New BBM Tunnel Wedge arrived today.

[Joe-JDC]

One last note of caution for anyone using the new BBM tunnel wedge is the oil drain back at the front of the intake manifold is not cast for clearance, and the water passage is paper thin where you would normally clearance it for the oil to drain back.  If you are not careful you will break through into the water.  One side is thicker than the other.  Just a caution, since many folks are having trouble with oil pooling in the valve covers, and slow drain back.  The BBM at the front will only have the gasket thickness as a drain hole on one side.  Joe-JDC

[mbrunson427]

SplashZone is handy stuff.  We keep 6 gallons or so on the boat.  Nice stuff in a pinch.

FElony, there is always this option:


Edelbrock Air Gap with adapter plates for fitting Holley carburetors.  Was my plan during my build, but at the last minute someone offered up a BT MR 2x4 so I used that instead.

Drew, I saw those adapters a while back, a guy from the FE Reunion facebook page was making them. I inquired and never got a response. How do I get my hands on a set??

[Drew Pojedinec]

You'd have to ask Danny on that Reunion page.
I can pm you his name if you'd like as he's a facebook friend of mine, I'm not comfortable putting his name out here in the open.

I have no idea if he made any more, as stated I bought a BT MR and didn't need to go the airgap direction.

[XR7]

Bump to the top... I have a question for Joe or anyone else with the new BBM tunnel wedge. What is the measurement between pushrod "tube" holes, above the runner. Like the shortest distance (width) between the two holes. Also that dimension for a stock FORD tunnel wedge too if you have it. Just wondering if they drilled them outboard just a bit, for wider spacing and/or wider ports before breaking through into the pushrod tubes. I know they talked about having some without the pushrod tubes so a person could drill them wherever if needed for offset rockers/lifter seats etc.

Thanks.

[Joe-JDC]

Interesting question.  I went out to the shop and measured my Ford Tunnel Wedge, and the pushrod holes varied from 1.500", 1.520, 1.540, 1.570 on different ports.  I installed brass tubes to get the distance between the tube holes.  On the BBM TW, the holes are tapered on both the top and bottom of the holes, but going into the pushrod holes a ways and measuring the distance between them showed a minimum of 1.600" to 1.700" on several ports.  I turned the manifolds over and measured the bottom distances to see if there was any angle involved, but they seem to conform to the above measurements.  The BBM definitely can be widened more than the Ford TW without having to install tubes in the pushrod holes.  At 500+ cfm with a simple gasket match to the MR size, there is no need to have to widen the ports anyway.  Joe-JDC

[CaptCobrajet]

The one I checked today was +/- 1.570 checked down past the taper at the top.  If you wanted to move the intake pushrod over, the option of no intake pushrod hole would be the one to use.

To Joe's point, if the port in the head is shaped and moved to a non-stock position, a person might need to widen, raise, fill, etc. Just depends on the head....

[XR7]

Thanks for the info Joe. The only reason I would widen them is if I was "stuffing" or raising the port floor. Just wondering how much room before having to sleeve with brass tubing. The Victor for instance is very narrow, not sure what they were thinking...

So Blair, on the manifolds that are to be "un-drilled" that Doug was talking about doing a few... was it the intake pushrod tube only that was to be deleted? Thanks.

[CaptCobrajet]

Yes.  I asked him to delete the intake hole only on a few of the manifolds.  I usually leave the exhaust alone, except for radical ports, which would not work with the manifold anyway.  My first test of one of these is coming up in the next couple of weeks.

[XR7]

Cool! Thanks for the info Blair, I appreciate you sharing. Yeah, might as well only have to "fool" with 1/2 the pushrod holes LOL. I have spent some time on making chips for clearance and it is no fun!

Looking forward to hearing how it does. I am sure it will make some big steam, looks like a nice piece. I'll be using one on a future build, planning on it.

[wayne]

For the person who ask about carb adapters to put a holley on a air gap intake use offenhauser part number 5880.