Paging MOP

[Cuda]

I've been thinking about the discussion on closed cooling. I've got raw water cooled engines on my 302 with aluminum intakes. I was interested in the zinc in the intake idea. I have a hole that is plugged in the intake. If I remove this plug and insert a zinc, should it help with the electrolisis of the intakes?

http://www.donzi.net/photos/jgriffplug.jpg

[MOP]

Yup! But the thing that is most important needs to be in the flow of water. Some of my early on tries did not work real well, only the end of the zinc was going away, so I re did them deeper and found that a zinc does its best job when in the path of the flowing water. You will have to fool around with the length of the zinc, the zincs screw out of the brass holder plugs. You can either cut them or find off the shelf stuff. From the photo you have a really nice boss but I don't know if you will have enough room right at that port, do you know how much room you have under it for a zinc? If you have enough room Ok, but you will need to use the thin pencil ones so as not to slow the water flow to that side. If the room is not enough is there another area on the water passage that may be better? I like to look things over pretty good so I don't screw up. That plug may be a bugger to get out, looks like its been there awhile. I would be real careful and use heat when trying to get it out.

[Cuda]

I think it is in an area that usually has a temp sending unit in it, so it must be at least that deep. The sending unit is on the other side of the engine. The intakes have only been on for a few hours, but they did sit over the winter. As you can see by the picture, engine maintainence doesn't look like it was the previous owner's forte. I'm going to keep an eye out for some Merc cast intakes, this aluminum scares me.

[MOP]

I ran an aluminum one for four seasons it lived in the water never flushed, it was a dual quad setup that later ended up on a Buds car. It did get a little thin but survived.

[MOP]

Cuda i am pretty sure most any Merc, OMC and even car manifold will work. Both the two barrel and four barrel setups I have Ford casting marks. I bet if you get close in year you can grab one off a Mustang from the junkie.

[BillG]

Are you sure that is a 302 Ford? If that picture is of the front of the engine it sure looks like a Chevy to me. The thermostat housing on a Ford in on the front of the manifold.
Bill G

[MOP]

Damn you are right Bill!!! You can see the tin timing cover, I did not bother to look to close and did not absorb what I was seeing. Cuda start looking for a small block Chevy manifold. Thanks Bill! Pays to pay attention!

[Cuda]

They are BBC's :) 454's bored 60 over.

[Forrest]

Watch out on sticking zinc anodes in to your intake manifold. A while back on one of my old engines, I had a pencil zinc brake off from its brass screw-in fitting and it get lodged into the circulation pump. It took me a quite a while and a lot of head scratching before I figured out why my engine was overheating above 3000 RPM. But on the other hand, I have had good luck with them in other raw-water cooled engines with aluminum intakes.

[Cuda]

Now that I've reread my original posts, I can see how MOP thought it was a SBF. The 302 I was refering to was the model of my boat. :)

[Ralph Savarese]

well I was about to say.
I have a 302 cast manifold that takes a holley its up for grabs if anbody is running a ford
Ralph

[MOP]

You can bet I will look at the PIC next time! But hell we all had fun!