All Small Six Keeping the carb cool

[awasson]

I’m just spitballing right now and am pretty happy with how everything is running on the 200 in my Mustang but with all that cast iron generating and holding onto heat, the carb gets pretty warm (very hot to the touch). It doesn’t seem to be catastrophic and for tne most part it really behaves well but my next project will be cooling tne carb down. I believe that if air can keep the carb cooler then the fuel and air will be cooler as well.

The Weber 38/38 gets really hot from sitting on top of the log. I’ve got one phenolic spacer for the carb but it’s for a 32/36 so I’ve ordered one from an EBay seller for the 38/38. I should have it in a week or two. That’s a no brainer. It’s going in immediately, once I get it. Then I’ll make a heat shield to deflect heat from the header and another to deflect heat from tne valve cover.

I was also thinking of building an air scoop and placing it below the front valance so I can grab cold air and direct it to the carb. I’ll need to put a box around tne carb and air filter to do that.

I’m open to ideas so let me know anything you guys have tried.

Cheers,
Andrew

 

[DON]

After Frank’s numbers, it makes you think about cutting a hole on the hood, and have the carb sticking out. Make a longer plenum- make it look like it’s sitting on top of a two barrel blower

 

[bmbm40]

I’m just spitballing right now and am pretty happy with how everything is running on the 200 in my Mustang but with all that cast iron generating and holding onto heat, the carb gets pretty warm (very hot to the touch). It doesn’t seem to be catastrophic and for tne most part it really behaves well but my next project will be cooling tne carb down. I believe that if air can keep the carb cooler then the fuel and air will be cooler as well.

The Weber 38/38 gets really hot from sitting on top of the log. I’ve got one phenolic spacer for the carb but it’s for a 32/36 so I’ve ordered one from an EBay seller for the 38/38. I should have it in a week or two. That’s a no brainer. It’s going in immediately, once I get it. Then I’ll make a heat shield to deflect heat from the header and another to deflect heat from tne valve cover.

I was also thinking of building an air scoop and placing it below the front valance so I can grab cold air and direct it to the carb. I’ll need to put a box around tne carb and air filter to do that.

I’m open to ideas so let me know anything you guys have tried.

Cheers,
Andrew

I have not tried anything yet for full disclosure but have read a lot about this as Bronco's get hot under the hood. Some suggestions I have seen:

Headers can be coated with something that reduces their surface temp or some guys wrap them.
An oil cooler which may keep the block somewhat cooler. Really effective though?
Louvers in the hood which would likely be very effective but the appearance?
As stated a heat shield under carb which I noticed often as factory equipped on many vehicles when I used to spend a lot of time at picnpull looking for really good stuff. Major automakers are not likely to waste money on something if not beneficial.
The water heated carb spacer is also a water cooled spacer as the coolant temp will likely not be higher than the heat soak in the engine is an opinion I have seen multiple times.
So also good to keep radiator temps down making sure it is just warm enough for efficient operation.
The metal snorkel from air cleaner to cooler side of engine bay or cold air intake duct from air cleaner to opening in radiator core support or inner fender. I have seen many vehicles with this ducting and newer ones with the remote air filter housing/cold air box which I would like for my Bronco.

If there was a way to measure the carb temp and air temp on both sides of engine with the hood closed and being driven as baseline info would be helpful to see which modifications are most effective.

 

[drag-200stang]

The port divider also will cool the carb. It removes the exhaust heat radiator, better if not welded or brazed in solid and just tacked.

 

[awasson]

The port divider also will cool the carb. It removes the exhaust heat radiator, better if not welded or brazed in solid and just tacked.

I didn’t know that the divider would have any effect on heat propagation. That is good to know. I have one in my parts bin. It needs some slight grinding at the rear top of it, to get it to fit correctly but if it will make a difference, I’ll plan on add in it to the mix. I ought to ceramic coat or at least wrap the header too.

 

[awasson]

That water cooled spacer would be the ticket if it can be refab’d to orient the Weber carb correctly. As it is, it will orient the carb at an angle and make connecting the linkage impossible. I’ve got the phenolic plate coming. I couldn’t find one at Redline/Weber and my local guy sent me the one for the 32/36 and suggested I could hog it out. That’s not going to work but I found a distributor on EBay with Weber/Redline products so I dropped the $20 for one that fits the carb. Knowing what I know now, I’d have suggested they include them in the kit they sell.

I should have ceramic coated the header before installing it. I wonder how much heat can be shielded with a header wrap or maybe I’ll pull the header this winter and have it ceracoated. It gets bloody hot. I managed to burn my wrist on it yesterday putting a new nylock nut on the back of the alternator bolt. It just touched for a second but damn… that left a mark.

