Streetmaster Intake Bolts

[rockhouse66]

So what is the trick to bolting up a Streetmaster intake?  The inner bolt holes won't accept an appropriate length bolt due to interference.  I assume I have to install studs in these locations after installation of the intake or is there another solution that I am just overlooking?

[jayb]

Seems to me that I used allen head bolts or 12 point bolts with small heads on those tight ones.  You also might be able to drill the manifold's bolt holes oversize to give you more angle when sliding a conventional bolt in...

[R-WEST]

Seems to me that I used allen head bolts or 12 point bolts with small heads on those tight ones

Ditto what Jay said.  The last one I did (many moons ago), came with 12 point, small-headed bolts from Edelbrock.

[amdscooter]

I just used a handful of off the shelf stainless Hex head bolts from Orchard. Nothing special. 

[rockhouse66]

There is no way a conventional bolt will "slide in" on the one I have.  I recall now that the ARP intake bolts I used on the tripower had undersize heads so maybe those are like the small head ones Edelbrock supplies?  I'll see if I can find studs locally before resorting to ordering something special.

Of course, I didn't realize there was interference there until I had Right Stuff all over the place and set the intake down to bolt up.  Panic!

Thanks for the replies!

[amdscooter]

I don't know what to tell you but.. that handful of SS hex head bolts is sitting on there right now. Just ran into the driveway and snapped these:











 

[rockhouse66]

I wasn't suggesting that bolts didn't work on yours, just saying there was no way they would work on mine.  I managed to get a socket head cap screw in one hole but had to use studs for the other 3 with clearance issues.  In each case, the bolt/stud had to be a little shorter than what I would have preferred, just to get it in the hole.

[Rory428]

I bought a Streetmaster new when they first were available, around 1976 or 77. Included in the box was 4 special intake bolts, with 7/16" 6 point heads. They looked like really long header bolts. Over the years, I have bought a couple sets of these bolts, that were sold by Edelbrock seperately, in a blister pack set of 4 pieces. Maybe see if Edelbrock still sells the bolts. They certainly make installation easier.

[rockhouse66]

Yes, I see Edelbrock lists two FE intake bolt kits.  Not sure which one is correct for the Streetmaster (8507 or 8536) but I'll check further.  These studs are a PIA and will have to come out to R&R the intake so bolts would be preferred.  Thanks for the tip!

[amdscooter]

Yes, I see Edelbrock lists two FE intake bolt kits.  Not sure which one is correct for the Streetmaster (8507 or 8536) but I'll check further.  These studs are a PIA and will have to come out to R&R the intake so bolts would be preferred.  Thanks for the tip!

I looked at those kits before I installed mine as well. After looking at the photos and lengths of the bolts, it did not appear either of them was a match for our application. That's why I ended up digging through the SS bolt bins at the local hardware store. Wishing I kept the overall length of each bolt, it probably would have helped you out a lot. I remember laying them out in order on a table before I installed the intake.

Good luck!

[chris401]

I cut mine downs to fit while it was on stand.

[rockhouse66]

As far as length, I can tell you that for the (4) bolts with interference issues - the 2nd and 4th one on each side - a 1-1/2" bolt will just touch the face of the head but will not engage even the first thread, so the bolt has to be 2" long or so to get good thread engagement and allow for some sort of flat washer under the head to protect the aluminum.  A conventional 2" long hex head bolt will not go in any of these 4 holes on my intake.

[ScotiaFE]

Sometimes you need the Non-Standard Bolt Index. 

[chris401]

After consulting the above chart I remembered that I did "waller out" the a couple of holes with a rat tail file. This allowed me to use all the hex 3/8 head bolts with washers.

[rockhouse66]

Just closing the loop on this.  I couldn't find anything that looked right for a Streetmaster in the Edelbrock catalog so I bought the ARP intake manifold bolt set (hex head).  These are a reduced head bolt.  I had to shorten the 4 bolts for the interference areas to 2", which then left insufficient thread length so I had to run a die on them to add another 1/2" or so of thread.  They slid in just barely.

The studs were a good functional solution but they would have to be removed every time the manifold came off so I just decided to bite the bullet now and replace them with bolts.