carb hat idea
#1
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Car: '85 TA
Engine: 350 turbo
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.70 posi 9bolt
carb hat idea
I’m too cheap to buy a nice carb hat, so I’m gonna try to make my own. Would it be possible to make a carb hat by taking a small kitchen pan and welding a pipe to it? The diameter of the pan would have to be 5 1/8”, but otherwise would it work?
Look something like this:
Look something like this:
#2
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Car: 82 Z28
Engine: Al LT1 headed LG4 305
Transmission: TH350
Axle/Gears: 3.73 posi with spacer
Why not just get a piece or aluminum or steel pipe? It would be much easier to find pipe that size then to find a pan that exactly fits.
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Car: 87 Firebird
Engine: 5.3 76mm
Transmission: Rossler TH400, PTC converter
Axle/Gears: Strange 12bolt, 3.08s
Most carb hats, well at least Prochargers, have a V shaped piece of metal in them to allow even distribution of air in to each bore of the carb. Making your own is going to force more air into one barrel, and your carb is not going to beable to meter the fuel very well that way.
Could always try to make one, and save up for a real one latter.
Could always try to make one, and save up for a real one latter.
#4
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Originally posted by MaxxMitchell
Most carb hats, well at least Prochargers, have a V shaped piece of metal in them to allow even distribution of air in to each bore of the carb.
Most carb hats, well at least Prochargers, have a V shaped piece of metal in them to allow even distribution of air in to each bore of the carb.
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Car: 1993 GMC Typhoon
Engine: 4.3 Turbo
Transmission: 4L60
Axle/Gears: 3.42
Re: carb hat idea
Originally posted by calebzman
I’m too cheap to buy a nice carb hat, so I’m gonna try to make my own. Would it be possible to make a carb hat by taking a small kitchen pan and welding a pipe to it? The diameter of the pan would have to be 5 1/8”, but otherwise would it work?
Look something like this:
I’m too cheap to buy a nice carb hat, so I’m gonna try to make my own. Would it be possible to make a carb hat by taking a small kitchen pan and welding a pipe to it? The diameter of the pan would have to be 5 1/8”, but otherwise would it work?
Look something like this:
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Car: 1985 Camaro Berlinetta
Engine: 305 4 Barrel LG4
Transmission: 700R4
Re: carb hat idea
Originally posted by Martha Stewart
You could also make some lovely chrome tips for your exhaust with some aluminum foil and paper cups with the bottoms cut out...A lot of fun, very elegant, and much less expensive than buying them...It's a good thing
You could also make some lovely chrome tips for your exhaust with some aluminum foil and paper cups with the bottoms cut out...A lot of fun, very elegant, and much less expensive than buying them...It's a good thing
#7
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Car: '85 TA
Engine: 350 turbo
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.70 posi 9bolt
You have no imagination. I found a stainless steel canister that has a 5 1/8" diameter. Now I just have to cut it to the right height and cut a hole in the side of it where a 2.5" pipe will be welded on.
Also, with the quadrajet carb on, I figure I have a max. height of 3.5". I'll be getting a holley 600 double pumper carb, so should I wait until I buy the new carb to cut the canister to height in case the holley is a little taller?
Also, with the quadrajet carb on, I figure I have a max. height of 3.5". I'll be getting a holley 600 double pumper carb, so should I wait until I buy the new carb to cut the canister to height in case the holley is a little taller?
Last edited by calebzman; 10-31-2005 at 11:58 AM.
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#8
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Car: Badass 1991 Firebird
Engine: Screamin' 305 TBI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 2.73, 3.42's waiting to go in!
Look on ebay under "TBI cold air intake." You will find a bunch of carb hats (carb necks and TBI necks are the same diameter, hence the use of open elements on TBI's) for under thirty dollars, inluding a K&N type cone filter, includes aluminum or plastic carb hat, intake pipe and mounting hardware. The pipe can be easily extended to extract colder air. Or you could make your own out of a saucepan and be done with it, and use the carb hat to heat up your soup.
