Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines 302 homemade intake

Check out my build on killbillet. I'm making an intake for the 302. I'm pretty stoked about it! I'm open to your comments but please bear in mind I do realize that my design is not very technologically advanced. It's a 1 ton truck and I'm not trying set records at bonneville. http://www.killbillet.com/showthread.php?38526-50-3800-flat-bed-dually

It looks like a good start. How many of what carb are you thinking about. This is going to be a handy little truck.
My first 4bbl GMC manifold was a stock manifold turned over with the heat section opened up. I made an adapter plate for an old WCFB I had and filled the original single barrel hole. It was crude but it ran better than the single. It was before I knew better and before I was taking pictures of of my "creations"

Gonna run two DGV webers. Langdon told me I should run three for "even" fuel distribution, but it don't see why I can't space the carbs closer to the outboard ports than the center one? Also plan on welding a pipe on it it for heat.

Many people don't realize that on engines like this where you have (3)ports and only (2) carbs, there is a wedge inside the plenum in front of the center port that helps keep the fuel distribution equal to all (3) ports. Looks like a good start.

Scott is the wedge something built into the plenum? Will positioning the carbs closer to the outer ports work as well? Be hard to get something inside the plenum now but guess I could make another one. Usually make something two or three times before it's the way I want it anyway!

Yes, it is made like a triangle, and extends from the floor to the roof, and basically acts as a diffuser to keep the center port from being overly rich, and creates somewhat of a balance to all three ports. The best it can anyway. I think centering the carbs between the ports will help also.

That divider probably had considerable R&D in it so that it doesn't fry one/drown one, etc.
That means that its size, position, etc. works well with the original carb position, and vacuum levels (JM2¢: between 3" and 20" Hg?).
Be prepared for some tinkering as your manifold interior departs from this.

Thanks for your responses guys. Will probably place carbs as close to 1/3 distance from the end ports and 2/3 distance from center and call it good. I'd think spark plugs will be a good indicator of fuel distribution after I get it running. I'll let y'all know.

looks like a good idea. I'm getting ready to do the same only I'm going to use 3 of the small two barrel carbs that Langdon has. I'll make my manifold out of aluminum, I have a new tig and wire welders i'm wanting to play with. I'm thinking sheet aluminum valve cover also
Jay D

I hope your tig and aluminum welding is better than mine! My brother has a spool gun for his 180 miller we tried playing with. Very unsatisfactory results. Then we tried our dads tig machine and it wasn't much better. I was really disappointed, I welded on the job for 25 yrs. most with mig but I did tig and stick too. I was never the best but I could do a passable job. Think I've lost my touch!
I like this one I'm doing in steel though it'll have a real old school look and feel which is right up my alley!

Little more progress: http://www.killbillet.com/showthread.php?38526-50-3800-flat-bed-dually&p=322659#post322659

Yep, I'm no pro. ether but it will be a good learning experience. I also have some friends that are real good for back up
Jay D

I have 2 tig's myself. I prefer it to mig or stick more because I think it gives you more of a sense of being finished when your done. No grinding and no mess to clean up after.

[quote=CNC-Dude No grinding and no mess to clean up after. [/quote]

I was using my MIG today and it dosen't seem like we get the same results.

Have you ever mig welded inside your house. I tig welded a spiral stair case inside mine before, the room even had carpet in it, try that with a mig and see what all those sparks do.

No but I did do some mig welding on a truck I had the interior masked off for priming and caught the masking paper on fire! Of course none you guys ever did anything like that! I prefer tig too I just can't do it. I shake enough holding something with both hands let holding something in each. Some do our best with what we have. Two things and splatter will be very minimal. Set your machine on a piece of scrap first to where it's only spitting out very fine splatter. Also when finished with a weld or before starting another one use pliers or side cutters and clip off that little ball that forms on the end of wire. Do these two things and your time spent scraping, chiseling and sanding of splatter will be much shorter.
Scott I know the quality of your work it's top shelf and what I'm doing here with this manifold wouldn't be something you could sell or win races with. But I hope to inspire someone else like myself with limited skills or resources to maybe do more than they thought they could.

I was using my MIG today and it dosen't seem like we get the same results. [/quote]

Wire welders like me are a dime a dozen! I've run a million miles of it!:)

Im far from an expert myself Robert. Usually when I mig, I end up with several feet of wire balled up on the floor or stuck to whatever im welding.

Your machine work is as good as I've seen!
Can you tell me of a way I can use an end mill bit in regular drill press with a 1/2" chuck? Accuracy with a hole saw is pretty limited.

looking good can't wait to see it complete
Jay d

What size end mill bit are you going to be using. There are some cheap movable tables that can clamp or bolt to the drill press work surface that can give you travel in an X and Y direction if that helps. If your just going to be doing plunge cuts, you can cut a piece of plywood and place you metal on top of it and clamp both of them to the drill press surface. That will help keep the metal from moving as your milling it and once you break thru it, the cutter will hit the soft plywood and not mess up the drill press work surface.

