First, Let me start off by introducing myself.  Name is Brian, from the Green Bay, Wisc area.  I have a 1959 Ford Custom 300 with a 292 that I picked up out west ten years ago.  Since then it has been my way to get into the classic car scene on a budget, get my hands a little dirty, and take a yearly weekend trip with.

Despite my best attempts at keeping the car tuned and ready to go anywhere, this summer it was starting hard, running rough, and sucking gas.  My mechanic got it running 90% better, but found in a leakdown and compression test that the motor is pretty tired- the best cylinder had 20% leakdown and the rest ranged all the way to 50%, so I am in the process of pulling the motor to have rebuilt.  To my question: The road draft tube is very loose- the bracket that supports it to the block was cracked and the fit between the top of the tube and the cylindrical piece that fits in the valley pan is very sloppy.  The bracket I can repair, but is the fit at the top supposed to be snug?  Wondering that all the bouncing around from the loose broken bracket may have enlarged the hole.  For all I know, the tube and the cylinder are supposed to be one piece and a weld has cracked or something.  And Is there supposed to be a filter inside of this cylindrical piece on 59's?

Thanks for all your help.  I have to say that I have made it through 200 pages of this forum and counting.  I have learned so much about our motors and have used your knowledge to know the right questions to ask the rebuilder and what parts to use.