I appreciate the input, but I feel you've missed the point (Me looking for parts diagrams and input as I restore my furnace), and steered the topic towards a safety issue that doesn't exist here. Maybe another thread discussing safety issues in old furnaces would be more appropriate.
If it were a case of a rusted out unit I'd be in agreement about replacement, but I tore out the burners today and vacuumed it out, and all I see is a bit of surface rust on the bottom of the heat exchanger. I'm confident in it as-is, but like I stated, since I've already got it halfway apart I plan on pulling the whole unit and bead-blasting the heat exchanger clean, painting it with high-temp ceramic, and cooking it before I put it back in the unit. If there are any pinholes in it I can address them with sheet metal and a welder after the bead-blasting. I've already ordered a new TC, cut the gasket for the burner plate, cleaned the burner manifold, and replaced the grommets up front, and I only have about an hour and $20 invested. Bead-blasting and paint might take 2 more hours and another $30 in materials - $50 if I decide to repaint the housing, but it looks galvanized and unrusted. I'll look around for a piece of mica, which is probably in my Victrola parts. This furnace will seal better than new when I'm done - I'm quite sure of that. Plus, I already ordered new filters, and since they're custom size MERV 13 and $90 a box I'm pretty much committed!
I know where you're coming from with buying a new unit, and a Coleman furnace may be no gem, but it's the restoration that I enjoy. I'm the type of guy that's still brewing coffee with a 1920's Silex I keep running from really old NOS parts, and it always makes a great cup of coffee!
Other than not having to light a pilot once in awhile I don't see a lot of advantage to spending $600+ on a new furnace and have to customize it to fit unless I break something I can't easily replace on the original.
If anyone has Assembly/part diagrams I will be extremely grateful!
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