OK so I am officially just ignorant enough to not know the effects or lack thereof of just leaving my old stock 2 barrel intake and buying one of those shortcut Mr. Gasket adapters so that I can proudly run a 4 barrel on my 283. Am I just rearranging the furniture on the titanic? Should I bother to swap out the intake manifold? or can I get away with a $19.99 fix of the Mr. G adapter? Weigh in, because I really have only heard anecdotal responses but I am looking for a technical explanation.
Seriously? I can't get $25 for an iron SBC 4bbl intake at a swap meet, unless it has some muscle-car specific part number on it.
I've done it the other way around, putting a two barrel on a four barrel intake. Doing it with a four barrel into a two barrel intake it would never be able to flow enough into those two small passages to make much more power than a stock two barrel. But a cheap four barrel intake would be your best bet in my opinion. Good Luck.
A 2bbl is just fine for now if you can't afford the new V8 manifold and carburetor. Funny how well they run especially in a light car.
PM me if you want an Edelbrock Performer cheap! Probably flows better than any cast iron one you will find. By the time you screw around with an adaptor plate and neck down a 4 barrell to a 2 barrel manifold, it's just easier to do it right.
Running a four-barrel on a two-barrel adapter and two-barrel manifold will GAIN you some "looks" (both good ones and bad ones); and LOSE you both power and economy. Jon.
If you want the "look" of a 4bbl thats one thing but if you want the results of one then switch the manifold. You need one designed for the larger cfm of the 4bbl to use its full flow. Its like your local fire dept hooking up to garden hose. It will work, just not as well as you want.
And as far as the technical explanation: Will be happy to discuss by phone (573-392-7378 9-4 Mon-Wed central time). You may then type it in if you wish. And no, we have no 4-barrel manifolds for sale, so not trying to grind an ax. Jon.
That certainly would be a nice arrangement under the hood and you could cruise around on one until you need the other. I know it's what you have going on with the primary on a single 4bbl but you have to admit it would be functionally cool.
I can't advise you to use an adaptor, just for the bragging rights of having a 4bbl. If it is a look, you are after, they make the large air cleaners, with the small 2 bbl Rochester neck size. You also are risking a double chance of a vacuum leak. 4bbl intake manifolds for a small block chev are cheap, and plentiful. By replacing the intake it also gives you a great opportunity to detail your engine some more, with true performance results.
I admit I do like the looks of those multicarb setups but for my rig I went with an alum intake and rebuilt a 4 bbl carb both used and found them on one of those online auction sites at a bargain.
Damn, I bought a nice Weiand Stealth 4 bbl intake for SBC last week in CT for $20; cheap parts are one of the big advantages to building a Chevy V8. If you pay the shipping, I'll GIVE you a factory iron 4 bbl intake for one.
HEATHEN, I will keep that in mind, I wonder if they fit in those one price fits all USPS boxes... I think my wife has one here at the house, I will measure it and see, if it does, it might be a smart play for me.
any updates on this? im planning on doing the same project and i just wana know what you've decided. did you go through with it?
really happy i went with a new 4brl manifold and carb... both edlebrock and I think it is a 500cfm... the engine runs so good right now I am really happy I did it.
I know Speedway sells an adapter for 2X2's onto a 4bll. intake. Is that one of their setups? or is it off of a boat motor. Michael
I have an old WCFB 4- barrel intake up on my shelf out in the garage. That said, an old 2101 Performer and good Q-Jet off say a 305 would be about the best you can go here, imho. Add the old Duntov solid lifter cam and a set of Z-28, (aka, -142) valve springs and go have more fun than John Law will allow! Shift her at 7,000 rpm just for the fun of it! What a hoot! pdq67
Why not go with a big Holley 2 barrel on an adapter? We did that many years ago on my younger brothers 56 Chevrolet P/U truck with a 283. We also put headers on it, and with the LONG box he had, it made for a long dual exhaust. He used 48" long bullet mufflers, and it had the coolest sound I've ever heard for an exhaust. I gave him one of my Muncie 4-speeds for it. That truck went on forever, and when he finally scrapped it out, I got my Muncie back. Butch/56sedandelivery.