Early hemi intake i.d.

I just procured a factory 4 bbl. intake manifold for an early hemi that I'm not sure of the application. The seller said it was for a 331 Chrysler, but I knew from its appearance that it was a Dodge hemi manifold, but I don't know if it fits the 241-270s or 315-325s. The casting number on it looks like either 1634262 or 1834262 and it's got a casting date of 1-31-56. Can anyone narrow it down for me?

 

with a casting date of 1-31-56 it should fit a '56 325 c.i. D500 Dodge hemi

 

Bingo!

 

Well, just to be a perfectionist pain in the ass, in '56 that would be a 315, not a 325 until '57..........AND, it would fit either a poly head or hemi engine. The '56 315 and later 325 are 'raised block' engines.......uhhh.......wanna sell it?

Ray

 

Thanks for the information, guys, and no, I don't wanna sell it. It's one of those "cart before the horse" deals; I'm looking for a Dodge hemi, and figured I'd better pick the intake up while I could. Since it fits the tall deck engines, I'll make a 315/325 the priority. The intake is drilled for the early, almost square, carb pattern like a '54 331 WCFB, but the carb flange has sufficient meat to be redrilled for the larger AFB pattern.

 

It is for the WCFB. The Edelbrock will fit right on, but you'll have to open up the bore holes or put in longer mount studs & run a squeeze plate in between.

 

The Edelbrock will not bolt onto the small square WCFB pattern. I do however make an adapter which will allow an Edelbrock/Carter type carb or a Holley to be used.
These pictures show the small pattern. (And small bores)

 

Is that the same carb (Sm. WCFB) that fits the Desoto 4bbl intakes??

 

Although my intake is drilled for the small pattern you show in your picture, unlike your intake, mine has a carb mounting pad with four ears sticking out that could be drilled for the larger pattern. A thin carb spacer would give the necessary clearence for the AFB's larger throttle plates.

 

Same small 4 bbl as the Desoto. And yes, some intakes have a large enough base to redrill for a larger pattern......almost like the engineers were thinking ahead.

 

Is there 3 patterns? Edelbrocks are drilled for 2 & drop on the Chr intakes, Do DeSoto & Dodge use a 3rd smaller pattern?

 

The smallest 4 bbl. pattern is almost square----something like 3 3/4 x 3 7/8--and was used by all of the carb manufactureres when they first came out with 4 bbl. carburetors in 1952, which includes the first Rochetser 4GCs, Carter WCFBs, Holley "teapot", and Stromberg Aeroquad. Olds went to the larger bolt pattern in '54, Cadillac in '57, and Chevy used the larger pattern right from the start on the '55 power pack engines.

 

Plenty of power available from using these older carburetors. In fact, using a newer carb through an adapter would probably produce less power (although tuning might be easier).

The early virtually square pattern (3.75 x 3.875) was used on engines as large as 549 CID.

Jon.

 

At the moment, I'm just happy to have the intake. Any 4 bbl. intake for a Dodge hemi is fairly rare.