Exhaust manifold no longer made- option?

> GUEST wrote:
> I've found it nearly impossible to find an exhaust
> manifold for my '79 Ford Granada with the
> 250 ci six. Mine is cracked in two.
>
> No major auto parts stores carry it and Ford says
> it's no longer made.
>
> I've searched every junkyard in a 75 mile radius.
>
> What are my options? I've heard they don't weld
> up too well. I've heard of "brazing". Does this
> work?
>
> Thanks for any help....
>
> Bubba

I'd just spend a few bucks to get it welded. Might as
well try if it's worthless anyway...

Got the new exhaust manifold and yes, it
is NEW! I just can't believe it. The holes
match a gasket I have so it should work.

I have a question though.....
It has port holes in each exhaust port,
they look like spark plug holes, about the
same size and threaded. Must be for some
pollution control stuff, which I don't have.
How do I plug these? I could come up
with my own ideas but there must be a
correct way.

THANK YOU to all for helping me find
an exhaust manifold. It was really wearing
me down.

bubba

In article >, Bubba wrote:
>Got the new exhaust manifold and yes, it
>is NEW! I just can't believe it. The holes
>match a gasket I have so it should work.
>
>I have a question though.....
>It has port holes in each exhaust port,
>they look like spark plug holes, about the
>same size and threaded. Must be for some
>pollution control stuff, which I don't have.
>How do I plug these? I could come up
>with my own ideas but there must be a
>correct way.
>
>THANK YOU to all for helping me find
>an exhaust manifold. It was really wearing
>me down.

Your '79 should have an air pump or at least it did from the factory.
That's what I was asking you about earlier, the tubes that go into the
manifold for the air pump.

I'll guess it's just an NPT thread and you could probably just use a
cast iron threaded plug from the plumbing isle... just put some high
temp anti-seize on it first so if you ever need to remove them they'll
come out.

thinking about it some more, maybe a thin coating of high-temp
red exhaust mainfold RTV might be better than anti-sieze to just to
prevent an exhaust leak.

maybe someone else will have a better idea....

On Mar 11, 1:46*am, (Brent P)
wrote:
> In article >, Bubba wrote:
> >Got the new exhaust manifold and yes, it
> >is NEW! * I just can't believe it. *The holes
> >match a gasket I have so it should work.
>
> >I have a question though.....
> >It has port holes in each exhaust port,
> >they look like spark plug holes, about the
> >same size and threaded. *Must be for some
> >pollution control stuff, which I don't have.
> >How do I plug these? *I could come up
> >with my own ideas but there must be a
> >correct way.
>
> >THANK YOU to all for helping me find
> >an exhaust manifold. *It was really wearing
> >me down.
>
> Your '79 should have an air pump or at least it did from the factory.
> That's what I was asking you about earlier, the tubes that go into the
> manifold for the air pump.
>
> I'll guess it's just an NPT thread and you could probably just use a
> cast iron threaded plug from the plumbing isle... just put some high
> temp anti-seize on it first so if you ever need to remove them they'll
> come out.
>
> thinking about it some more, maybe a thin coating of high-temp
> red exhaust mainfold RTV might be better than anti-sieze to just to
> prevent an exhaust leak.
>
> maybe someone else will have a better idea....

Maybe, or they might be flare fittings. In either case plugs should
be available, although flare plugs will be a little harder to find.
I'd use brass rather than cast iron, but that's just my prejudice,
either should work.

nate

Bubba > wrote:
>Got the new exhaust manifold and yes, it
>is NEW! I just can't believe it. The holes
>match a gasket I have so it should work.
>
>I have a question though.....
>It has port holes in each exhaust port,
>they look like spark plug holes, about the
>same size and threaded. Must be for some
>pollution control stuff, which I don't have.
>How do I plug these? I could come up
>with my own ideas but there must be a
>correct way.

Go to an industrial bolt supplier. Get some bolts that fit the holes.
Grind them down so that they don't protrude into the manifolt at all,
but are more or less flush inside.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On Mar 11, 1:46*am, (Brent P)
wrote:
> In article >, Bubba wrote:
> >Got the new exhaust manifold and yes, it
> >is NEW! * I just can't believe it. *The holes
> >match a gasket I have so it should work.
>
> >I have a question though.....
> >It has port holes in each exhaust port,
> >they look like spark plug holes, about the
> >same size and threaded. *Must be for some
> >pollution control stuff, which I don't have.
> >How do I plug these? *I could come up
> >with my own ideas but there must be a
> >correct way.
>
> >THANK YOU to all for helping me find
> >an exhaust manifold. *It was really wearing
> >me down.
>
> Your '79 should have an air pump or at least it did from the factory.
> That's what I was asking you about earlier, the tubes that go into the
> manifold for the air pump.

