So,......I'm sitting here flip flopping on what I want to do w/ the car to "improve" it. Not one to be content very long,...the novelty of having a foxbody w/ 1968 sheet metal added has become a "So What"? for me. I have been blathering on here for quite some time now about my intention to put 4 weber carburetors on the engine as my "next big thing", and I have worked out most of the details if I decide to to that, but the job is daunting nonetheless. So,....just so you can appreciate the task, I've decided to break it down for you:
#1. a 4.6 has a plastic intake manifold w/ and aluminum water crossover that includes the thermostat housing. I will have to get a junkyard plastic intake so I can cut off the aluminum crossover to use on the new intake manifold I have to build.
#2. while I have the JY intake, and before I cut it up for the water crossover, I use it as a template and transfer the port spacing and deck width over to a 1/4" piece of plate aluminum. I will have to cut out the ports w/ a hole saw and hand shape the remaining port shape using a die grinder.
I have to have aluminum stand offs made that will in effect become the transitions for the mounting flanges for the Webers that will be epoxied over the newly finished ports in the 1/4" plate. At this time, I do not know the bore spacing of the Weber. I do not how tall the standoffs will have to be to allow a smooth transition from the base of the carbs, to the intake port. Unless I get really lucky, those standoffs may be up to 2" in height.
#3. The webers look to be about 7-8" in total height, and even w/ a short standoff,...those velocity stacks are gonna stick outta the hood,...in an entirely dirrerent place than the existing hole in the hood is now,...and the existing Boss9 hood scoop will not cover the stacks. (not that I'd want to anyway,...but there is the rain to consider)
#4. Once the 4 carbs are sitting on the intake manifold, now there is a relatively complex throttle linkage to design and implement that allows me to fine tune the opening of the throttle on all four carburetors simultaneously. There are existing linkage kits that are presently available for the other V8's that are out there, so I should be able to find one that will require a minimal amout of modification to make it work.
#5. The coil packs will be all in the way of the new carburetors,..so I'll have to throw them away, and convert the system over to the earlier style where there were two 4 post coil packs mounted in front of each head w/ spark plug wires running to each plug respectively.
#6. Even after getting the manifold built, the water passage mated to the new plate base, the carburetors are notorious for needing to have the throttle blades squared to the bore, and the float level set to be sure that they are at spec, requiring that I disassemble brand new carburetors before I run them for real. They will have to have an extra 1 mm hole drilled in them to add an extra degree of off idle throttle response. AND after all of that,....the carburetors will probably require hours of tuning, and several hundred more dollars of air jets, and fuel jets to get them to a place where I'd call them "tuned".
Why would I do all this if its' that much of a pain in the ass you might ask?,.....I have to say I'm wondering........but wouldn't it be cool?
The other, less involved "modification" has also been rolling around in my head forever as a plan B,....That is to plumb the existing manifold w/ a N2O fogger system. The "WHOA" factor when popping the hood and looking at a engine sporting that system is admittedly why I'd consider going that route, BUT,.... I sure as hell DO NOT intend to use it.
The reason I'd do either is to kick the car to the next level. The carburetors will be an enormous pain in the ass,...I expect the system to end up costing between 1500-2000.00. I'd hate to spend that much to take such a nice running combo, and have it run poorly, or at the very least not as good as it does now. The Nitrous system will cost half that, but will be purely for onamentation, as I could give a rats ass to try and tune it at the risk of hurting the motor, and I am perfectly happy w/ the current power level anyway. The premise of spending 800.00 on a fogger purely to change up the current system w/o ever intending to use it is the reason there isn't one on there as of this writing,.....seems pretty stupid upon reflection.
The only thing I can think of that is even remotely "smart" about plan B is.....that it'll be done in a day,..it wont affect the driveability one bit. It wont get hotter, or lose even a1/4 of a MPG over the current and,............. I wont have to spend another dime on it until or unless I fill the bottle(s).
So,...like it says,......what to do,......what to do.
#1. a 4.6 has a plastic intake manifold w/ and aluminum water crossover that includes the thermostat housing. I will have to get a junkyard plastic intake so I can cut off the aluminum crossover to use on the new intake manifold I have to build.
#2. while I have the JY intake, and before I cut it up for the water crossover, I use it as a template and transfer the port spacing and deck width over to a 1/4" piece of plate aluminum. I will have to cut out the ports w/ a hole saw and hand shape the remaining port shape using a die grinder.
I have to have aluminum stand offs made that will in effect become the transitions for the mounting flanges for the Webers that will be epoxied over the newly finished ports in the 1/4" plate. At this time, I do not know the bore spacing of the Weber. I do not how tall the standoffs will have to be to allow a smooth transition from the base of the carbs, to the intake port. Unless I get really lucky, those standoffs may be up to 2" in height.
#3. The webers look to be about 7-8" in total height, and even w/ a short standoff,...those velocity stacks are gonna stick outta the hood,...in an entirely dirrerent place than the existing hole in the hood is now,...and the existing Boss9 hood scoop will not cover the stacks. (not that I'd want to anyway,...but there is the rain to consider)
#4. Once the 4 carbs are sitting on the intake manifold, now there is a relatively complex throttle linkage to design and implement that allows me to fine tune the opening of the throttle on all four carburetors simultaneously. There are existing linkage kits that are presently available for the other V8's that are out there, so I should be able to find one that will require a minimal amout of modification to make it work.
#5. The coil packs will be all in the way of the new carburetors,..so I'll have to throw them away, and convert the system over to the earlier style where there were two 4 post coil packs mounted in front of each head w/ spark plug wires running to each plug respectively.
#6. Even after getting the manifold built, the water passage mated to the new plate base, the carburetors are notorious for needing to have the throttle blades squared to the bore, and the float level set to be sure that they are at spec, requiring that I disassemble brand new carburetors before I run them for real. They will have to have an extra 1 mm hole drilled in them to add an extra degree of off idle throttle response. AND after all of that,....the carburetors will probably require hours of tuning, and several hundred more dollars of air jets, and fuel jets to get them to a place where I'd call them "tuned".
Why would I do all this if its' that much of a pain in the ass you might ask?,.....I have to say I'm wondering........but wouldn't it be cool?
The other, less involved "modification" has also been rolling around in my head forever as a plan B,....That is to plumb the existing manifold w/ a N2O fogger system. The "WHOA" factor when popping the hood and looking at a engine sporting that system is admittedly why I'd consider going that route, BUT,.... I sure as hell DO NOT intend to use it.
The reason I'd do either is to kick the car to the next level. The carburetors will be an enormous pain in the ass,...I expect the system to end up costing between 1500-2000.00. I'd hate to spend that much to take such a nice running combo, and have it run poorly, or at the very least not as good as it does now. The Nitrous system will cost half that, but will be purely for onamentation, as I could give a rats ass to try and tune it at the risk of hurting the motor, and I am perfectly happy w/ the current power level anyway. The premise of spending 800.00 on a fogger purely to change up the current system w/o ever intending to use it is the reason there isn't one on there as of this writing,.....seems pretty stupid upon reflection.
The only thing I can think of that is even remotely "smart" about plan B is.....that it'll be done in a day,..it wont affect the driveability one bit. It wont get hotter, or lose even a1/4 of a MPG over the current and,............. I wont have to spend another dime on it until or unless I fill the bottle(s).
So,...like it says,......what to do,......what to do.
** note......I did none of that stuff to mine.
hmmm,....now there's a scientific approach to this dilemma, why didn't I think of that already. I would've saved myself the 30 minutes it took to write the novel that makes up the thread.
