Ivan
It's to warm the inlet manifold to prevent condensation of the fuel-air mix -
'icing'as Rocky calls it. The mixture flows through the inlet manifold at
high velocity, which means low pressure and low temperature. This can cause
water vapour from the air to freeze, and fuel droplets condense around the
ice. In such a form fuel does not burn well - it needs to be vapour. This
is mostly a problem with cold engines and cold ambient temperatures, but I
have known it to happen with a fully warmed engine (after a 400 kilometer
run) on a cool but not cold night. The engine ran fine at speed but stalled
at idle.
I'd leave the water heating connected, and focus on getting colder, denser
air to the carburettor.
Vic Hughes.
"Witbracht, Ivan L" wrote:
> I'm curious about the reason for the water flow through the stock intake
> manifold. Is it intended to warm the manifold quickly when the engine is
> cold, or is it to cool the manifold from the heat of the exhaust headers
> below it when the engine is hot?
>
> If the water line were disconnected, would the engine run stronger with a
> cooler, denser air/fuel charge?
>
> Ivan Lee Witbracht
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