Inliners International Forums General Discussion Hi Performance Fenton Header Problem

Installed Fenton headers on my 1950 Chevy Fleetline 216cu in 3 spd. With 2" dual exhaust & glasspacks out the rear.Put water heat plate under stock intake. It has no vacum leaks or exhaust leaks. Problem is I have to run with choke 1/2 the way out all the time. Installed new Fuel pump & Carb no help.No problem till installed Fentons. But Love that Fenton sound! Don't know what to do next.Have any ideas that might help me out. Thanks Mike

You do have a vaccuum leak. Check around where the manifold fits up to the head. Joe

Spray carb cleaner around the intake ports at the head. If she revs up, there's a leak. I don't know about the 216 but I had to grind a bunch of metal off my Offy intake and the water heat plate to get everything to match up at the head. The intake and headers wanted to occupy the same space. I've got a 57 235 engine.

Mike Jerry is correct you should be able to run a business card between the intake and the headers. If you can't you will have a vaccum leak at the underside of the intake. You probably noticed that the Fentons and the Offy intake needed some adjustments just to bolt up. It is best to grind on the intake the headers don't have that much meat on them for extensive grinding. This is not a major job just a little spookey at first. You may have to test fit a few times to get it right.

Dear Mike;

Did you install the sleves between the intake manifold & the head?

They must be in there. Sometimes one will twist & cause a vacuum leak.

Otherwise, you should follow the previous advice.

Good luck, John M.......