Thanks for all the input, posted summary, I'm in NC (mod temps) but still
need to heat wnd will try the copper pipes to the intake from one of the
banks of Fentons, will advise later after installed.
I have the stock intake with dual tube headers. If I had the fenton duals I
would
use the copper tubing with heat from the fentons, because they already have
the
treaded holes for that. I saw that setup in magazine, you can see the picture
of
the tubing coming out of the fentons to the intake.
Check with The Stovebolt Engine Company, they sell the plate you mentioned. I
got one and it has the holes already tapped and the 4 holes for bolting the
plate to the intake manifold. For an extra $2.00 they will sell you and
instruction sheet for the plumbing. It is worth it.
In my opinion, you'll definitely want to get heat to the intake (whether you
use the stock intake or, say, an Offenhauser, etc.). Three different camps
say: "Only water heat will work", "Exhaust heat will work fine" or "It
doesn't make a damn bit of difference, just get heat to the manifold."
Camp One:
If you're in the first camp, get a newer style water pump that will have two
tapped holes for fittings - one will be for your heater, and one that is
usually plugged will be for heat to your manifold. Then get a GMC
thermostat housing as it also has two holes for fittings (once again, one
will be for your heater, and one the other will be for your manifold OR it
will have a cast boss for you to tap yourself - use an SPF tap, not a
regular one. Chevs do not have this feature.). Now for the manifold. I
used some 1/2" plate stock (probably too thick), cut/trimmed to size, and
drilled four holes so that it would bolt up to the intake. Be sure and make
a gasket. DO NOT drill the holes for the water lines in the plate yet.
Bolt up the plate with the Fentons in place. That way you can reconnoiter
clearance problems as ever setup is slightly different. Mark the locations
of the holes where you want them in the plate, then remove plate, tap SPF,
insert necessary fillings and connect water lines. This set up will
definitely result in excellent cross flow of heat under the intake manifold.
IMHO, this is the Cadillac setup (and probably works the best), but all the
lines are a PITB.
Camp Two:
Make plate described above. As you know, the Fentons have a tapped hole in
each one. Use 1/2 copper tubing with self crimping fittings (or however
fancy you want to get), bend (this is a bugger to do with kinking the
tubing), and hook up. Use a gasket. Some say exhaust will be bad ju-ju for
the manifold (especially an aluminum one), but I don't agree. If you have
dual exhaust, I'd only hook up one header to the plate and plug the other
one off. Hooking both up will really screw up the songs that the dual
exhaust will sing. If you hook both up, there will be little or no cross
flow unless you design the necessary fittings and modify the Fentons to
create a pressure differential across the manifold (email me off line if you
want to discuss the finer points of this). The one header heat setup is
what I run (dual exhaust) in Seattle in weather from about 20 degrees on up.
This set up is very clean and gets the manifold very hot. When cold, the
truck runs very good - no idle problems whatsoever. (Uh-oh, here come the
emails from camp one......)
Camp Three:
You pick.
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