Need a second opinion...

Dangermouse kirjoitti:

Don't do it. You are correct, the head studs can't take it. Also the aluminum casting will crack. Unfortunately, I don't have a suggestion for fixing your problem. Jan

I guess I wouldn't risk doing this in the car, but clamp the manifold and heat the riser with torch to near-red. Then use the pipe-down-the-throat to nudge it a bit.

Speedy Jim

Thanks guys, suspected as much - I stand dissuaded.

What an incredible PITA though! I snapped off a 6mm steel cable inside my original manifold trying to ream the bugger out and then when I fit a new, clear one, the air cleaner won't fit back on but of course I only realise this after the engine's reinstalled. Its just not FAIR!!! The engine runs waaay better with clear heat risers too (I can actually fit the stock air-cleaner back on but backwards because of the offset but it brings me out in a rash just looking at it and I can't connect the air pre-heat hose or the oil breather hose). This is just so frustrating, this should be the easy bit!

My options now are, I guess, remove manifold and take it somewhere for alignment (I don't have access to appropriate tools myself). Or, try and find an original, German manifold with clear(ed) heat risers (prectically impossible it seems). Or, have my first manifold cut, cleared and rewelded (yuck!). Or, find another, German, manifold and try again to clear the heat risers (double yuck!!).

Someone should be recycling and selling these - I would pay quite a bit for one.

PLAN "B"

Make a "custom" gasket between the carb base and manifold riser flange. This gasket will have a slightly tapered profile such that it "tilts" the carb back at a comfortable angle :-)

I think one could do it in an evening with nothing more than a big ass rasp.

Jim

Hmmmmmm...

What effect might an even slightly tilted carb have on the level of fuel in the float chamber or indeed oil in the aircleaner? Or are you meaning more of an 'offset' type of gasket; does such a thing exist? What could one use as a starting point to fabricate one?

Plan C. Get a different air cleaner.

Randy

Hmmmph!@ Killjoy :-)

and the carb would then sit at a weird angle and not work properly because the fuel level would be weird to say the least? :D

Maybe I'm just paranoid, they do work when driving uphill.... lol

They do work because the level doesn't tilt very much and the "average" height remains roughly the same. I don't think the tilting gasket will have to alter the carb angle by very much.

Jim

Now theres something I don't get called very often.

Randy

I actually have a carb in my load of bits which has a small offset flange thing on it, this looks like it moves the carb to the side slightly. I would guess something forward/backward would be similar.

James

Loosen the generator clamp and the two screws on each side of the fan housing. Push the generator and fan housing towards the front of the car until enough clearance is obtained. tighten screws and generator clamp. This is a common assembly problem with what ever manifold is installed. Chuk

I had exactly the same problem. Aftermarket manifolds are rubbish, The carb isn't even straight!! I am on the lookout for an original one.

-- Howard Rose

The fan could easily rub inside the fanhousing doing this, you will hear it right away though..

J.

...and wouldn't you just end up transferring the clearance problem from between the aircleaner and the fanhousing to between the generator and the generator mount? Would then tightening down the generator strap not put a lot of strain 'somewhere'?

The clearance problem is created by improper installation of the fan housing. There is usually about an inch of adjustment. The oil cooler will keep you from going to far. When the fan is correctly installed, it will not rub with adjustment. All of the stress and strain of this adjustment is in the sheet metal where it is not a concern. Fan housings get out of alignment by pulling and pushing on them when removing and installing engines. Lifting on the generator when removing the housing can bend the generator mounting tin plate which then pulls the fan housing forward when the generator and fan housing are reinstalled. Ideally the fan housing should stand at 90% to the crank shaft and the crank and fan pulleys should be in perfect alignment(assuming correct generator). In almost 50 years of servicing these things, I have found that when an air cleaner will not install because of fan housing clearance, the fan housing has been pulled to far to the rear. The main problem I have with intake manifolds is aligning the heat riser tube to the muffler flange. This is a problem with both factory and after market manifolds.

Chuk

Dangermouse wrote:

I might have one available, once I replace my sp with dp, but that will be a while. I am not sure if my manifold is original but it fit's fine.

Ant> >

Ah ha; this sets a little alarm bell ringing... 'Cos I've also been hearing some fan rubbing at higher revs. Suggests to me that indeed all might not be well with my fan housing. And I did have to yank on that sucker a bit to get the engine out and back in again... Perhaps I have bent the fan mounting plate a bit. I'm going to give your suggestion a go - I'll let you know how it goes ;-)

Yep, this was a complete bugger and took two attempts. The first time I tried it I tightened down the manifold to heat bolts first and then wrestled for a while with the heat riser flanges and got absolutely nowhere. After I'd cooled off, I connected the head stud nuts loosely and then lined up the heat riser to muffler flange on the right hand side (the more immovable of the two). I tightened that one down most of the way, then the head nuts most of the way and then was able to align the other heat riser tube to the bendy muffler to riser pipe as there's a bit more room for maneuvering with that one. Finally got to tighten down the whole assembly. It made me realise that there's a fairly strict order in which these things should be approached...

They do also run driving downhill. There seems to be more power and acceleration when the carb is tilted downhill. I'll go right away to tilt mine forward to get turbo power :P