SBC Carburetor Heat Shield

[jmenacker]

350 SBC with Edelbrock street performance intake manifold and Holley 4175 (650 CFM spread bore) on a phenolic spacer.

Was having hesitation issues on hard cornering. Finally decided to adjust the primary float after a short cruise. Found that fuel was boiling up through the primary bowl vent and dribbling though the primary venturis.

The entire carb was just about too hot to touch. The carb retaining nuts had to be handled gingerly because of excessive heat.

After getting the front bowl off it was noted that the float retaining C clip was loose in the bowl. That might have been a cause fuel starvation during hard cornering. After reassembling with the clip in place all seems to be running smoothly again.

My question is whether or not a heat shield should be standard installation with the Holley? I don't recall ever feeling a carb get that hot. Engine temp normally reads around 180 but never goes much above 205.

Thanks much,

Joe M

[WayneC]

I don't know the definitive answer, but when I confront situations like yours,

I usually reason "why not?, can't hurt, ...might help", and it's inexpensive.

Anything sitting atop a hot engine is bound to get hot, and even hotter for minutes

after you shut it down, since coolant no longer flows through the block and the

combustion chamber and exhaust manifolds are still radiating heat.

[jmenacker]

I don't know the definitive answer, but when I confront situations like yours,

I usually reason "why not?, can't hurt, ...might help", and it's inexpensive.

Anything sitting atop a hot engine is bound to get hot, and even hotter for minutes

after you shut it down, since coolant no longer flows through the block and the

combustion chamber and exhaust manifolds are still radiating heat.

Thanks for the reply Wayne. The heat shield seems to have deflected enough radiant heat to keep the primary bowl from boiling over. The engine is running quite nicely now. Big smiles even after running the car and parking it for 15 minutes in 90+ degree heat.

It took a bit of trimming to make room for the throttle linkage, throttle cable stop and vacuum hoses.

Best regards,

Joe Menacker

RQB 3496