new brake booster will have about a 3/8 inch(?) vac line going to it and will use all the vacuum it can get.
If you can borrow a third hand and a vacuum cleaner/shop vac you can use them when removing the existing fitting to help keep crud from falling inside the intake manifold.
.

[Goldfinch28]

Thanks for the useful info.Must definitely have 55 manifold and a holly carb. I have the fittings coming to hook up the brake I have one more question to ask. Looking into the intake hole witch I believe to be 5/8! In the bottom of the hole there is a approx 3/16 hole but it looks like there might be a drill bit broke off or is it meant to be there, maybe like an orfice. Any help is most appreciated as I am in unknown territory. Thanks again ,goldfinch

[Goldfinch28]

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Hello again, still not sure if I have a problem with the 55 intake manifold that has been installed on my 56 tbird the intake port that is in front of the holly carb appears to be about a 5/8 tap inside the port is about a 3/16 hole into the vacumm chamber. Inside that 3/16 hole is a small piece of steel blocking part of the hole I,am not sure if it is supposed to be there or if it is a broken off off easy out or some other type of orfice. Any info would sure be appreciated. Thanks again. Louis

[scicala]

Originally Posted by Goldfinch28

Hello again, still not sure if I have a problem with the 55 intake manifold that has been installed on my 56 tbird the intake port that is in front of the holly carb appears to be about a 5/8 tap inside the port is about a 3/16 hole into the vacumm chamber. Inside that 3/16 hole is a small piece of steel blocking part of the hole I,am not sure if it is supposed to be there or if it is a broken off off easy out or some other type of orfice. Any info would sure be appreciated. Thanks again. Louis

Hello Louis,

I have a 1955 Ford (same as T-Bird) 4 barrel intake manifold (casting # ECB-9425-B) that I just checked. I pulled out the brass vacuum fitting from in front of the carb, and in the bottom of the large hole, there are two holes drilled through to the intake plenum. Both holes are exactly 1/4" (.250") side by side. One hole is angled slightly towards the driver's side, and the other hole is basicly straight down. There is no piece of metal or orifice restricting either hole. They go straight through to the plenum and are 1/4" all the way.

Hope this helps you.

Sal

[Goldfinch28]

Hello, again. It gets more interesting all the time.My casting number is Ecb 8425-b.I am now wondering if this manifold was fora car with just a windshield wiper. Decision now is either a new carb with ports in it or take this manifold off and drill it out like yours is tapped. As it is now I,am not sure the there will be enough vacuum for the brake. Any other suggestions. Thanks for the response.Louis

[flatrod]

Louis, stop by my place in Mt View and we can look at different manifolds. I have both 55 and 56 stuff here. Dennis

[GREENBIRD56]

The manifolds with the two small holes under the threaded port - they are usually drilled, one into each plenum of the "cross H" dual plane manifold (to help stop pulsing). I'm surprised there isn't a plug or fitting about half way down the back wall of the manifold behind the carb base.

[scicala]

Originally Posted by Goldfinch28

Hello, again. It gets more interesting all the time.My casting number is Ecb 8425-b.I am now wondering if this manifold was fora car with just a windshield wiper. Decision now is either a new carb with ports in it or take this manifold off and drill it out like yours is tapped. As it is now I,am not sure the there will be enough vacuum for the brake. Any other suggestions. Thanks for the response.Louis

I'm sure you're manifold is a ECB-9425-B. There was only one 4 barrell manifold in 1955 shared by Ford, Mercury and T-Bird. There must be a flaw in the casting number or you mis-read the one digit. There is no seperate manifold for a car with power brakes or just wipers. If you have the two 1/4" holes drilled as described, you will have plenty of vacuum for the brakes. It worked for the engineers back in the day.

Sal

[Goldfinch28]

Hello again. Thanks for the replys to all questions.Checked the casting numbers and they are as you stated. Casting numbers ecb9425-b, also next to that number is 56 and a circle with a vertical slash then the number 8. Below that is a half circle with a letter f in the middle,witch is probably a foundry location. The hole into the manifold is 5/8 and hole into the plenum is3/16 with apiece of steel or an orfice init. That closes the 3/16 hole to about half its area. A fellow in town here has 56 ,and55 manifolds.I will then decide then how to fix my problem. Thanks again. Goldfinch 28

[Goldfinch28]

In regards to my 55 manifold and vacuum issue, I found that there was a small factory insert in the bottom of the manifold vacuum port. It was easily remove d and revealed the two 1/4" vacuum ports in question. Also, when the factory insert was removed, I was able to install the correct 55 vacuum plug and connect my brakes. It works fine now. It also appears that this manifolds original color was gold. Might it have been from a truck? Here are some pictures to help clarify what I found. Thanks to all for your input.


I'll have to shrink the pictures as they are too big. I'll add them later.

[Goldfinch28]

Still trying to get this computer thing dialed in. The correct thread title should read as stated above. Thanks, Louis

[Goldfinch28]

All thanks to Dennis aka Flatrod. I had taken the manifold off and brought it to him and he poked around and discovered that the insert was removable!

[Goldfinch28]

Pictures of factory insert. Sorry, focus wasn't too good.

[Goldfinch28]

Insert

[Goldfinch28]

Insert picture

[miker98038]

IIRC, Merc motors were gold paint in 56. Same casting, different paint.

[scicala]

Originally Posted by miker98038

IIRC, Merc motors were gold paint in 56. Same casting, different paint.

Yes, Mercury intakes were gold in 1956, but didn't use this intake in 1956. In 1955, Mercury intakes were painted yellow.

Sal

[raceron1120]

Originally Posted by scicala

Yes, Mercury intakes were gold in 1956, but didn't use this intake in 1956. In 1955, Mercury intakes were painted yellow. Sal

Sal that 4bbl intake you got from me a year or so ago with the carb was off a '55 Merc 292. It was kind of odd colored - greenish/yellowish/goldish. We tried to duplicate that color when the block was repainted, came close but not exact.

I've seen yellow Yblocks before too though. I thought I read someplace that different engine plants might have painted them different colors? Not sure but there's a mix of 'em out there.

[scicala]

Originally Posted by raceron1120

Sal that 4bbl intake you got from me a year or so ago with the carb was off a '55 Merc 292. It was kind of odd colored - greenish/yellowish/goldish. We tried to duplicate that color when the block was repainted, came close but not exact.

I've seen yellow Yblocks before too though. I thought I read someplace that different engine plants might have painted them different colors? Not sure but there's a mix of 'em out there.

Hi Raceron,

My first car when a kid was a '55 Mercury Montclair with the 198 HP 292 engine (same as T-Bird). It was the original engine and was all painted the same pale yellow as the intake I bought from you (intake, heads, block and valve covers were all the same color). I have also seen the yellow engines in '55 Mercury's with cream colored valve covers. My educated guess is that these were the 188 HP 292's that came in all models except the Montclair which had the 198 HP engine. Difference was a slightly lower compression ratio (different heads).

Sal