All Small Six Keeping the carb cool

[drag-200stang]

Aluminum is a good conductor and will also conduct heat to the other side, steel would better, and better if mirror finish on the side to reflect heat away. A barrier of anything would be better than none.
I agree with what Frank said.

 

[awasson]

I’ve got to say, I am very happy with that little 6mm phenolic spacer. The car is definitely more responsive to the pedal. When I took it out after I had done the update, I thought it pulled quicker but wasn’t certain. I had it out this afternoon for a while and now I’m certain there are tangible improvements. It revs a little quicker under load when you put your foot into it. It’s noticeable and the intake sounds like it’s more open when you’re on the throttle (if that makes sense). It kind of roars.

it’s also very responsive at low speeds. It wants to take off like a rocket as soon as it gets off the idle circuit and onto the mains and with the low gearing in first gear on my 5-speed, you have to really take it easy if you’re just idling around in a parking lot at the grocery store.

They ought to include these in the kit.

 

[Frank]

I’ve got to say, I am very happy with that little 6mm phenolic spacer. The car is definitely more responsive to the pedal. When I took it out after I had done the update, I thought it pulled quicker but wasn’t certain. I had it out this afternoon for a while and now I’m certain there are tangible improvements. It revs a little quicker under load when you put your foot into it. It’s noticeable and the intake sounds like it’s more open when you’re on the throttle (if that makes sense). It kind of roars.

it’s also very responsive at low speeds. It wants to take off like a rocket as soon as it gets off the idle circuit and onto the mains and with the low gearing in first gear on my 5-speed, you have to really take it easy if you’re just idling around in a parking lot at the grocery store.

They ought to include these in the kit.

There's multiple benefits to an insulated spacer. Plenum increase, straightening of the airflow before the runners and the cooler carb. I was blown away when Engine Masters did a test of fuel temperature. I don't know how much cooler the gas would be while running with a spacer though, but at least somewhat cooler I would presume.

In the test gasoline that was around 40* added double-digit power to the dyno mule over gas @ 100*. The reason was the cooling effect on the plenum/runners, increasing density. The runner temps dropped almost equal to the gas temp drop.

 

[awasson]

A little update. I found a guy on Craigslist with a 4 barrel 289 air cleaner near me.

I’m going to make a fibreglass insert to fit the webber carb to the air cleaner housing, tne same size as the 4 barrel outer diameter and I’ll set it up to a height that fits under the hood. I'll continue to use the weber oiled filter and have it inside the ford air cleaner and plumb cold air to it through the radiator support.

I’ll have to get a 200 Sprint decal for it, not that anyone would be fooled into believing it was a 289

 

[bmbm40]

I like that 289 air cleaner. A couple years ago I looked into having a v8 air cleaner on my 250 but seem to recall it interfered with the oil filler cap but I was test fitting with a 351 air cleaner I had. So the 289 is the one apparently. I got started on that because the 144, 170, 200 and 250 all used the same size air filter and the 250 is much closer in cubes to the 289 than it is to the 144. I don't have factual evidence the 250 needs a bigger air cleaner but more is often better.

 

[DON]

I always worry about hood clearance too

 

[bmbm40]

I always worry about hood clearance too

It was a dropped base air cleaner if I recall. Don't have it any more it went to free on craigs list.

 

[Frank]

A little update. I found a guy on Craigslist with a 4 barrel 289 air cleaner near me.

I’m going to make a fibreglass insert to fit the webber carb to the air cleaner housing, tne same size as the 4 barrel outer diameter and I’ll set it up to a height that fits under the hood. I'll continue to use the weber oiled filter and have it inside the ford air cleaner and plumb cold air to it through the radiator support.

I’ll have to get a 200 Sprint decal for it, not that anyone would be fooled into believing it was a 289

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I personally really like this. I'm the loudest advocate of factory intake filter housings on here, for better or worse. Not just the cool air, worth 1% power increase per a mere 5*F , but also for the hot air system. The hot air part of the system is even more critical/beneficial in my climate for preventing carb icing, which can begin as high as 68*F. Winter ambient low temp 35-55* with near 100% humidity, without the hot air snorkel, I'm stalling, engine flooded at every stop, the first 10 minutes cold.

Aside from the mechanical benefits, these filters are rugged, and quiet. in my youth I liked hearing the intake "roar", the factory system keeps all that suction racket contained.

Switching to the a'market intake and 2V carb from the factory 1V I had to find a factory housing. This one's from a '77 Jeep. "It works."