Hey guys! Okay, I recently installed my Edelbrock intake. I noticed that when I run the engine, the intake gets so hot I can't touch it. (This takes about ten minutes of driving.) Now, my gauge, which has always seemed pretty acurate, says everything is fine. I know the stock, cast-iron intake didn't get this hot. Is it just because the new intake is aluminum that I'm noticing the heat? I was very careful about aligning the gaskets so as not to block off the coolant pasages. Any ideas?
-TIA- Bill


'70 F-250 Camper Special 360/C-6, 3.73, 8 mpg uphill or down

 

My Edelbrock manifold seems hotter to the touch than my old one too.

1979 F150 CUSTOM 2WD 302 BORED .040 OVER EDELBROCK CAM, CARB AND INTAKE. C4 TRANNY AND A 9 INCH REAR END

 

I measured mine on a 70 deg day sitting idle and it was 127 deg F at the base of the carb. The alum will heat up quicker and transfer heat faster, this is why most block off the exhaust crossover passages. The Ed Performer has exhaust passages and the Performer RPM dosen't. With intakes, the cooler the better. I'd block off the exhaust crossover and run a 1" spacer.

 

How would you go about blocking the crossover?

1979 F150 CUSTOM 2WD 302 BORED .040 OVER EDELBROCK CAM, CARB AND INTAKE. C4 TRANNY AND A 9 INCH REAR END

 

I would NOT block the heat crossover passage, unless your truck is a play-toy only driven in the summer. In the winter, during the pouring down snow, when you really need the truck, it's going to reward you with rough running, fouling plugs, spitting back up through the carb, sticking throttle, etc. The manifold is designed to have a "hot spot" underneath the carb to keep the fuel atomized. The engine will not burn liquid fuel. It has to be like a fog, throughly mixed with air.

 

Aluminum conducts head MUCH better than steel, which is why your intake feels so hot. Because of this, blocking of the exhaust cross-over on an aluminum manifold shouldn't cause the problems described above unless you live in a very cold region (I wouldn't block a steel one however). I have the Performer RPM and even without the exhaust crossover it gets very hot to the touch.

If your knuckles ain't bleeding you did something wrong.

'72 F-250 "Hi-Boy" 4x4, Dana 60/HD44, FE428 @ 400 ponies , 4-speed, custom suspension w lift, mud on black.

 

I think Ill replace my manifold with an Edelbrock performer rpm air gap manifold.

1979 F150 CUSTOM 2WD 302 BORED .040 OVER EDELBROCK CAM, CARB AND INTAKE. C4 TRANNY AND A 9 INCH REAR END

 

I really WISH Ed made a Performer RPM with an air gap! The new Victor has an air gap but the rpm range is 4000+ (a bit out of my range)

Anyways, I had my heads off when I blocked off mine and I use QuickSteel. It's a metal epoxy stuff and it's working great, the problem is that you really need the head off to get to the other side to force it into the little cracks so that it'll hold well.

Most just take the intake gasket and cut a piece of stainless steel to match the size and thickness of the gasket then use some high temp sealer to keep it in place when putting it back together.

As a side note, the discussion about blocking off the crossovers has gone on several times before. One regular lives in extream cold winter area and has no problem. If you have a concern about it, FE's came stock with a coolant passage in the adapter just below the carb. This can be used to heat the carb in extream cold via a simple heater valve switch, that's what I'm going to do.

Another advantage of a colder intake is more power and you can help with engine pinging. Several stock FE heads had no crossover and the Performer RPM heads and intake have no crossover.

 

Edelbrock does have a rpm series air gap they just came out with it. They do for a small block anyhow. I saw one up at the local auto parts store for about 10 bucks more than the regular rpm series. Check out the webpage they have them on there www.edelbrock.com .

1979 F150 CUSTOM 2WD 302 BORED .040 OVER EDELBROCK CAM, CARB AND INTAKE. C4 TRANNY AND A 9 INCH REAR END

 

KarlJay, it is a piece of cake to make your intake into a "air-gap". I think its kind of funny how edel is making their "new air-gap intake" into such a big deal. We used to do this all the time when we wanted the advantages of a dual plane but the ability for both banks to draw off the carb at higher rpms. All you need to do is to grind down part of the plenum, like it looks like in the pictures of the air-gap...this is a piece of cake on an aluminum intake. I wouldn't think this would help you much in a truck since the benefits of the air-gap is only seen at higher rpms. Just thought I would mention it...

If your knuckles ain't bleeding you did something wrong.

'72 F-250 "Hi-Boy" 4x4, Dana 60/HD44, FE428 @ 400 ponies , 4-speed, custom suspension w lift, mud on black.

 

Those small blocks have it made, all the parts you want dirt cheap! Oh well too bad the market isn't larger for the old FE.

I've actually looked at the Performer RPM and thought it wouldn't be to big of a job to make it an air gap, it seems to have enough height to do it. Edelbrock has been good to the FE, with the 2 heads and 2 intakes now a third intake comming, at least someone knows what an FE is. Maybe with the new Genisis alum blocks and all the Cobra kit cars we'll see some more market for the FE stuff, all we need now is a dirt cheap forged steel stroker crank kit... (wake up, wake up, stop dreaming)

 

Well, I'm right there dreaming with you and so are many others...so your in good company. I have the Edel RPM on mine and there is indeed plenty of plenum to grind down if you wish. If you were carefull you wouldn't even need to pull it to perform the job. I've thought about doing the job myself...probably will this winter if I get bored.

If your knuckles ain't bleeding you did something wrong.

'72 F-250 "Hi-Boy" 4x4, Dana 60/HD44, FE428 @ 400 ponies , 4-speed, custom suspension w lift, mud on black.

 

Don't let a hot Aluminum intake scare you, If it doesn't get hot then worry.
Aluminum is a metal that dissipates heat very well. Which means that it will drive the heat away from the block (if it is cast iron). That's why it gets hot quicker than steel or cast iron.

One reason why most manufacturers are using it for Heads, Radiators, Intakes, Blocks, etc.
Better heat transferer.


Dre'
1978 F-150, 460ci(750cfm,Edelbrock Performer,Dynomax Ceramic Coated headers,etc.)Auto-C6,3:70.1 - 9" Posi.

 

Ya know what’s kinda interesting is the old Y-Blocks ran a dual-plane air-gap manifold with an exhaust crossover, the lifter valley had it’s own cover.

Pro, are you talking about grinding down part of the plenum divider?

Barry

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 24-May-01 AT 01:45 AM (EST)[/font][p]BBB, yup, your correct, I'm talking about grinding down a bit of the plenum divider. I should probably be more specific when I'm talking about taking a grinder to your intake, huh I think the procedure is also outlined in David Vizier's "How to build Horsepower" book that covers intakes and carbs.

If your knuckles ain't bleeding you did something wrong.

'72 F-250 "Hi-Boy" 4x4, Dana 60/HD44, FE428 @ 400 ponies , 4-speed, custom suspension w lift, mud on black.