Lee, one "trick" I've used on manifolds, to provide a somewhat more durable coating than paint, is to spray graphite lube on a rag, then wipe to an even dark-gray/black color. The solvent dries, leaving the graphite in a thin coat on the manifold. The manifold should be given a wire brush cleanup to remove loose rust, before applying, of course. The graphite will last pretty well, and is easy to reapply when it wears thin.
The graphite spray works very much like the "stove polish" my Dad got at the local hardware store when I was a kid, which was a liquid mix of carbon black, wax and solvent. My job was to wipe it on our woodstoves to bring back a dull-black shine to the cast iron. As it dried, it left a waxy black finish on the stove, and I had black finger nails for a few days. Stove polish is still available, and although I've never tried it on manifolds, it might work pretty well, too. [Edit: LugNutz beat me to this one, while I was typing...].
Lee & Swami, As for the heat-riser spring pre-tension, yes, the spring gets 1/2 turn from unhooked position to set it correctly (ref, bottom right column
p. 6-19 of the '54 Chevy Shop Manual), set cold as Dad said. The Shop Manual also recommends a mix of "kerosene and a small mount of baking soda" to loosen stuck shafts. I had forgotten that one. Might be worth a try.
Doug
