Intake fitment issues

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Csommers

Csommers

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So I'm running into issues with intake fitment on my 400 engine. The block is zero decked and has Pro Comp heads. With the intake sitting on the heads there is a gap where the intake meets the heads. Also the bolt holes don't line up. I tried a 440 intake and it was just too big. Now I do not have a head gasket on at the moment. The head gasket isn't all that thick but could that just be my missing space? Any info helps. Thanks!

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Here's a trick for you that will tell you more about what the deal is.
Lift the intake up enough just to get a bolt started in each corner hole and that will show you more about what you are having to deal with.
From the looks of the bolt holes in the pics it may very well be just the gasket thickness that makes the difference, but the head gaskets being on is going to amplify the problem so you may have to wait till you can get those on first.
 
Gasket thickness is going to fix the bolt hole alignment. A bigger problem is the fact that the heads look to be max wedge size and the intake is standard port size. You might get it to seal, barely.
 
To me it looks like that intake was milled. Did you buy it used?
Milling block and heads takes the misalignment opposite direction of what you show which is why intakes are milled.
 
Installing ahead gasket will make the bolt hole alignment even worse.

Oops, TrailBeast beat me to it. I should have read with more retention.
 
TrailBeast said:
Common sense actually, but I guess that's where "old school" comes from. :D
Those bolts WILL line up with the intake raised, but the questions is what is the gap going to be when they do.
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Agreed...:) dirty bird...
..
 
Abodybomber said:
To the technically acclined, that raises more questions..(Did you check , yours:) I did mine,the Eddy manifold aligned better
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I set mine on with head and intake gaskets in place, and had to push down on it to get the bolts started. :D
 
I was just thinking the same thing. With a head gasket it's just going to make the gap worse. I'll have to figure out what's going on when I get back home. I'm not actually using this I take but it was the only 400 intake I could get my hands on at the time for testing purposes. And yes the heads have been full ported to match thenintake gasket
 
Csommers said:
I was just thinking the same thing. With a head gasket it's just going to make the gap worse. I'll have to figure out what's going on when I get back home. I'm not actually using this I take but it was the only 400 intake I could get my hands on at the time for testing purposes. And yes the heads have been full ported to match thenintake gasket
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I have seen people use more than one intake gasket or even a spacer plate for those problems. (if there is a problem)
Not the best solutions obviously, but people do it with functional results.
 
Csommers said:
I was just thinking the same thing. With a head gasket it's just going to make the gap worse. I'll have to figure out what's going on when I get back home. I'm not actually using this I take but it was the only 400 intake I could get my hands on at the time for testing purposes. And yes the heads have been full ported to match thenintake gasket
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Hey, great. Let's test some other things you aren't going to use and we can trouble shoot them also!
 
IQ52 said:
Hey, great. Let's test some other things you aren't going to use and we can trouble shoot them also!
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A 400 intake that has had no work done to it should match another non modified 400 intake... or is there some kinda of magic because I'm not using it it just won't work!
 
Match another non modified 400 intake......depends. Heads ported to what size intake manifold gasket? Max Wedge? What size are the port windows?
 
I don't think you're going to make up that kind of room with gaskets... But that's not your biggest issue. That's the port window problem.
 
Finally got home from work and measured everything so the ports on the head are 2 7/8x 1 1/14. On the intake they 2 3/8x 1 1/4. Someone ported the head to match the gasket. It's the Hughes racing gasket 3266 using the max wedge port. So now that leaves me with the question how do I find an intake. That will cover all of that? All of the intake to cylinder head holes line up but I have that gap on the head still. Picture is the gasket compared to the intake the standard side fits but the max wedge is what the heads are done to and is too big.

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Csommers said:
Finally got home from work and measured everything so the ports on the head are 2 7/8x 1 1/14. On the intake they 2 3/8x 1 1/4. Someone ported the head to match the gasket. It's the Hughes racing gasket 3266 using the max wedge port. So now that leaves me with the question how do I find an intake. That will cover all of that? All of the intake to cylinder head holes line up but I have that gap on the head still. Picture is the gasket compared to the intake the standard side fits but the max wedge is what the heads are done to and is too big.

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dam guy, buy a max wedge intake ! my heads look just like yours, but are standard port cnc`d. no gaps w/ standard intake. yours gotta be max wedge !
 
Csommers said:
Finally got home from work and measured everything so the ports on the head are 2 7/8x 1 1/14. On the intake they 2 3/8x 1 1/4. Someone ported the head to match the gasket. It's the Hughes racing gasket 3266 using the max wedge port. So now that leaves me with the question how do I find an intake. That will cover all of that? All of the intake to cylinder head holes line up but I have that gap on the head still. Picture is the gasket compared to the intake the standard side fits but the max wedge is what the heads are done to and is too big.

View attachment 1715018412
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Indy Cylinder Heads makes two manifolds that I have here in the shop that work with Max Wedge heads on a 400. These two must be ported to Max Wedge size but there is plenty of meat to do the job.

400-14-2 is a single plane with a 4150 carburetor flange.

400-14-3 is a single plane with a 4500 carburetor flange.

I noticed that you use a tunnel ram to test with. Indy also makes a tunnel ram, 400-14-15 for the 400. It may work with Max Wedge ports, but I don't have one in the shop to test. If they are going to make the other two fit Max Wedge, I'm guessing the tunnel ram will also.
 
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IQ52 said:
Indy Cylinder Heads makes two manifolds that I have here in the shop that work with Max Wedge heads on a 400. These two must be ported to Max Wedge size but there is plenty of meat to do the job.

400-14-2 is a single plane with a 4150 carburetor flange.

400-14-3 is a single plane with a 4500 carburetor flange.

I noticed that you use a tunnel ram to test with. Indy also makes a tunnel ram, 400-14-15 for the 400. It may work with Max Wedge ports, but I don't have one in the shop to test.
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Thanks for the info. I was lookin last night and will probably be going with the 400-14-2. I already have a QFT carb. I'm basically going to do 2 builds. Right now I want to get it running. Afterwards I will go back and reevaluate my setup to see what power I make and if and when I want to improve.
 
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