1964 Thunderbird intake replacement

[Shadrack]

Hello all,

While I have the internet at my uncle's I looked up some parts. I am considering replacing the intake on my 64. I have been looking at this kit: https://www.jegs.com/i/Edelbrock/350/2105K/10002/-1

I am told that there is not a direct linkage hookup and that I would have to fabricate one. Does anyone have this intake or a similar one that can share their experience in getting the linkage to work?

 

[Gary Tayman]

My car has Edelbrock intake, carb, and air cleaner, also electric choke.

It's a nice setup, and I don't recall any issues with throttle linkage (except I'm throwing out the cruise control which never worked anyway). But there are a few considerations:

1. There is no place for the oil filler. I had to change valve covers from a 66.
2. Seems there was an interference problem, might have been with the fuel line, and needed to get some kind of right-anlge adapter to make it fit.
3. Don't mount the carb directly on the manifold. Edelbrock makes a spacer plate -- 3/8, or 1 inch. Not sure if the 1 incher will fit; I have the 3/8. Why? The intake gets hot, and the gas will boil, giving yo ugas fumes after the motor is shut off, and making it hard to start, with bad idle, when hot. Once you go a block or so it straightens out, but that spacer plate is a big improvement.

 

[Dj-Dan]

Now my 64 has an adapter which was below the original 4100 carb. I recently replaced the 4100 with the holley 670. Mine has the water line from the water pump going through it and then to the heater core of the ventilation. I needed to replace the gasket between the manifold and adapter, but everthing fit right up. I bought a holley heat absorber but the stud threads were not long enough to bolt on the 670 carberator. I am not trying to get those threaded studs off an original intake manifold.....With my coolant running through that adapter plate, is that keeping my adapter plate cool down or is it heating it up more? I'm thinking about bypassing, and going right to the heater core.

 

[64ZCODE]

Hey Dan. Spacers are good for improved throttle response. I doubt that running hot water through your spacer is an issue unless the engine is hard starting from a hot start or has flat spots in the acceleration curve. And, a heated spacer should decrease warmup cycle time.

Doug

 

[Shadrack]

@Gary Tayman "1. There is no place for the oil filler. I had to change valve covers from a 66."

Let me pose this question to the group - can I have a machine shop tap a hole in my existing valve covers for an oil filler cap? I hate to "hack up," history that way, but I think a better intake is the way to go, and I don't want my engine bay to be an advertisement for another company with replacement covers. I looked for some 66 covers but found only VERY expensive options.

 

[64ZCODE]

Great question, but I have no idea!

 

[Rom324]

Hello all,

While I have the internet at my uncle's I looked up some parts. I am considering replacing the intake on my 64. I have been looking at this kit: https://www.jegs.com/i/Edelbrock/350/2105K/10002/-1

I am told that there is not a direct linkage hookup and that I would have to fabricate one. Does anyone have this intake or a similar one that can share their experience in getting the linkage to work?

I don’t know about the performance of a replacement intake, and what effect it will have however if you modify the linkage it will definitely make a difference in my opinion to how the car feels under your foot. Until I put the original Ford linkage back on my manifold I could feel vibrations in the car and was a hard accelerating pedal. Just didn’t feel right. Someone hacked it up pretty good and modified it for some reason When I hunted down the original linkage for $50 on eBay I was astounded at how much better the car felt under my foot. Sounds weird but they designed that linkage for a reason. Just a thought before you make a big investment in time and money like that.

 

[Rom324]

I don’t know about the performance of a replacement intake, and what effect it will have however if you modify the linkage it will definitely make a difference in my opinion to how the car feels under your foot. Until I put the original Ford linkage back on my manifold I could feel vibrations in the car and was a hard accelerating pedal. Just didn’t feel right. Someone hacked it up pretty good and modified it for some reason When I hunted down the original linkage for $50 on eBay I was astounded at how much better the car felt under my foot. Sounds weird but they designed that linkage for a reason. Just a thought before you make a big investment in time and money like that.

If you do go through with this try to mount the same original linkage on the manifold. There are two bolts that hold the bracket on to the manifold. Maybe there’s a way you can install that without some weird cable set up. Trust me it will make a difference

 

[Rom324]

If you do go through with this try to mount the same original linkage on the manifold. There are two bolts that hold the bracket on to the manifold. Maybe there’s a way you can install that without some weird cable set up. Trust me it will make a difference

Also you will have to figure out how to connect the transmission kickdown rod to a new linkage set up. The original set up has it all there.

 

[Rom324]

Also you will have to figure out how to connect the transmission kickdown rod to a new linkage set up. The original set up has it all there.

I am a bit of a purist because these cars ride beautiful the way they were designed from the factory. Modifications to performance is a good thing at times but it requires a lot of ingenuity and craftsmanship to make it as good as the original in my opinion.