'80 -'81 stock aluminium intakes

[1Moore]

Along with the pwr steering brackets and pump , I decided to pluck the aluminium intake and the exuast manifold off an Eagle Premier AWD station wagon- to assess using it on my '79 CJ7 . Does anyone out there want to share any knowledge about this possibility? these intakes had the cooling system circulating through them which I'm thinking is a must due to aluminiums heat expansion rate over the stock cast iron intake. I was just considering this mostly for the weight reduction and what seems to me a better design since all the bolts are shorter and like i mentioned the weight of it all. any thoughts and or opinions are not only welcomed but sought after! Thank Yall! 1Moore.

 

[IOPort51]

I always thought it was to warm the engine up faster and vaporize fuel better but I like your thought as well. I have seen a few, on 4.0 head swaps, that do not run the coolant through the manifold and it seems they don't immediately develop vacuum leaks at the manifold gasket.

 

[ThisGuyUKnow]

I always thought it was to warm the engine up faster and vaporize fuel better but I like your thought as well. I have seen a few, on 4.0 head swaps, that do not run the coolant through the manifold and it seems they don't immediately develop vacuum leaks at the manifold gasket.

I'm only speculating...

The 4.0s don't run coolant through the intake because the fuel is squirted directly into the the intake port the head and are sequentially fired so that they only fire on intake stroke the fuel is atomized almost immediately as it sprays out and theoretically never touched the intake. The intake supplies air only to the engine. There is no need to cool the intake.

If the carbs didn't run coolant through the intake I'd imagine that you would get hot enough to vaporize the gasoline.

 

[Bent]

I think the aluminum intakes showed up in 1983. The aluminum intake, plastic valve cover, new block and head casting, and the 4 counter weight crank were all part of the same weight reduction program meant to make the AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l more suitable for cars. You can use the aluminum intake on the older heads. You need to change the exhaust manifold also.

 

[Dan77CJ7]

Along with the pwr steering brackets and pump , I decided to pluck the aluminium intake and the exuast manifold off an Eagle Premier AWD station wagon- to assess using it on my '79 CJ7 . Does anyone out there want to share any knowledge about this possibility? these intakes had the cooling system circulating through them which I'm thinking is a must due to aluminiums heat expansion rate over the stock cast iron intake. I was just considering this mostly for the weight reduction and what seems to me a better design since all the bolts are shorter and like i mentioned the weight of it all. any thoughts and or opinions are not only welcomed but sought after! Thank Yall! 1Moore.

Im using the 79 Concord intake/headers, not using the plumbing, it works great after 4 years.

 

[1Moore]

Im using the 79 Concord intake/headers, not using the plumbing, it works great after 4 years.

What is 79 Concord intake/header? I'm guessing 79 is the year but the only Concord that comes to mind was a Dodge/Chrysler product- or is it a brand? When you say header, do you mean exhaust manifold or just as you said a header? What am I missing here?

 

[1Moore]

I know I can strap these parts on. My concern of course is reliability. If I don't plumb and circulate coolant, will heat expansion create vacuum leak issues.

 

[Dan77CJ7]

What is 79 Concord intake/header? I'm guessing 79 is the year but the only Concord that comes to mind was a Dodge/Chrysler product- or is it a brand? When you say header, do you mean exhaust manifold or just as you said a header? What am I missing here?

i got the intake and headers from a 1979 AMC concord i dont know if the headers are stock or what but they came off the AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l that was in the car i pulled it myself. heres some pics of "a concord", and my set up.

 

[Bent]

I know I can strap these parts on. My concern of course is reliability. If I don't plumb and circulate coolant, will heat expansion create vacuum leak issues.

I don't think so, Its not to cool the intake, its to heat it. Like IOPort51 said "It's to vaporize the fuel". The older manifolds used exhaust heat to warm the manifold and vaporize the fuel.
Why wouldn't you plumb the water? Most people that do this conversion do it to get rid of the one barrel manifold. Otherwise the more weight you can put in the front of a CJ the less likely the back end is to come around on you. Maybe just a CJ5 thing but, that's how I'm going to justify buying a winch!

 

[1Moore]

i got the intake and headers from a 1979 AMC concord i dont know if the headers are stock or what but they came off the AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l that was in the car i pulled it myself. heres some pics of "a concord", and my set up.

Oh yea! Now I remember what the car is- I had a senior moment. I doubt it came with header and I guess I have to say I'm surprised it came with the aluminium intake- I thought they came a year or two later. I'm hoping to get convinced that I can use this intake without plumbing! Thanks for the pics - I see how you made a throttle bracket, as the stock throttle cable bracket used on my stock cast iron intake is not accommodated for on the aluminium intake.

 

[Dan77CJ7]

Oh yea! Now I remember what the car is- I had a senior moment. I doubt it came with header and I guess I have to say I'm surprised it came with the aluminium intake- I thought they came a year or two later. I'm hoping to get convinced that I can use this intake without plumbing! Thanks for the pics - I see how you made a throttle bracket, as the stock throttle cable bracket used on my stock cast iron intake is not accommodated for on the aluminium intake.

I vote run the plumbing. like i said my intake is going strong after the four years that i'v had it.

 

[Bent]

I vote run the plumbing. like i said my intake is going strong after the four years that i'v had it.

Heater hose is cheap.

 

[1Moore]

I don't think so, Its not to cool the intake, its to heat it. Like IOPort51 said "It's to vaporize the fuel". The older manifolds used exhaust heat to warm the manifold and vaporize the fuel.
Why wouldn't you plumb the water? Most people that do this conversion do it to get rid of the one barrel manifold. Otherwise the more weight you can put in the front of a CJ the less likely the back end is to come around on you. Maybe just a CJ5 thing but, that's how I'm going to justify buying a winch!

I was thinking that it was to keep the intake from getting too hot, not necessarily 'cooling'. I also was thinking cast iron takes more energy to heat than aluminium does, therefore less impacted by running temp. Where fuel vaporization is concerned, although I admit it never crossed my mind due to Limited knowledge, you probably noticed that round grid of small post that stand under the two intake barrel ports. I do think that they are there to help the vaporization process. Heat is going to happen and I thought 'cooler' conditions were better for fuel/air ignition.

 

[1Moore]

I vote run the plumbing. like i said my intake is going strong after the four years that i'v had it.

I got crossed up man , your earliest post said you weren't using the plumbing, I've always thought it was the correct thing to do - but wouldn't if it wasn't needed! But now I see you do use it! OK we're straight! I noticed the wire coming off the bottom, i removed and discarded it . Now I realize it was probably some kind of heating element. Are you using that?

 

[1Moore]

your right bro and thanks you have good input

 

[Bent]

I was thinking that it was to keep the intake from getting too hot, not necessarily 'cooling'. I also was thinking cast iron takes more energy to heat than aluminium does, therefore less impacted by running temp. Where fuel vaporization is concerned, although I admit it never crossed my mind due to Limited knowledge, you probably noticed that round grid of small post that stand under the two intake barrel ports. I do think that they are there to help the vaporization process. Heat is going to happen and I thought 'cooler' conditions were better for fuel/air ignition.

That thing with the posts is the manifold heater. It does the heating below 160 degrees water temp. It requires a manifold heater switch and a manifold heater relay if you're going to use it.

 

[zzzhopperzzz]

The water passage is to heat the intake, (for, mostly, colder areas).. If you live in an area that gets snow every Winter, plumb the intake. If you live in the South, don't plumb it..