[Rusty Everitt]

I have a 72 El Camino with a 454. The stock intake manifold blocks off the water ports at the rear of the heads. Could better water flow and cooling be obtained if there was a way to unobstruct this blockage / crossover ? This blockage seems like poor engineering but it was obviously designed this way. What do you guys think ?
Thanks

 

[Mike]

Well ,it's not really bad engineering ,it just allows the head to be used on either side rather than having a left & right.
There's kits out to do this but usually unnecessary on a street or mild strip engine.
Gotta ask why you think you need this ?

 

[novaderrik]

Well ,it's not really bad engineering ,it just allows the head to be used on either side rather than having a left & right.
There's kits out to do this but usually unnecessary on a street or mild strip engine.
Gotta ask why you think you need this ?

i'm gonna guess that this is simply not having any experience in working on a big block Chevy engine.


as already said, it works fine as it is. GM built millions of small blocks, big blocks, and V6 engines with the cooling system set up just like that. in later years, they started putting the water outlet for the heater hose on the passenger side rear of the intake for packaging reasons and some race engines have bypass hoses to open up those ports, but on a street engine water doesn't need to flow back there.

 

[M.Maner]

as already said, it works fine as it is. GM built millions of small blocks, big blocks, and V6 engines with the cooling system set up just like that. in later years, they started putting the water outlet for the heater hose on the passenger side rear of the intake for packaging reasons and some race engines have bypass hoses to open up those ports, but on a street engine water doesn't need to flow back there.

i'm gonna guess that this is simply not having any experience in working on a big block Chevy engine. Water does infact flow back there. It just comes up thru the block.
Mike

 

[BillK]

Rusty,
If you understand the way the cooling system works, you will realize that the rear holes do not need to be connected.

The cool water is forced into the front of the block by the water pump. It then flows towards the back of the block and up into the heads through the large holes in the back of the deck. The water then flows forward through the heads to the front of the intake manifold and out through the thermostat housing. Some water also goes up into the head through the smaller water ports in the deck surface.

Putting a crossover would do nothing because the pressure is close to the same on both sides of the block, the water would just sort of sit there.

 

[Rusty Everitt]

Thanks guys for the replies. You're right, not much experience in this area. This all came up at a car show when we were discussing a guys over heating problem in a big block 65 chevelle and this numskull came up and said there was no crossover. I did not know how to counter that statment so I asked the pros here. Again, thanks for your replies and now I'm ready for that numskull if I ever see him again.
Rusty

 

[78G_PanelExpress]

I have a question though. How can I completely block off and seal the heads so that no water can possibly enter the crankcase through the intake manifold. (see my other post where I more fully describe the problem)

 

[Schurkey]

I have a question though. How can I completely block off and seal the heads so that no water can possibly enter the crankcase through the intake manifold. (see my other post where I more fully describe the problem)

Assemble the engine correctly, using quality parts and accurate machining.

Provide a link to your "other post" so we don't have to go hunting.