Go ahead. Paul does it to his manifolds for his carbs.
hanman

 

I used a couple brass plugs. You may want to use aluminum ones if you want it to seal perfectly, but its not as important if you just don't want coolant going everywhere every time the manifold is off. I threaded the hole for them and put on some thead sealer. The main reason was, I wanted to take my DCOE manifold off to clean the carb without leaking out all the coolant each time. ITS AWSOME! NO MORE MESS! Highly recommend to anyone running mod's for simplfying things. I did this to the bridgeport engines rotor housings I have.

 

Why does the coolant even run through the intake? Just to cool the intake down?

 

No... To warm the intake air up...

1.) So that fuel doesn't condense on it
2.) To keep the engine temp stable... Can't run an engine too cold. It's why my car won't idle right in the winter with the thermostat jammed open...

 

ahhh, IC. Thanks Pele

-Jeff

 

Are you putting the plugs in the intake manifold or in the block? Which is better, if any?

 

If you put them in the block, it keeps the antifreeze from puking out when you pull the intake.

I did it for $.50, I siliconed a quarter in each passage

 

To me it makes more sense to put the plugs in the block.. which is what I have done. That way you don't spill coolant every time you need to pull the manifold.

 

I JB welded a quarter in each hole. I borrowed one of the quarters so it just cost me $.25

 

Oh by the way, if you do this you may very well experience carb icing problems when the temp gets below 50 degrees.
I have that problem here is Kansas. You can solve it by letting the car warm up before driving it, or Heet in the tank.
hanman

 

sorry to bring it back from the dead, but would RTV work as the "silocone" if not, what do i use?!?!?


And wouldnt jb weld melt all over the place... eeew.....


Peace!

 

I think you would get this even if you didnt block off the passages and were using an aftermarket manifold. I cant think of an aftermarket manifold that has coolant passages in it...

~T.J.

 

That's what the carburetor preheater hose is for.
Only problem is, most people don't provide for a carb preheater hose when they install a header. And most aftermarket air cleaners don't have a provision for it, either. Conversely, if a heat shield of some sort is not used, the intake manifold may heat up too much. That's why Racing Bleat always recommended using their heat shield with the Holley manifold.

 

No, I don't think JB Weld is going to melt.

 

JB weld is good up over 300* farenheit if I remember correctly.... anyways, I used it to plug a hole in my radiator, hasn't failed yet, going on 3 years... hasn't shrunk, melted, or cracked.... it's great stuff!

Jeff

 

how hot does a rotary get again???

 

RTV IS silicone sealant. JB weld will work too

And you guys like to work to hard. Why bother with the manifold? The guys with the right idea are the ones blocking the rotor housing holes.But tapping? drilling? **** Im wayyyyyy to lazy for that.
1- got to auto parts store
2- ask for 2 20mm freeze plugs
3a- pocket them and walk out
3a1- get arrested for stealing
3b- pay for them (preferred method)
4- remove intake
5- tap into rotor housings
6- remove and install manifold everyday for 100 years and never have to **** with o-rings.

 

RX7carl's idea sounds pretty good. I drilled and tapped my intake. What a PIA! I drove the car in 20 degree weather a few times with no ill affects. The car did not have a heat riser or choke for that matter. Still no problems.

 

I think my o-rings are leaking as I have a little coolent on the top of my motor every once and a while. Should I do this on a stock 12A motor instead of replacing the o-rings? I live right outside Houston, TX, so it only gets cold for a little while throughout of the year. Also, how far do you tap the 20mm freeze plugs in and can they be removed if necessary?

Chris

 

Yea plug it!!!!!!!!!!! Tap em in till theyre flush. I dunno, I guess you could remove em if needed. Never tried.