#9
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Car: '84 Z28 & '73 camaro LT
Engine: 1960 283, eaton m112 blower
Transmission: none at present, will be manual
Axle/Gears: 3.73:1 lsd
That first illustration is priceless! Its not a bad Idea if you could get one the right diameter, stailess steel pans can be very cheap and they are nice and thick. Some of the cheap "carb hats" which are not intended for boost look as though they might go pop, or at least not be rigid enough to clamp down tightly
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Car: 88 GTA
Engine: 5.0
Transmission: Manual
Axle/Gears: 3.45
Is that what you Really want to do? - a kitchen pot . . . theres got to be something different out there
#11
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Car: 1991Firebird T/A
Engine: 350
Transmission: Modified Viper t-56
Axle/Gears: dana 44, 3.55
unfortunatly, im gonna hop on the "your wasting your time and money" bandwagon....
the transition from level to vertical into the carb is just as critical, if not even more so...
the transition from level to vertical into the carb is just as critical, if not even more so...
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Car: '85 TA
Engine: 350 turbo
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.70 posi 9bolt
I am waiting until I get the holley. The problem is that I'll also need a carb adapter, which is going to lower the clearance even more. I figure I can make it a maximum of 2 3/4" high.
How could I improve the transition from horizontal to vertical? Which one of these would be the best?
How could I improve the transition from horizontal to vertical? Which one of these would be the best?
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The trick is to have a diffuser to slow down the air (slow moving dense air will allow the carb to work). #4 can work well if done correctly, and I’d even consider some sort of perforated plate in there to further diffuse the airflow, if you can do it and still have enough airflow that it is not a restriction.
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Car: '85 TA
Engine: 350 turbo
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.70 posi 9bolt
So far, I have cut it to height and drilled the bolt hole. I like the idea of the diffuser to slow the air down. Should I just make it by welding some sheets of metal together to form a box? I can't think of anything that has the right shape.
Last edited by calebzman; 11-17-2005 at 12:40 PM.
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Car: 84z, 65 elcamino
Engine: l69 and a hyped up sbc in the camino
Transmission: t5 m21
Axle/Gears: 373s 411s
i did a topic on this last year go search for it, you may get some ideas.
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Car: 91 firebird now
Engine: 305
Transmission: 5 speed
last few times I was at the junk yard I noticed that the older cadilacs with TBI had carb hats that appeared to fit ours, I was gona snag one of those for a CAI .
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Car: '83 Z28, '07 Charger SRT8
Engine: 454ci, 6.1 Hemi
Transmission: TH350, A5
Axle/Gears: 2.73 posi, 3.06 posi
I can see it now, him walking into the silverware section at Sears...
"Can I help you find something?"
"Yea... I need a steel pot thats exactly 5-1/8in around"
The look on that saleswomans face would be absolutely priceless
"Can I help you find something?"
"Yea... I need a steel pot thats exactly 5-1/8in around"
The look on that saleswomans face would be absolutely priceless
#20
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Car: '85 TA
Engine: 350 turbo
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.70 posi 9bolt
I thought I'd give an update on what I ended up doing for my carb hat. I used the 5" stainless steel canister to sit on the top of the carb. I then bought a 4" to 3" exhaust reducer and crushed it to an oval shape. I welded an extra piece of 2.5" exhaust pipe to the 3" end, which connects to the rest of the intake plumbing. Next, I cut the 4" side to match the curved shape of the canister and welded it on. Then, I took a stick welder and blew out the hole where I welded the 4" side on.
It looks pretty rough now, but I'll end up using some body putty to smooth it out and then paint it.
It looks pretty rough now, but I'll end up using some body putty to smooth it out and then paint it.
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Car: 89 camaro rs
Engine: 305 tbi
Transmission: 700r4
nothing like getting flamed for using your head and not your wallet. i think some people are incapable of this, so good job. i made a cai for my tbi using a hat from a junked cadillac. if i saw this earlier i would have let u have it for shipping cost. nice job.
