'58 Chevy w/235 hood clearance question

I have a '58 Biscayne with a 235 in it. I was wondering if anyone has run a dual or triple carb setup and if there were any hood clearance issues. The fact that Chevrolet has that funky offset aircleaner tells me there may well be issues if I want to keep the six in the car.

I thought about some DCOEs but for that kind of money, and return on the money, I'll swap in a V8. If I can modify the 235 without clearance problems I may well keep the six, but I am NOT going to put a bubble on the hood let alone a scoop.

 

I can't speak specifically to the clearance in a 58. I can tell you that the air cleaners on my 41 truck, 51 suburban, 53 truck, 55 1st series truck, 47 car, 52 car, & 55 car were all oddly shaped. I know of many others who have run dual or triple carbs in these models without any clearance problems.

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Kael

 

This is in a '56 but it is the same deal as far as the aircleaner goes.

 

That's the exact same air cleaner as my 55 has. I think you'll be able to run dual carbs without any problems. Triples tend to run out of space near the firewall.
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Kael

 

We'll see, right now I'm in Oz and the car is in TX. Last time I went through Eau Claire was on Rt.29 last year in October on my way to Minneapolis and it snowed! I was living in Two Rivers at the time on a power project at Point Beach.

 

I had the same trouble years ago with my 55 chevy 6 with triple carbs.
I only used the center carb and blocked off the two end ones.Was told years late after the car was sold that I could have removed the three spacers between the carbs and manifold and that would have alowed the hood to close and use all three carbs.I would drive my 55 to a show and put the end chrome breather on at the show. I also found that I had to cut away some of the metal on the end breather next to the firewall for more clearence .The cut away could not be scene. I have no idea if that would have worked with out the spacers but it sounded good. Good luck. Tom (Tired Old Man)

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=436184&page=4

page 4 post 76

 

On hood clearance issues, it is possible to switch to a Ford Holley 1bbl like from a 223 six. These are about half as tall as the Rochester model B, but have a beveled style air horn, so either modifying the base of the air cleaners is needed or grind off the bevel...

 

I see two pot intakes at Speedway that come with linkage setups but they say nothing about what carburetors go best or at all on their Offy manifolds, nor is there any mention of what the linkage will hook up to. I am going to gather from that the linkage is generic and you have to fool with it to suit.

What carb setup did you use? Linkage?

 

I'll consider it, but I want to read up on SUs first.

 

I really like the Holley 1904 with the glass bowl, and it looks like a Carter YF could be used no problem.

Has anyone here tried either carb and what was your experience with them?

 

I'm running the holleys and home made air cleaners

 

Sweet! What did you do for linkage and who split the exhaust manifold for you?

 

Its a bit different now. that is a corvette manifold and I switched to Fentons. I built the cable throttle link and arms. maybe I have another photo of that

 

I know there is a lot of back and forth about the heater box on the intake and exhaust manifolds; how does your 235 run without them? Good, bad, indifferent?

 

my 235's ALWAYS have heat to the intake. check out "carburetor icing" on an airplane forum somewhere and you will see why

here is a photo with the current throttle link - its all powdercoated and looks a lot nicer, but these are the pieces

 

It looks like you drilled and tapped a boss on the rear Fenton and put a 90* brass fitting and ran some tube up to what I surmise to be a block off plate on the bottom of the intake manifold, thereby heating the manifold with exhaust gases. Word?

 

Whatever you do, do not run SU Carbs, those are a heap of trouble. I would run dual YF's. they are very cheap and easy to find, rebuild, and tune.

 

Right now my main concern will be to getting it running in it's stock form, then R&R the chassis and brake components as needed. I'll start off with dual exhaust and then a two pot setup as I gather parts. I may do Pertronix or a 250 HEI , alternator, and just run the car like that.

 

An actual '58 Biscayne engine bay.

 

There may be more room in the 58 then a 55.Tom (Tired Old Man)

 

Yes. Patrick's heat kit. Fenton's come drilled and tapped on both headers. There are several heat kits out there and you can easily make your own.