Coolness is better than Hotness

[BIGREDRASA]

I have been greatly disappointed with my efforts at "Restomodding" my car. One particular issue recently showed up, first as an odor. (That's "odour" for our friend Down Under.) When I started the car, I seemed to smell burning plastic under the dash. No smoke, just a smell. I couldn't pinpoint it. Then, I decided to change the air cleaner base hold-down bolts. Lo-and-behold, I found the source of the odor. My air cleaner had a metal nipple for a hose on the bottom. I plugged said hole with a stick of hot glue, and thought I was clever. Unfortunately, said plug sat some 12" directly over one of my header pipes. The heat from the header had caused some of the glue to melt and drip onto the header. It had left an ugly, black mess on the pipe. The pipe eventually cleaned itself, leaving only a slight discoloration.

What's the point, you may ask? The point is that any air hot enough to melt hot glue, is much hotter than any air I'd want entering my carburetor. I imagine that the very hot air would tend to lean out my mixture, accounting for the condition I had found on my last set of plugs.

If I could find an old Pinto or Mustang II HW 5200 air cleaner, I would toss my pretty chrome air cleaner in an instant. Anybody have one?

 

[rbohm]

8) build a heat shield that blocks the air from the exhaust pipes.

 

[BIGREDRASA]

I'd build a heat shield, but then people couldn't see my purty chrome headers.

 

[mach1 mark]

Hey, that's why I haven't made a heat shield. I paid a lot for those headers and I want everyone to see them. I've been fighting the same heat problem and I guess the heat shield is the fastest and easiest solution, But then it comes to mind "nobody will see my headers"

 

[rbohm]

8) the heat shield doesnt have to be that big. you could also bend one side up to protect the carb, but still be able to show off your headers.

 

[falcon fanatic]

I definitely feel you on the frustration/reward ratio. I still miss my '86 honda civic: header, cam, air cleaner, swaybars wheels and tires, some time spent nailing the right alignment, and the thing was a total screamer for 138,000 miles of abuse. Can't say the same for my Falcon, but then again it is cool and coolness is better than hotness.

hot air = lower density = richer mixture. If you are running lean while sucking hot air, you'll be running even leaner when you are sucking cold air. BUT, since you will be taking in more air, and mixing it with more fule (once jetted correctly) you will be making more power. Lots of cheap and cheerful ways to make a cold air intake, including the one you suggest. Go for it.