Reproduction Headlight / Tilt Column Vacuum Check Valve for the 1967 to 1973 Mercury Cougar, Cyclone, Marquis, Ford Torino, Ranchero, Galaxie, LTD, Thunderbird, Lincoln Continental and Mark III.

NOTE: The direction of flow is up through the dual ports and out through the single port. 

For more in depth detail on this reproduction, see pictures below.

*NOTE* For tilt column service, you can contact Tony Augustine at 6t8cougarguy@gmail.com. Tony is a trusted colleague of WCCC and we've sent many customers his way since our column specialist retired last year.

Also fits many 1967 - 1973 Mercurys and many 1967 - 1973 Lincolns

Click on images to enlarge.

The part in the foreground is our new reproduction and the dirty used unit in the background is an original for comparison sake.

The used check valve as will you notice, still has traces of the factory applied Gold Chromate coating. This coating was applied after Ford found that the internal silicone diaphragm was prematurely failing from prolonged exposure to engine heat. Our units will NEVER have this problem for reasons I will point out below.

Only the single port side received the Gold Chromate, protective coating from the factory. The other side was left natural. Internal documents from the OEM supplier suggest the coating was used in the latter part of 1969 and forward. For those wanting a concours look for their late 69 and beyond cars, Eastwood sells a good product.

Early 1967 Cougars / Thunderbirds with a dual nipple vacuum reservoir tank (located under the driver side fender) will have this single nipple version as seen above with no barbs on the ports. We are not going to reproduce this rather obscure version but our new dual port valve will work on your early 67 if you cap off one of the ports on the dual ported side. One of the short-falls of the early original unit shown above is that the halves were made in a one step casting process. In a one step process barbs cannot be built onto the ports. The vacuum hoses often fail to stay in place when heat and lubricants are applied on these early valves. The early Chevrolet Camaro and other GM products also chose to use a version like the one above as a cost cutting measure.

Early internal documents show that the original Trico valves were only designed to last 24 months. Ours should outlast even the youngest of our customers and if they for some reason do not, we will replace it free of charge.

If your tilt column or hidden headlamps do not function when the motor is turned off, this valve will often be the culprit. This valve was used on many models from the Ford Mustang, to the Lincoln Continental and almost everything in between.

One other significant area we have improved upon the original part is the quality of the die cast cast. We produced these units using Zamac #3 which is two grades higher than what you would find the original valves were made from (i.e. higher Zinc content).

Here is where our valve is vastly improved over what Ford offered... Our new internal disc shaped diaphragm is not only double the thickness of the OEM version but is made from a Fluorosilicone that will take any amount of engine heat you can dish out, even in continuous use applications. Since that is a rather BOLD STATEMENT to make we are offering a lifetime guarantee on these vacuum check valves with no restrictions other than the buyer is the only one who can make a warranty claim (non-transferable).

The left is an original (blown) internal diaphragm and the right is our much improved, modern Fluorosilicone version.

This leaking unit was cracked open with a hammer to show the innards. As you may notice, the diaphragm is not punctured or burnt looking on this original example. This diaphragm failed due to the dirt and rust particles embedded around it and the fact that it got dry and hard with age.

The picture below shows our high temperature Fluorosilicone diaphragm next to a penny and an original diaphragm. Our diaphragm is exactly double the thickness of what Trico put in the units supplied to Lincoln - Ford - Mercury. These check valves have been tested under extreme circumstances far beyond what any motor could dish out in both heat and vacuum tests.

A simple yet effective way to test your vacuum check valve it to place the single port between your lips. You should be able to freely breath in, but not blow out even the slightest amount. This little valve is responsible for holding all the stored vacuum in the system. I have personally owned and observed Ford products where one could open the hidden headlamps months after parking the car without running the engine first! The same holds true with the tilt-tilt away steering columns used in 1967-1969. A perfectly tight system should hold enough vacuum for prolonged amounts of time and one should be able to open and close the door and pull the column into the locked position 2-3 times with the stored vacuum in the system.

This vacuum check valve was put on hundreds of thousands of Lincoln / Mercury / Ford products from 1967 throughout the 1970's. Some cars optioned with hidden headlamps, vacuum actuated trunk release, tilt-tilt away adjustable steering column, vacuum door locks and other vacuum operated options would have had multiple units installed to maintain a closed vacuum system. This TRICO valve came on the Mercury Cyclone, Marauder, Marquis, Cougar, Ford Mustang, Torino Brougham, Galaxie, LTD, SHELBY, Thunderbird, Lincoln Mark III, Continental and pretty much any other post 1967 Ford product that had a vacuum powered accessory. This valve is also a superior replacement part for your 68-82 Chevrolet Corvette and 1967 - 1969 Chevy Camaro with hide away headlights. If you own a GM with a like Trico valve, you will immediately be impressed with the fact that these carry a lifetime warranty. The low cost GM version was barb-less which means it is more likely to come unplugged and you would be lucky to get three years out of a GM Trico valve.

Replaces original Ford part number C8SZ-13B064-A.

Here is what some of our ebay customers have commented about this product;

ONLY CHECK VALVE THAT WORKS! Great Product from WCCC, as always! Great part. Great service. Highly recommended.

Thank you!! Received promptly and exactly as described Item accurately described and timely sent A+ seller. Good product at a great price. As always received as described, looks better than pictured. Awesome product! Great people to deal with! A+ Just as advertised Quality = 11 on scale of 1-10 !!

Thank you for your ongoing support!