The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Heat Riser Counterweight

The counterweight on my heat riser valve somehow went missing. The shaft is still in place but both the spring and the counterweight are now gone. I see that the shaft is sold by some of the vendors but does anyone know how you can find the weight? Do I have to go to a salvage yard for this? Thanks.

First thing I'd do is post an ad in the swap meet Parts Wanted Forum. Someone may have a broken or cracked manifold laying in the back of the shop? The counter weights I have seen are held on by a roll pin so if you find one on a scrap motor tap out the roll pin if the shaft is the same size. I think the roll pin is 5/32 but not sure.

Joe,
?? maybe an "old school" salvage yard,
but I would say ebay or (as Chipmunk said) swap meets/Parts wanted forums would be your best bet.

I needed a Oil filler/Breather Cap, went to 4 junkyards/used parts/Pull-a-Part yard with no luck.
Not worth the hassle, bought one from Classic Parts, Kansas City for $3.95

I have the Manifold that came with my Core engine....I did look for you, but the Counterweight was missing.

Good luck, Jim

It wouldn't be that difficult to make a counterweight- - - - -just do a little tinkering with the offset to give it the right amount of leverage. I'd use something like a piece of 3/4" steel square stock with a hole drilled in one end and a slot for a pinch bolt to clamp it to the shaft. Most of the resto-ripoff sites sell the spring.
Jerry

Joe,

Original exhaust manifolds are an example of what street rod builders throw away. With some sniffing around you should be able to find that part for just the cost of postage, While the manifold is off might be the time to make the shaft and some bushings for the manifold from stainless steel. I did that on my '36 Chevy PU about 35 years ago and it totally cured the sticking shaft problem.

Thanks, everyone, for the responses. I will post an ad in the Parts Wanted section and also probably tinker with fabricating a weight as Hotrod Lincoln suggests.

Joe

Are the 216 & 235 the same size heat risers?

Good question. I'm not sure. I think there is mention of this in the service manual. I'll check it out.

A question for Ray: When you made your stainless heat riser shaft, what did you use to cut the slot where the spring hooks up?

Per the service manual: "the exhaust manifolds on the 216 and the 235 are interchangeable."

I might have one for you. Have to dig it out of my parts shed.
Check your PM for message////
Todd

Use email or Private Message for person-to-person communication?

Joe has no email listed, but he is accepting PMs.

"A question for Ray: When you made your stainless heat riser shaft, what did you use to cut the slot where the spring hooks up?"

Joe,

I wish I could remember but that was about 35 years ago and my 73 year old brain is not so reliable any more on details like that. I may have used a slitting saw and my milling machine but a hand held hacksaw could do the job well also.

The stainless steel shaft and manifold bushings cured a chronic sticking problem that I and others were having and no amount of heat riser lube permanently cured it. In any event, in 35 or so years the sticking problem has never returned so it's definitely "problem solved". Others on this forum suggest a hammer as the proper tool to free stuck hear riser valves but I prefer finesse to brutality and I can enthusiastically recommend the stainless parts. If stainless round bars are not readily available to you the parts can be made from hardware store stainless bolts.

If you have any other questions give a shout.