Intake manifold & gasket question

[WELEPRO]

96 350, non-vortec.

I'm replacing my intake and carb with edelbrock stuff this evening. The factory intake manifold has the rear water jackets blocked off(closest to distributor), and so do the new intake gaskets have metal plates in place as well. However, the new Edelbrock manifold is not blocked off, the water jackets are open.

Are the gaskets I have, with the metal block off plates in them going to work?

 

[jtmarten]

Re: Intake manifold & gasket question

If you have the rear crossover, use the correct gaskets to take advantage of the increased cooling.

 

[John_S]

Re: Intake manifold & gasket question

96 350, non-vortec.

I'm replacing my intake and carb with edelbrock stuff this evening. The factory intake manifold has the rear water jackets blocked off(closest to distributor), and so do the new intake gaskets have metal plates in place as well. However, the new Edelbrock manifold is not blocked off, the water jackets are open.

Are the gaskets I have, with the metal block off plates in them going to work?

Good question. Only a few intakes have them. My performer vortec, does not, like your factory 2brl manifold. The vortec manifold is allot cooler, because there isn't an exhaust cross-over.

The part that is bugging me is, how does it provide extra cooling? Convection only? Seems like it would only have flow, if there was an imbalance or something plugged elsewhere in the heads? Those are exit (hot water) ports on the heads, and on the front water travels out the thermostat. Hot water exiting one head and traveling to the other, doesn't make sense. I am probably missing something.

My guess is, it doesn't matter much one way over the other. If they are steel block-offs, they will rust fairly quickly on a raw water cooled engine.

 

[WELEPRO]

Re: Intake manifold & gasket question

I'm tempted to cut the metal plates off of the gasket to allow water to travel through the bloack to the intake manifold. Can't hurt I wouldn't think.

 

[jtmarten]

Re: Intake manifold & gasket question

The vortec manifold is allot cooler, because there isn't an exhaust cross-over.

The part that is bugging me is, how does it provide extra cooling?

Many of the newer aftermarket manifolds have rear coolant crossovers to help cool the back half of the heads better.

 

[John_S]

Re: Intake manifold & gasket question

Many of the newer aftermarket manifolds have rear coolant crossovers to help cool the back half of the heads better.

I looked at all the vortec edelbrock offerings (which are newer than his) and they do not have the water cross-over. Some have ports on the corner, to add hoses to be tied into the thermostat outlet. That makes sense, somewhere for the water to flow. I think it would mainly be convection, on what he has. If you have a better understanding of how that water will flow with that manifold, please let me know.

Personally, he would be much better off to block the exhaust cross-over to keep that alum intake allot cooler. You don't need all that heat with an elec choke.

 

[John_S]

Re: Intake manifold & gasket question

I'm tempted to cut the metal plates off of the gasket to allow water to travel through the bloack to the intake manifold. Can't hurt I wouldn't think.

It probably won't hurt, unless the gasket is damaged in some way.