Quote:
Originally Posted by FritzJr
The legend is that the engines in those race cars used a 2 x 2 intake manifold with the carbs mounted "backwards" due to the front wheel drive. The patterns for these manifolds were supposedly used after WW II to produce the Hexagon Tool manifolds.
|
Yes, kinda of. Originally, the cars were set up with a Miller-designed 4x1 bbl intake.
Edsel worked with the Hexagon Tool Co. to produce a 2x2 intake (with carbs mounted 180 degrees backwards) using 2 bbl. Strombergs (48's?).
The 2X2 equipped Stromberg cars ran better and a fair number (no sure how many) of the '35 Ford Indy cars then used this induction set up.
As Ron mentioned, exhaust ran too close to the steering box and then cooked the internals to premature failure.
Ford was so embarrassed by the DNF, he pulled out of factory-sponsored racing as a result.
I believe it wasn't until Henry II did they get back into it. I could be wrong on this.