EDIT: i just saw that you were turbo. my hat probably wouldnt work.
EDIT: i just saw that you were turbo. my hat probably wouldnt work.
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Car: 1988 trans am GTA
Engine: 350 tpi
Transmission: 700r4
i dont think you should paint it i think you should do your best to work it and sand it smooth and since its stainless id polish the sucker! awsome to see ideas come to life too
#24
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Car: '85 TA
Engine: 350 turbo
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.70 posi 9bolt
I finally got around to fixing my crappy welding on the bonnet. I went with fitbmxseries1's idea to smooth and polish it. I am happy with how it turned out and it almost looks like a single piece now.
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Car: clapped out 84Z
Engine: 355 efi roller
Transmission: tremec TKO
It looks like johnny appleseed lost his hat! Not to be negative, but after serious consultation with my sponsor, we both concur that this probably flows worse than it looks.
#28
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Car: '85 TA
Engine: 350 turbo
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.70 posi 9bolt
Thanks! The stainless steel canister was $4 from walmart and the 4" to 3" reducer was $10.
Also, I still need a way to fully seal the bottom surface of the hat to the carb. I used the cheap gaskets that came with the carb, but the boost would blow them out. Anyone know what I could try?
Also, I still need a way to fully seal the bottom surface of the hat to the carb. I used the cheap gaskets that came with the carb, but the boost would blow them out. Anyone know what I could try?
#29
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Car: 87 Firebird
Engine: 5.3 76mm
Transmission: Rossler TH400, PTC converter
Axle/Gears: Strange 12bolt, 3.08s
Possibly a soft metal? A 1/16" thick ring of copper possibly? Maybe a intertube, cut out a ring, and try to find the thickest, toughest you can. RTV the hat on?
#30
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Car: 1993 Nissan 240sx
Engine: Turbo KA24DE
Transmission: 5 spd
Axle/Gears: 4.08 VLSD
I just dont get why these damn things are so expensive. I'm tempted to try to sand cast one or something...
#31
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Car: '85 TA
Engine: 350 turbo
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.70 posi 9bolt
Originally Posted by MaxxMitchell
Possibly a soft metal? A 1/16" thick ring of copper possibly? Maybe a intertube, cut out a ring, and try to find the thickest, toughest you can. RTV the hat on?
Originally Posted by 305q_ta86
I just dont get why these damn things are so expensive. I'm tempted to try to sand cast one or something...
#32
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Car: 87 Firebird
Engine: 5.3 76mm
Transmission: Rossler TH400, PTC converter
Axle/Gears: Strange 12bolt, 3.08s
Heres what i could find as far as carb hats that are made. I know ive seen something before where ATI had their carb hats with the V in them to diffuse the air, but i cant seem to find the pic.
Its a Extreme Velocity hat from Superior Airflow with the divider clearenced for the carb stud. You could probly still add a divider to your current design.
http://superiorairflow.com/dyno_79_chevy_malibu.htm
Its a Extreme Velocity hat from Superior Airflow with the divider clearenced for the carb stud. You could probly still add a divider to your current design.
http://superiorairflow.com/dyno_79_chevy_malibu.htm
#34
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Car: 86 IROC
Engine: 355
Transmission: TH700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.23
Re: carb hat idea
I've been reading your thread and I realize it was a couple of years ago. But I also had the same idea and came up with this.
#35
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Car: '85 Z28
Engine: 350
Transmission: T5
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#36
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Car: 1982 Trans Am & 1982 Corvette
Engine: L-98 with LO-3 induction. 350 CFI
Transmission: 5 speed and vette has 700r4
Axle/Gears: 373's in T/A .. vette unknown
Re: carb hat idea
Tear a shingle off your house and cut it to diameter ..... J/K .... this is a funny thread though but in the end it came out sorta nice .... The kitchen pan is priceless bet no pan manufacturers ever thought of the possibities there product could be used on a car.
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