Ok. Throwing this out there to see if any one has info on my J2 Manifold. I bought this 57 Olds J2 motor about thirty years ago and it's been stored in my shed every since, and I never touched it. I recently picked up a great running 58 Olds motor with a Cad LaSalle trans and a 4 barrel and decided to put the J2 manifold on the 58 motor. Well when I was in the process of removing it, I noticed that some one, years ago, bored out the two end carb mounts and installed the large base factory tri power carbs from a 60-63 Pontiac set up. Or at least, that's what they appear to be from. But it looks like an old speed shop or, bored out the holes and installed large base plates and brazed the plates to the manifold. Who ever did it, did a very decent job. The brazing could have been a little neater, but hey, its old. Just trying to find any info on who or where this might have been done. I am in the process of rebuilding the carbs now. Like I said, the end carbs are true tri-power cars with no idle circuits or mixing screws. I have two other J2 setups, and one is running on my 57 olds and the other is just a bare manifold with no carbs, but would really like to run this one on my 58 motor. Any body out there done this before?
It looks like a previous owner had access to a machine shop. Bored out the manifold and then made very nice adapters. May have even been done in a high school machine shop class back in the day! We did lots of non class related projects in our shop classes to the chagrin of the teachers! KK
Forgot to mention, that way back when this was done, who ever did it, took the time to chrome the intake manifold and the valley pan and the valve covers and also the crank pulleys. You can still see a little chrome left on the manifold. Not to mention the large round aluminum air cleaner top and bottom pieces, with an old oval air cleaner in the middle. This looks like 1960's but who knows.
Update with tri power. Runs great. This engine was in a 50 olds 4 door drag car from the early 60's. It appears the race motor was removed and this one was installed, but never ran. Rockers, cam, lifters all look very new. Has a Cad, Lasalle trans and hurst shifter. Sitting dormant all those years but fired right up after an oil change and cylinders lubed. This tri power set up, just made it better. Have to keep that old home made air cleaner to. Now have to find an old coupe to put it in.
No. They are the same exact height across them. Laying a straight edge on top of all three horn gaskets. And an upside down view of the home made 60's era air cleaner.
Someone did that modification the right way, you're lucky. I've seen some real butcher jobs. That engine and trans are going to be great in an old hot rod, any idea what you'll put it in?