The Great Pumpkin - '71 Duster
Did some intake port matching on the Victor 340.
This was how the intake started. Someone before me gasket matched it to a regular-size Fel Pro intake gasket.
The ports on the BPE heads are huge - 2.5" tall x 1.8" wide. The intake gasket had to be cut larger to match the opening as it hung over by almost 3/16" on the top and bottom. Too much to leave alone.
To match the opening from the head surface to the intake surface, the gasket was sprayed with sealant and glued/bolted to the head and then cut out with an Exacto knife. Made a mess.
It's really not easy to cut these gaskets.
Once the gasket was cut, the intake was bolted on and a line was scribed around the outside of it to indicate the position of it against the head. (The scribe line can be seen across the top) The intake was then taken off and the gasket was carefully removed from the head. Then it gets glued back on to the intake using the scribed line to reference the position from one surface to another. Honestly, the whole thing is a PITA. All in the name of horsepower.
I never know if I'm doing more harm than good when I start grinding on stuff. There's definitely no obstruction any longer. I just hope opening it up like this doesn't kill too much air speed.
The intake port opening now matches up to the head port. Mostly.
One side of the intake is done. Not sure how much I will do on the plenum. At the least, the runner dividers will get profiled down and the short turn under the carb pad will get smoothed out.
Pretty much finished the cluster bezel as well. Not my best finsihing job but I can't futz wih it any more so in it goes.
Bit by bit getting closer to the finish line.
More to come.
Did some intake port matching on the Victor 340.
This was how the intake started. Someone before me gasket matched it to a regular-size Fel Pro intake gasket.
The ports on the BPE heads are huge - 2.5" tall x 1.8" wide. The intake gasket had to be cut larger to match the opening as it hung over by almost 3/16" on the top and bottom. Too much to leave alone.
To match the opening from the head surface to the intake surface, the gasket was sprayed with sealant and glued/bolted to the head and then cut out with an Exacto knife. Made a mess.
It's really not easy to cut these gaskets.
Once the gasket was cut, the intake was bolted on and a line was scribed around the outside of it to indicate the position of it against the head. (The scribe line can be seen across the top) The intake was then taken off and the gasket was carefully removed from the head. Then it gets glued back on to the intake using the scribed line to reference the position from one surface to another. Honestly, the whole thing is a PITA. All in the name of horsepower.
I never know if I'm doing more harm than good when I start grinding on stuff. There's definitely no obstruction any longer. I just hope opening it up like this doesn't kill too much air speed.
The intake port opening now matches up to the head port. Mostly.
One side of the intake is done. Not sure how much I will do on the plenum. At the least, the runner dividers will get profiled down and the short turn under the carb pad will get smoothed out.
Pretty much finished the cluster bezel as well. Not my best finsihing job but I can't futz wih it any more so in it goes.
Bit by bit getting closer to the finish line.
More to come.