Don,
If you notice ther is about a 1/2 - 3/4 hole in the bottom, that "of course" should have let the water drain out, but get just the right size what ever and it would have blocked her up. Everybody I've seen when restoring the truck, put a bit of metal or plastic window screen on the back side of the fresh air inlet to keep debris out. I will do the same. Checking ot cleaning it out was probaly a regional thing, if you lived under pine trees you probaly checked it more than others.
All the stufff now is plastic.
