In my opinion, you'll definitely want to get heat to the intake (whether you
use the stock intake or, say, an Offenhauser, etc.). Three different camps
say: "Only water heat will work", "Exhaust heat will work fine" or "It
doesn't make a damn bit of difference, just get heat to the manifold."
Camp One:
If you're in the first camp, get a newer style water pump that will have two
tapped holes for fittings - one will be for your heater, and one that is
usually plugged will be for heat to your manifold. Then get a GMC
thermostat housing as it also has two holes for fittings (once again, one
will be for your heater, and one the other will be for your manifold OR it
will have a cast boss for you to tap yourself - use an SPF tap, not a
regular one. Chevs do not have this feature.). Now for the manifold. I
used some 1/2" plate stock (probably too thick), cut/trimmed to size, and
drilled four holes so that it would bolt up to the intake. Be sure and make
a gasket. DO NOT drill the holes for the water lines in the plate yet.
Bolt up the plate with the Fentons in place. That way you can reconnoiter
clearance problems as ever setup is slightly different. Mark the locations
of the holes where you want them in the plate, then remove plate, tap SPF,
insert necessary fillings and connect water lines. This set up will
definitely result in excellent cross flow of heat under the intake manifold.
IMHO, this is the Cadillac setup (and probably works the best), but all the
lines are a PITB.
Camp Two:
Make plate described above. As you know, the Fentons have a tapped hole in
each one. Use 1/2 copper tubing with self crimping fittings (or however
fancy you want to get), bend (this is a bugger to do with kinking the
tubing), and hook up. Use a gasket. Some say exhaust will be bad ju-ju for
the manifold (especially an aluminum one), but I don't agree. If you have
dual exhaust, I'd only hook up one header to the plate and plug the other
one off. Hooking both up will really screw up the songs that the dual
exhaust will sing. If you hook both up, there will be little or no cross
flow unless you design the necessary fittings and modify the Fentons to
create a pressure differential across the manifold (email me off line if you
want to discuss the finer points of this). The one header heat setup is
what I run (dual exhaust) in Seattle in weather from about 20 degrees on up.
This set up is very clean and gets the manifold very hot. When cold, the
truck runs very good - no idle problems whatsoever. (Uh-oh, here come the
emails from camp one......)
Camp Three:
You pick.
Sorry if this in more information than you wanted.....
Have fun,
Allen in Seattle
'50 3100
Inliner No. 2235
----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Snow <mwsnow@home.com>
To: <oletrucks@autox.team.net>
Sent: February 23, 2000 9:16 PM
Subject: RE: [oletrucks] Fentons Hdrs with Stock Intake - Ideas
I have a stock intake (part# 3886690) with vintage Fentons on my 235. I am
not positive that this is the correct intake for a 235. It may very well be
a 216 intake. The underside of the carb mounting area appears to have a
plate welded flush with the bottom. I have no intake heating of any kind.
The carb is a Carter YF with manual choke.
I live near San Diego, California. I have driven this setup in cool weather
down to about 40 degrees. IMHO, some type of manifold heating is advisable.
Before I parked the truck last July, I drove it 13 miles each way to work.
My truck needs to run at cruising speed (50 MPH) for a couple miles before
it will idle well in cool weather. It is simple to compensate for poor fuel
vaporization by using the choke when the engine is cold. Unfortunately, I
do no have a functioning throttle cable to raise the idle at the same time.
God just didn't give me enough feet to do the dance required to bring the
truck to a stop without stalling it while the engine is warming up.
I am seriously considering installing a stock intake and exhaust just for
the simplicity, quiet running, and longevity. FWIW, I had similar results
with my Jeeps (258 I6 with the same YF carb). Headers are for racing!
Manifold heating helps, even here in the sunny southwest. For all you
northern oletruckers, HEAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD!
Way more than my 2 cents,
Mike Snow
1953 3100
Camp Pendleton, California
> > Replaced a badly cracked stock exhaust manifold with Fentons,
> but want to
> run
> >
> > the stock intake on the 235. Anybody have that setup and did you do
> anything
> >
> > to duct hot exhaust like with the stock setup from the Fentons
> (construct
> > some sort of block off plate under middle of intake) up to the old
> intake?
> > Also been suggested by others not to bother, that after a
> while it'll heat
> > up
> > anyway even though they are not physically connected like before. Any
> > thoughts ideas appreciated
>
>
> I'd be interested in this as well, also if anyone replies, please post
> where you're at and the climate you drive your truck in too.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike
> oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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