How high is the hood on a 1956 T-bird? (should I be concerned?)

[zuburg]

I have recently installed a new engine and transmission into my 1956 T-bird and am slowly putting it back together. I set the T-pot carb an top of the intake manifold and thought it looked awfully high. See the attached photos that I tried to show how high above the sides the carb is. The top of the square yardstick is about at the top of the fender as it is sitting in the channel. The 3 inches only measures up to the bottom of the lower nut as the arrow shows.

Will the hood clear? Should I be concerned? I’d hate to be surprised at the end.

Thanks

[dmsfrr]

I couldn't come up with anything in a hurry to place inside the fender openings where the hood sits, so I used a string stretched side-to-side across the very tops of the fenders. On my '55 the top of the carb air cleaner center stud was 2 inches above the string. It has a '57 carb, intake manif and air cleaner. However, it all clears the underside of the hood and hood scoop by almost an 1 inch.

IF the top of the air cleaner stud on your teapot is about 2 inches above the very tops of the fenders I'll guess it will be fine. More than that could be a problem. ???
Do you know the ID number cast into the bottom rear flange on that carburetor?

Example photo, notice how much lower the outside of a '56 T-Bird air cleaner is than the center, and remember the hood and hood scoop both curve upward.

[miker98038]

The cheap and easy way to measure clearance is a ball of tinfoil. Wad it up loosely, stick it on the carb, no stud, and close the hood till it lays on the latches. Measure, and if it looks ok, latch the hood down and measure again.

But it looks like all factory parts so you should be ok. Only question would be if the front mount was somehow modified or changed. I don't know, but a front truck mount might be a different height than the proper bird mount?

[zuburg]

Thanks. I hope there is not a difference. This front mount came with this bird, but was attached to a 239 Y-block instead of a 292. Assuming the block size is the same for those engines, there should be no difference other than the new rubber mount. I should have given the distance to the top of the cap nut but when I was measuring it was easier to eye ball it to the lower nut. There is another inch to the top of the cap nut.

I wonder how my bird will look driving down the road with no hood? :-)

[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by zuburg

I wonder how my bird will look driving down the road with no hood? :-)

You know something? I have wondered why someone hasn't offered either a raised fiberglass or carbon fiber hood to allow for later differing intake styles.

Limited market I suppose.

[zuburg]

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My intake and carb are stock 1956. Maybe there is no problem, it just looked so high (4” above the top of the fender. I hope it’s an optical illusion. Here’s another picture looking down the top of the fan shroud to the hood channel in front of the windshield, still 3 1/2” above the channel.

[KULTULZ]

The air cleaner will be looking at you through the scoop grille. That's how FORD compensated for installed engine height. Just make sure you have the proper clearance before completely shutting the hood.

The resulting dimple is a dead give-away that something was not correct ...

Years ago ... ... I saw a 55/56 with a teardrop T-BOLT style hood and it looked awesome (to me) ...

OH! ... Forgot (as usual) ...

If using a carb spacer, you have to allow for increased height.

[scicala]

Also, you probably realize it, but the air cleaner stud on the carb is far from screwed in all the way. By about 1 1/2 ".

Sal

[zuburg]

I think the carb spacers are typically used with the 1957 style carb which is not as high as the 1956 teapot carb.

[dmsfrr]

Originally Posted by miker98038

... But it looks like all factory parts so you should be ok. Only question would be if the front mount was somehow modified or changed. I don't know, but a front truck mount might be a different height than the proper bird mount?

Originally Posted by zuburg

... This front mount came with this bird, but was attached to a 239 Y-block instead of a 292. Assuming the block size is the same for those engines, there should be no difference other than the new rubber mount. ...

Here are photos of two front motor mount brackets that bolt to the timing cover. The second one with angled stiffening ridges is 'correct' for T-Birds, the other one (red) will work but there is less clearance to the damper pulley.
IF there's a height difference I don't know for sure, I don't have a sample of the other one here to measure. They appear to be the same height. My '55 came with the first / 'incorrect' example and the engine height didn't seem to be affected.

[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by zuburg

I think the carb spacers are typically used with the 1957 style carb which is not as high as the 1956 teapot carb.

I guess what I should have said is if using a spacer ...

The 55 and 56 uses different manifolds and the carb plenum height may be different also.

[scicala]

Originally Posted by zuburg

I think the carb spacers are typically used with the 1957 style carb which is not as high as the 1956 teapot carb.

1955 T-Birds were original with 5 gaskets stacked and stapled together under the carb. '56 T-Birds came with just one gasket under the carb originally.

'57 carbs were a lot lower profile, except for the E code dual quads which used the teapot carbs.

Sal

[55blacktie]

If all of your components are OEM, there is sufficient clearance to use the pcv spacer between the carburetor and manifold. The OEM air cleaner has a built-in drop, which provides sufficient hood clearance. If you use an aftermarket air cleaner assembly without the drop, you might not have enough clearance. I have a "B" manifold, Holley 570 cfm carburetor, and an aftermarket oval air cleaner/w 2" paper element. There is no sufficient clearance for a 1/2" spacer between carburetor and manifold. I can close the hood without the spacer. I don't know if there will be clearance issues once the car is running and back on the road. Most modern 4-bbl carburetors, regardless of make, are 3.25" tall, from carburetor base to air cleaner base. I hope this helps.

[55blacktie]

I forgot to state that the oval air cleaner sits on top of the carburetor; there is no drop.