Intake manifold
 

I purchased an intake manifold at a swap meet and am just getting around to installing it - wrong one. The lugs are not thick enough so I don't know what it fits. !928 Tudor is what I have. Anyone have a good spare before I have to resort to evilbay?

John

Re: Intake manifold
 

I don't know what facilities you have at your disposal or what your skills are but instead of using the standard washers under the nuts, I'd make special ones (probably rectangular) thicker on one side than the other to make up the difference. I'd either make then convex on the nut side or put a vertical ridge there to allow them to "self adjust" to allow for any discrepancy.
An A motor is an A motor. The year shouldn't make any difference. The thickness should be the same.

Re: Intake manifold
 

The intake manifold you bought had mostly likely been trued by a previous owner, which would in effect make its "ears" shallower. Material was removed from the two ports in an effort to put them on the same plane as the exhaust manifold's port plane. Somehow the two manifolds became separated in the meantime and you ended up with a shaved intake. If you are not using the gland rings for exhaust manifold port alignment, you can have it trued to match the new intake. But you will lose the exhaust manifold's recesses that were designed to house the gland rings. It's debatable whether the expense incurred to have this done at a machine shop - as well as forever losing the ability of installing gland rings - is preferable to simply buying a new intake manifold, or an unmodified one. If the gland ring recesses are still present in your exhaust manifold ports, it probably hasn't been milled and should be on the same horizontal plane as the acquired intake manifold.
If you do purchase a new intake manifold, assemble the two with the two center joining bolts only loosely tightened to allow the studs to align themselves through the two manifolds' "ears". Lay a true straight edge (preferably metal) across the six ports and use a feeler gauge to determine if they are on the same horizontal plane. If so, you are good to go. If not, the two manifolds will need to be planed as a unit. It shouldn't take much to true them up as a unit if the manifold gland ring recesses are still present. Install the manifolds to the block, but do no tighten the two center bolts connecting them until the four 7/16" manifold gland nuts have been tightened. THEN tighten the two bolts. Otherwise, you may snap an ear while tightening the 7/16" stud nuts.
Marshall

Re: Intake manifold
 

The intake manifold I got is a good 1/4" short when bolted to the exhaust manifold. There isn't enough meat in the exhaust manifold to machine down.

Re: Intake manifold
 

Then, it's time to find a new or good used intake manifold. Lots of both out there. The previous owner's manifolds must have REALLY been planed, probably to the point that the exhaust manifold was no longer usable. Looks like you may now be the proud owner of a new doorstop or paperweight. :)
Marshall

Re: Intake manifold
 

I agree do you need any den art cheap? - It's painted the correct color.

Re: Intake manifold
 

Just for grins and giggles, lay that metal straight edge (NOT a wooden ruler!) across the tops of the four exhaust manifold ports. The critical place to look at is #4 port (in the back, of course). Over the years, it droops because of heat and the weight of the exhaust pipe and muffler pulling it downwards. Gland rings helped keep this from happening, but after the first gasket change or two, the glands usually got tossed, resulting eventually in the rear of the manifold drooping. If the #4 port is not on the same plane across the tops of the ports as the other three (usually at least 1/4" too low), you will not be able to get the exhaust manifold to seal. Even using soft gaskets will end up blowing out. Now is the time to determine if you need a new exhaust manifold, too. If so, just belly up to the bar and buy new exhaust and intake manifolds from a major vendor. The new manifolds are excellent quality and fit well. Pesky and noisy exhaust and intake leaks, as well as carbon monoxide, are almost assured of being eliminated. Use the gland rings, too, to keep the back of the exhaust manifold from drooping one day in the future.
Marshall

Re: Intake manifold
 

My rear exhaust port is right at .060 low. Is that too low if I can get the gland nut crammed in before the other 3?

Re: Intake manifold
 

buy new manifolds if you dont like doing things twice:)

Re: Intake manifold
 

I got more time than money, however, who has the best manifolds for the best price?

John

Re: Intake manifold
 

for a little more $$ i like the ceramic coated exhaust manifold... snyders supplies them but i think some of the other jobbers carry them now also.
that may no be up your alley tho.
ck the various suppliers for prices.

Re: Intake manifold
 

My custom made intake with a second carb mounted size-by-side (a la Charlie Yapp) was milled down two far to use with a new exhaust so I built up the port surfaces, and ears, with braze, then filed the edges to match and milled both intake & exhaust together. A bit more work and you need a set of torches but I had too much time in the manifold to discard it. Once painted, no one can tell.

Re: Intake manifold
 

All this manifold talk forced me to check mine with a straight edge....an easy 5/16" low at # 4, probably 3/8", tough to see in there....

I wondered why my exhaust clamp bolt interfered with the oil pipe...

I'll probably order both manifolds to insure a good fit....

Re: Intake manifold
 

"Maybe" your intake manifold was designed to be used with headers which had 2 INDIVIDUAL, THINNER flanges??
Bill W.

Re: Intake manifold
 

In a pinch, those manifolds don't have to be bolted together.

Re: Intake manifold
 

I guess I will get both new. Is there more than one manufacturer? I noticed that the suppliers were all within a couple bucks of each other. One said theres was the early style with no extra material in the radius where it bends down - is this good or bad considering the drooping problem?

Re: Intake manifold
 

Aermotor,

Having just purchased a new manifold from Snyders, I can tell you that the casting itself is excellent, although the finisher at the foundry used a heavy grinder to remove the mold line, which puts a lot of nick-type grooves in the casting. I filed all those out and it looks great. For about $90.00 I thought it was excellent quality.

by the way, I kept replacing exhaust manifold gaskets and when I measured my exhaust port, it was more than 3/16" too low. Also, if you use a new exhaust manifold with an old intake, be sure there is no rust build up on those surfaces where they bolt together. I faced my intake off with a heavy flat file and they mated up perfectly.

Do not run your BTDC timing too "before", or else unburned gas ends up at the last port before going out the exhaust pipe and this contributes to an over heated manifold (the gases start to reburn in the maniforld) which eventually adds to the droop on #4.

Good luck,

JackD

Re: Intake manifold
 

aermotor, I have just sent to a PM

Re: Intake manifold
 

In post #2, I suggested new washers specially made to compensate for the different thicknesses. My suggestion was influenced by the following. While I understand and agree with all that has been said about having the manifold set machined flat, we run into trouble here if that is done too "enthusiastically". Well before the recess for the ring is machined away, the exhaust manifold has moved to the left so far that it interferes with the clutch pedal. Even fitting the exhaust clamp has to be done "just so" to prevent the clutch becoming inoperable. Our local parts supplier has special clamps that don't use a bolt and nut, just a bolt so it is easier to make it work.
I think the design is quite silly, actually. Likewise having the light switch directly under the carburettor which can leak fuel onto the switch and start a fire. Don't ask how I know that - it's a painful memory. 'Ol Henry didn't think some of these things through too well if he intended selling Model A's in RHD countries.

Re: Intake manifold
 

Aermotor, if you may still want to consider buying used, try Bert's in Denver. They have quality used parts. But if new is the way you want to go, then the above ideas seem like good advise.