C3AE-9425-J 2x4 Intake Manifold

[The Real McCoy]

I have been looking at some of these 2 x 4 intakes (63-64 vintage) and have a couple questions.  Some have had the heat shield on the bottom missing......, how important is it to have this in place?  Will it get carboned up badly from oil splash or is it a minor/non issue?  If it is important to have, is there any chance this heat shield would fit off a more common cast iron manifold?  My application would be as street car in a 63 Galaxie.

Last questions does anyone know with certainty if a Pertronix Igniter III billet distributor will clear the carburetor and factory 2 x 4 air cleaner with this manifold?  I know the Pertronix is higher than a stock Ford distributor but am not sure if it is the height that would cause a problem or the diameter.

[Drew Pojedinec]

If you block the exhaust crossover in the intake I would think that the heat shield would not be needed.
My BT 2x4 didn't come with a heat shield nor did it have provisions for one.

[The Real McCoy]

What is the prescribed method of blocking the cross over?

Blue Thunder intakes, I believe they have the cross over present, do they have any problems with carbon build up on the bottom of the intake if now shield is present? 

[ToddK]

As far as the Petronix distributor height goes, it interfered with the air cleaner on my 6V set up, even with a 1" carb spacer. Had to run a 1/4" spacer under the aircleaner to fit.

[jayb]

What is the prescribed method of blocking the cross over?

Blue Thunder intakes, I believe they have the cross over present, do they have any problems with carbon build up on the bottom of the intake if now shield is present?

If you block the crossover you shouldn't get any carbon building under the intake.  The carbon comes from oil that comes in contact with the high temperature of the crossover.

I've always blocked the crossover by fabricating a small piece of sheet steel, and fitting it into the hole in the gasket where the crossover comes through.  Something relatively thick, like the thickness of the gasket (usually 0.060") seems to work well and last.  Just glue it in place with some high temp RTV when you put the gaskets on the heads, and then install the intake.

[The Real McCoy]

Thanks to all for the feedback.

Seems like the Pertronix distributor has the potential for interference.  May have to take a different route than what I had originally planned.

[cjshaker]

A cut down piece of a butter knife works pretty good and fits right into place, and they're stainless so they can handle the heat. I recommend using your best silverware, it keeps the wife involved

[Heo]

Nothing better than have your wife sharing
the same hobby

[Drew Pojedinec]

Seems strange to hack up a butterknife when just about everyone has some 16 gauge steel laying around.

I just cut out a piece, knock it in place.  Dab or two of JB weld to keep it in place, smear some red high temp rtv over the whole works and it pretty much lasts forever.
Anyone with a drill or a die grinder could return it to stock in 5 minutes.



With my current build, the aftermarket heads do not have provisions for exhaust cross over so no need for me to concern myself with it.

[The Real McCoy]

This is just an update to my question about a Pertronix distributor being to high and interfering with the 2 x 4 air cleaner.  I hope it might help someone in the future.

The application is a 63 Galaxie with a factory 2 X 4 Intake (March 63 casting), Quick Fuel carbs, Blue Thunder 2 x 4 Air Cleaner assembly and a Pertronix III Billet Distributor.  I mention the QF Carbs and BT Air Cleaner just because I'm not sure if Holley's and the Ford air cleaner would make any difference. 

The distributor is definitely higher and will hold the air cleaner base up in the front.  Trans-Dapt makes a 2"  Phenolic plastic spacer, part # 2532, that was machined down to 1.288"which brought the air cleaner base to almost touching the plug wires on the distributor cap.  Phenolic plastic is not fun to machine, it makes a rather evil dusty mess, it helps to have someone sucking the material up with a shop vacuum while machining.  Wilson makes some really nice aluminum spacers you can get in 1/8" increments which may have worked out but they cost $100+ a piece compared to $40 for the Trans-Dapt spacers and I still would have needed to do some machining.  I also had to go from the 2.25" to the 1.75" Blue Thunder air filter element.  At that point the air cleaner fastened down properly and their was minimal clearance between the ends (oval part) of the air cleaner and the underside reinforcement structure of the hood.  I thought I was done but after a couple hundred miles the very front edge of the oval part of the air cleaner top showed some polishing effects from contacting the underside reinforcement structure.  It had clearance when checked but apparently the engine moves just to enough to make some contact.  I resolved this by slightly reworking the structure with a couple of ball peen hammers.  I put some tape on the structure and after a few hundred more miles the tape is untouched so it appears to be resolved.

There is absolutely minimal clearance between the Pertronix III billet distributor cap to air cleaner base and the air cleaner top and hood but it does just make it.

[jholmes217]

I like the Mallory Unilite because it's about the same height as a stock distributor.   Works fine with the oval air cleaner.  I've attached a picture of my work in progress car that shows the Mallory distributor and oval air cleaner.