1939 Ford Carb question

[rayro39]

I'm a newbie with Flathead V8's.

I am trying to find a picture online showing the back of a model 59 Ford V8 carburetor. This one I have has a bolt in (what I think) is the vacuum. It's sucking in air, so I know it's not for the wipers.

Anyone have a diagram or picture if what goes here, or what else is supposed to be here? (pic below)

Thank you!

[Kube]

That doesn't appear to be a port in the carburetor but rather, in the intake manifold. Originally that was for the wipers. The manifold is not 1939. It is later, '42 - '48.
By the way, the 59 carburetor is not 1939. Like the manifold, it is later, '46 - '48.

[Lawson Cox]

Photo don't show all that much but it looks like an auxiliary vacuum plate for a SW heater or something. It will be sucking air if that's what it's for.

[mcgarrett]

From what I can see in the photo, your intake manifold looks like it's from a '42 to '48 engine. If that's correct, the bolt is in the vacuum port that supplies vacuum to the distributor for that series engine. That bolt will never properly prevent a vacuum leak. What was originally there was a special "banjo" fitting with a steel tube soldered into it and a hollow bolt and 2 copper washers. You might have to check swap meets and ebay to find it - none of the parts vendors have them.

[rayro39]

Wrong carb? No wonder. Been trying to start it for awhile now. It starts but wont keep an idle without alot of choke. Even after the carb rebuild. This was my fathers car. I don't know everything he did with it.

Here's more pics of it. Says 'Model 59' on it

[rayro39]

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[mcgarrett]

The carb will work fine, but you need to find the correct intake for a '39 or '40 Ford 85 hp.

[Charlie ny]

ray,
If the carb in the photo was in good working order your motor would run quite
well. Remove the bolt in the intake and at the least cover the port with a plastic push
in plug or a couple strips duct tape
Charlie ny

[Kube]

Originally Posted by mcgarrett

The carb will work fine, but you need to find the correct intake for a '39 or '40 Ford 85 hp.

That intake will work just fine. However, that port below the carburetor must be thoroughly sealed .

[Kube]

Originally Posted by rayro39

It appears as if that may very well be a '39 engine with some later parts on it. that is not unusual at all.
Get that port sealed off well and try to get it running again. The parts you have there will work with your engine just fine.

[51woodie]

I think this is what your are looking for. It is a fitting that threads into the manifold, through a banjo type fitting, that has a steel line that connects to the front cover to feed vacuum to the distributor vacuum brake. The fitting has a connection on the back end, where the vacuum hose for the wipers connects.

[rayro39]

51 Woodie thanks. That's what I was looking for. Is this your carb in the pic?

"that has a steel line that connects to the front cover to feed vacuum to the distributor vacuum brake."

Any pictures of this by chance..?

Thanks all of you for the input!

[Kube]

Originally Posted by rayro39

51 Woodie thanks. That's what I was looking for. Is this your carb in the pic?

"that has a steel line that connects to the front cover to feed vacuum to the distributor vacuum brake."

Any pictures of this by chance..?

Thanks all of you for the input!

51woodie is spot on. Although the '39 did not utilize this part, well, unless you get the correct manifold, you need for the two aforementioned vacuum source points.
The fitting in his photo is fairly difficult to find these days.
I may have a correct manifold for you, postage only. The correct manifold has two integral vacuum ports. One supplies vacuum for the wiper motor, the other supplies vacuum to the distributor.
I have attached a photo of a proper '39 intake. You can clearly see the rear vacuum port with the proper tube installed for the wiper motor.
The front port is open, as I'd yet to install the line that supplies vacuum to the dizzy.

[51woodie]

Ray. That is my engine, and if it warms up to near a tolerable temperature, I’ll get a picture for you. I spent a half hour going through the Green Bible, and can’t find the connector piece that screws into the manifold. Of course I was looking with my man eyes. Maybe someone on the forum will have that information.

[rayro39]

Ok thank you 51Woodie.

If I can see what it looks like, and what goes where, I may be able to piece something together.

[Zeke3]

You might consider taking Kube up on his generous offer and replace the manifold with a correct one for a 1939 car.

[Mart]

There is nothing there that should be making it run bad unless there is a leak.

The port is dual purpose for the distributor vac advance (actually vac brake) and wipers. Distributor is via the banjo, wipers via the special banjo bolt.

A bolt of the correct thread ought to be able to seal it up especially if it is backed up with pipe tape or some other sealant.

Unless you are looking for a perfect restoration, there is no need to swap anything.
One question, though, how is your vac advance (brake) hooked up on the distributor? Where is that getting a vac source from?

Re the carb running bad, there are many things that can cause bad running, normally due to being over rich. (Although that seems unlikely as you say it needs choke). I would be looking for a vac leak at the carb somewhere.

I did a video showing a carb teardown/reassembly which may (or may not) be helpful.

https://youtu.be/UMiWUQyIkmg

Mart.

[rayro39]

Mart, no, it I'm not looking for a perfect restoration. I just want it to have a steady idle without using the choke to keep it running.

Two more pics below showing vac line. One end is open with no continuing vac line (I'm assuming this goes into the plugged vac hole with bolt in it)

The vac advance is connected to brakes..? I'm not seeing that anywhere here.

I have both fuel mixture screws turned out 1 1/2 from tight (assuming that's correct for V8).
When idling, I can turn these screws all the way in, and several turns out, and it does not affect the idle at all.

[Mart]

Not brakes as in brakes that slow you down, but the vacuum advance in the distributor is actually a vacuum brake in the flathead distributors that helps hold the advance back.

You need to fashion a vac fitting for that port and connect those pipes to it. That will give you vac to the distributor and vac for your wipers. The Y piece on that pipe is non stock. If you could find the proper pipes and fittings that might help. For your info the thread in that fitting is 7/16 -20 UNF

If your mixture screws do nothing then the engine is getting fuel from another route. If you watch my video I show a few things that can cause over rich problems, one of which is warped lower and middle carb bodies. This means the power valve cannot close properly and will supply fuel by the back door to the engine. if it still runs with the mixture screws all the way in then look carefully at the power valve. I tried to show everything I know in the video.

Mart.

[rayro39]

Thank you Mart.