In terms of pulling a cold charge into the intake, I think I’ll do something to box the carb and run a big pipe down the driver side. If I get rid of the regulator box with a one wire alternator, I think I could punch a hole in the rad support to get a cold air intake right behind the grill. Another approach is to pick up cold air from under the car. There’s nothing but space under the car on the driver’s side around the middle of the engine. I need to go out and map things out. I could mock it up with a cardboard box before committing to anything real.

In the long run, eventually, something will change with my intake and carbs. There is so much potential being lost to the log intake but for now, I’m going to try to make the best of it. Even though it’s not optimal, with the 5-speed, Weber, HEI and better breathing exhaust, it’s pretty snappy.

 

[drag-200stang]

I didn’t know that the divider would have any effect on heat propagation. That is good to know. I have one in my parts bin. It needs some slight grinding at the rear top of it, to get it to fit correctly but if it will make a difference, I’ll plan on add in it to the mix. I ought to ceramic coat or at least wrap the header too.

It is one of those, every little bit helps thing.

 

[vssman]

My classic inlines ceramic coated headers are also wrapped to keep the heat down for my triple Webers. I also wrapped the fuel lines, added phenolic spacers, and have nylon thread sleeve isolators for the hold down bolts that (I believe) I got from Speedway. All of that solved my heat soak problems.

 

[awasson]

My classic inlines ceramic coated headers are also wrapped to keep the heat down for my triple Webers. I also wrapped the fuel lines, added phenolic spacers, and have nylon thread sleeve isolators for the hold down bolts that (I believe) I got from Speedway. All of that solved my heat soak problems.

Thanks for the suggestion about the nylon sleeve isolators. I was wondering about that. I was thinking that sure, it's fine to put on a spacer to isolate the heat at the base but the bolts would just continue transferring heat. It sounds like header wrap is going to be in my future as well.

 

[The Beast]

When I installed dual outlet headers on my 66 Mustang 200 CI with autolie 1101 with the 215cfm. The pipes interfered with the alternator. I bought a GM alternator bracket on e-bay and did some minor modifications. I also need a longer fan belt. Well now the alternator is out of the way, there is more airflow flowing to that side of the engine compartment. Also wrapped the fuel lines a couple years ago. I no longer use the phenolic spacers. Removing the cowl seal can help also.

 

[awasson]

When I installed dual outlet headers on my 66 Mustang 200 CI with autolie 1101 with the 215cfm. The pipes interfered with the alternator. I bought a GM alternator bracket on e-bay and did some minor modifications. I also need a longer fan belt. Well now the alternator is out of the way, there is more airflow flowing to that side of the engine compartment. Also wrapped the fuel lines a couple years ago. I no longer use the phenolic spacers. Removing the cowl seal can help also.

I hadn't thought of removing the seal just above the radiator but that is a great idea!

 

[awasson]

Was just out looking at the engine compartment and if I get rid of the voltage regulator, there is a ton of room on the drivers side to run a pipe right up to the radiator support to run a 4" or larger pipe for cold air. I could also run the pipe down the side to below the engine compartment and have a dustpan shaped scoop under the car to pull cold air. I could box the top of the carb and keep the open element filter too.

 

[The Beast]

I hadn't thought of removing the seal just above the radiator but that is a great idea!

Thanks! I removed the cowl seal at the rear of the Mustang engine compartment.

 

[DON]

I have a Bluetooth meat thermometer. It would work for temps with the hood shut and even underway. Ambient temps outside will affect under hood temps. I think someone said even running and electric fan would help some. I have yet to install headers with jet-Hot coating. I might try the meat thermometer before and after

 

[DON]

Amazon.com: MEATER | The Original True Wireless Smart Meat Thermometer for the Oven Grill Kitchen BBQ Smoker Rotisserie with Bluetooth and WiFi Digital Connectivity: Home & Kitchen

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It is actually a pretty decent thermometer This is the one I have

 

[awasson]

Amazon.com: MEATER | The Original True Wireless Smart Meat Thermometer for the Oven Grill Kitchen BBQ Smoker Rotisserie with Bluetooth and WiFi Digital Connectivity: Home & Kitchen

Online Shopping for Kitchen Utensils & Gadgets from a great selection at everyday low prices. Free 2-day Shipping with Amazon Prime.

www.amazon.com

It is actually a pretty decent thermometer This is the one I have

My brother-in-law has that one. I helped him get it synched up, when he got it. The guy is an amazing chef. It’s not his profession but if he ever fell on hard times, he could certainly make a good living as a chef. He’s also into cars. I’ll see if I can borrow his.