The existing cast iron manifold doesn't have these threaded holes,
it's cast without them. There's no sign of an air pump or brackets
for one. I guess if there was one, it's long gone.

> I'll guess it's just an NPT thread and you could probably just use a
> cast iron threaded plug from the plumbing isle...

I looked quite a while for a correct bolt today. It's the same
thread as the spark plugs on my Yamaha 650- BP7ES.
It's like a 9/16th with a fine #18 thread. I don't want to use
spark plugs because everything looks so good and original,
so I'll keep looking.

In article >, Bubba wrote:
>On Mar 11, 1:46*am, (Brent P)
>wrote:
>> In article >, Bubba wrote:
>> >Got the new exhaust manifold and yes, it
>> >is NEW! * I just can't believe it. *The holes
>> >match a gasket I have so it should work.
>>
>> >I have a question though.....
>> >It has port holes in each exhaust port,
>> >they look like spark plug holes, about the
>> >same size and threaded. *Must be for some
>> >pollution control stuff, which I don't have.
>> >How do I plug these? *I could come up
>> >with my own ideas but there must be a
>> >correct way.
>>
>> >THANK YOU to all for helping me find
>> >an exhaust manifold. *It was really wearing
>> >me down.
>>
>> Your '79 should have an air pump or at least it did from the factory.
>> That's what I was asking you about earlier, the tubes that go into the
>> manifold for the air pump.

>The existing cast iron manifold doesn't have these threaded holes,
>it's cast without them. There's no sign of an air pump or brackets
>for one. I guess if there was one, it's long gone.

Somebody modified something I would guess. The thermactor(sp?) system
(the air pump) was added in ~1975 and as far as I know was present on
the 6cylinder for the rest of its run (to ~1984). I haven't seen a 75 or
later one in a junk yard that didn't have it. Either someone removed
it and replaced the manifold with an earlier one or swapped the engine
for an earlier one. Sadly, my 1978 shop manual does not have a picture
of the exhaust manifold side of the engine.

On Mar 11, 11:59*pm, Bubba > wrote:
> On Mar 11, 1:46*am, (Brent P)
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > In article >, Bubba wrote:
> > >Got the new exhaust manifold and yes, it
> > >is NEW! * I just can't believe it. *The holes
> > >match a gasket I have so it should work.
>
> > >I have a question though.....
> > >It has port holes in each exhaust port,
> > >they look like spark plug holes, about the
> > >same size and threaded. *Must be for some
> > >pollution control stuff, which I don't have.
> > >How do I plug these? *I could come up
> > >with my own ideas but there must be a
> > >correct way.
>
> > >THANK YOU to all for helping me find
> > >an exhaust manifold. *It was really wearing
> > >me down.
>
> > Your '79 should have an air pump or at least it did from the factory.
> > That's what I was asking you about earlier, the tubes that go into the
> > manifold for the air pump.
>
> The existing cast iron manifold doesn't have these threaded holes,
> it's cast without them. *There's no sign of an air pump or brackets
> for one. *I guess if there was one, it's long gone.
>
> > I'll guess it's just an NPT thread and you could probably just use a
> > cast iron threaded plug from the plumbing isle...
>
> I looked quite a while for a correct bolt today. *It's the same
> thread as the spark plugs on my Yamaha 650- BP7ES.
> It's like a 9/16th with a fine #18 thread. * I don't want to use
> spark plugs because everything looks so good and original,
> so I'll keep looking.

it's probably either a 14mm or 18mm thread. since you say "9/16"
sounds like 14mm (1/2" is appx. 12.7 mm)

nate

On Wed, 12 Mar 2008 08:03:34 -0500,
(Brent P) wrote:

Doorman used to make plugs specificaly for this purpose.
Check you local parts store.

Chances are it is original.
While I am not at all familiar with Ford products, I do know that back in
that era 49 state trucks over about 6000 pounds GVW were exempt from
emission controls, and were designed to be operated on leaded or unleaded
fuel.

So while I can see someone going to the trouble to remove an air pump and
all it's plumbing, I cannot see them going to the additional trouble and
expense of changing out the entire exhaust manifold.

I purchased a new 1978 GMC heavy half ton pickup with a 350 gas engine that
has no emission controls at all. No air pump, no catalytic conv., no EGR.
It does have a preheat air cleaner and a coolant temperature switch for the
distributor vacuum advance.

Lee Richardson
Evansville, Indiana


>
> Somebody modified something I would guess. The thermactor(sp?) system
> (the air pump) was added in ~1975 and as far as I know was present on
> the 6cylinder for the rest of its run (to ~1984). I haven't seen a 75 or
> later one in a junk yard that didn't have it. Either someone removed
> it and replaced the manifold with an earlier one or swapped the engine
> for an earlier one. Sadly, my 1978 shop manual does not have a picture
> of the exhaust manifold side of the engine.
>
>
>