We need a tech thread with welding, drilling, milling, fab tips. I was using an end mill bit in my lathe yesterday to cut a distributer shaft down. (Mallory Dual point thread and pictures coming.) It worked great but then I drilled the pin hole off center. With one eye center looks different.

Totally agree! Wish I had a mill and a lathe.............................. And some place to put it.

Plunge cuts are what was in my mind but now that you mention it one of those tables would be pretty cool.

cant you put the drive gear back on the shaft and drill (through both at the same time) a new pin hole perpendicular to the one you messed up? or perpendicular and up some or down some from bad hole--at least there would be matching holes.

This rural living is tough. I have a mill and a lathe but not enough electricity to power he mill. We mostly run off of solar panels. GREEN? Earlier this summer I bought a big BLUE Miller welder/power unit that we have not hauled up the hill yet. It is powered by a Jeep 4 cylinder. At worst it will be a bad ass stick welder and a 220v source for the smaller MIG and the mill. It is Hell carving an empire out of the wilderness.
Maybe a Fab Forum? But the trouble with Inliners is that too many here want to sell their "tips" rather than help and promote the Inline Tradition. The other problem is that once posted great information just fades away and is so difficult to search that t is easier t find on other sites.

not to mention them loud a_ _ crickets and frogs!

Be careful what you wish for! I've been handed a brand new state of the art 4 axis machining center and a lathe with live tools but they come with the catch of making an entire product line come to life.

Ha! None of these cheap hillbillies around here would do that. Besides of I've seen your work too Curt, my skill level isn't near what yours is.
I've a bit more done on the manifold yesterday and will post a link to more pics later. I got a Starret brand hole saw with carbide teeth that cut a neat straight hole right at 1.75", so I remade the port flanges. They fit much more to my liking. Also bought another evolution saw. A sliding miter that cuts 1/2" steel plate! I'll have enough money in tools I coulda bought a manifold!

Well it's all one piece now.
http://www.killbillet.com/showthread.php?38526-50-3800-flat-bed-dually&p=323000#post323000
Not finished but I'm pretty pleased so far. It is heavy! Wish I was better at welding aluminum.

Good job. I love it when we make stuff. I don't know what the effect of the log runners will have. That looks like the style used for high RPM duty. But I bet it will be fine for you.

Thanks! It is similar to the shape of a Howard intake and there are plenty of those running on the street. Besides I'm gonna let the hammer down time to time anyways! Just cuz I can!
I agree about making our own stuff. Makes the project uniquely yours! It does get tiresome though, I've taken about three weeks to do this and ain't done yet.

Looks good!

Looks kinda heavy.

Tell me about it. I've been building the components for my '26 Chevy Roadster project for years. Sort of the assembly line approach. Seems like I have spent more time repairing tools than working on the project. Should see progress this winter.

Really? I've already stated that it is in fact heavy. I've also already stated that it's going on a 1 ton truck ( gvw is 4800 +) that won't be competing at bonneville. I think it'll be fine.

Thank you Scott. That feels pretty good coming from you.

There are many talented people here, and I feel privileged to be in the same company with them.

I don't think you'll have much distribution problems, your plenum area is plenty big. You may need more heat though, show Tom your heating system and get his 2 cents, he's an awesome resource. It's a great build and I thank you for sharing it with us. The cheapest gas I found was down in Fort Smith last month, should make those gears and OD that much sweeter.

Armond, when you gonna move down so's we can start an inliners group?
Actually I don't have any provision for heat on it at all just yet. Plan on using 3/8 or so piece of pipe with a long slot in it. I'll put the slot against the plenum and weld down both sides of it. Both ends threaded for fittings.
It could be heated this way with exhaust or water either one. I had an old edmunds intake on the 261 which was of course meant to be heated with water. At the time I saw the tubes were 5/8 OD and I was running Fentons. It was easy to plumb for exhaust heat, I just used compression fitting on the manifold tube and reducers down to 1/4 copper tube (which I thought might burn out but never did) anyways it worked very well, warmed up quick! You could start it dead cold, get out and lay your hand on the intake and feel it warming up.
This time I'm leaning towards water heat. It will be slower to warm the manifold, but once it does it will never be too hot. Our summers are HOT. Although the 261 always seemed to run fine I'm sure it would have run better with less heat to the intake in hot weather.
So what do you guys think? Water or exhaust? If exhaust does anyone know of a simple way to control how much heat the intake is getting once it's warmed up?