The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop split exhaust manifold

There use to be a company out in OK, I think, that use to make split exhaust manifolds for Chevy 6 cylinder engines. They modified your stock manifold. It retained the heatriser in the center and you could have the other outlet either ahead or behind the center one. They were true split exhaust manifolds. Does anybody know the website for this company? Thanks John

That would be Kansas Kustoms, but I believe they are out of business. If you find out different, please let me know!

http://www.inliners.org/Advertisers/kkk_ad1.html

Vince

Vince, That name sounds familiar. To bad if they are out of business, I liked the way they made the split manifolds for the 6 cylinders.....
Thanks John

Hi Vince, Sounds like you are right about there going out of business. I did a web search on them and could come up with anything. But I did find a name of a fellow on the HAMB forums that says he makes the same type of manifolds they did. I dropped him an e-mail to see if this is correct. I'll let you know what I find out.
John

Hey Whitelightning what's the guy's screen name on the HAMB?
I have a fairly rare InnerLine block mounted oil filter on my 216 that I'd like to keep and splitting is my only option since Fentons/Williams won't clear the filter housing.

The fellow goes by Crestliner on the HAMB forums. I found a Crestliner in the member's list and sent him an e-mail, but I haven't heard anything from him yet. I like the idea of the way Kansas Kustoms did them and retained the heatriser..... John

I do too. I'd like a clean split rather than a flat chunk welded in.
Please post back to this thread when/if you hear from him. ...I was going to PM him too but don't want to annoy the guy if you're already asking the same questions.

Thanks!

I'm wondering where is the best place to have the extra exhaust outlet? Ahead of the stock port or behind on an 1947-53 1/2 ton truck? Does anyone have pictures of their truck with a converted stock exhaust manifold with the extra outlet on it? Also where is the best place to run the passenger side exhaust pipe from the engine over to that side? Under the engine, the tranny, further back?
Thanks John

See here. In front or behind the heat riser works with the exception of 52-54 cars where it must be at the back due to motor mount interference.

I ran both pipes out the driver side so that it would be obvious that the truck is not a standard sbc conversion.

regards,
Leon

hi Leon,

That's a possibility. My idea was to make another muffler bracket and hange another muffler in the same location but on the passenger's side of the frame.
Where do you fellows get tail pipes for the 1947-53 trucks? Have them bent up locally? I checked Classic Parts but they had no listing for them. Maybe Jim Carter does.

John

yeah, but now Cletus thinks you got a Datsun "Z" motor with headers

Edski-North Texas Chapter

Maybe I could run stacks up through the bed.... LOL John

Whitelightning'
A long time ago I had a '54 car and used somebody's store-bought dual side tail pipe. Then one day I had both of them down off the car and was looking at them and found the only difference was a slight turn at the front of the dual side pipe to make it point to the driver's side.

Later I needed another dual side so I just bought a stocker and propped it up on some 2x4s and jumped on it (a little-Leon cant do that "a little") just enough to get it to "point" it to the driver's side.

This way you dont have to start out with a straight joint of pipe, a zillion dollars of ells and a fresh tank of acetylene.

If you're a do it yourselfer its pretty easy. In those days we had no muffler shops in Arlington (no Rangers either) with benders. Sorry Leon-it was only a joke!

Well Edski, First thing is splitting an exhaust manifold. Looking at options, would like to retain the heatriser, I think. Try to decide whether I can weld cast iron or not. Research on the web turns up about a 100 different opinions on how is best to do it. I have both oxy/acet torches and also an AC and a DC arc welder at hand. And a mig of course. Just need to decide which is the best approach.
John

I've been told to use manifolds that aint too old or too used. Or else they dont have enough "carbon" left in them for the weld to stick. I also remember them saying to always use a nickle rod. The cast iron of an exhaust manifold is simple to weld compared to the cast iron of an engine block/head or transmission case. You will find out pretty quick if the manifold has enough "carbon" left in it or not if all you can do is make holes.

All of my splits were done by a fellow who preferred to go into the heat riser area and weld in a "blocking plate" within the manifold. The lack of an operable heat riser flap in Texas never was a problem, and it left the manifold in one piece making it easier to install. My now deceased welding friend could even use plain exhaust head pipe with the 2-bolt flange as a new outlet and weld it to the cast iron manifold.

I have been looking at a series of '08 articles/photos on this site concerning splitting a cast iron exhaust manifold. The author was treating the manifold as if it was cast gray iron as used in blocks and transmission cases (preheating, short welds, peening, slow cooling, etc)- which IS required for those gray iron parts. No problem, but its VERY labor intensive and not required at all.

The cast iron as used in exhaust manifolds is more like maleable cast iron and can be arc welded as normally as welding steel (almost) using nickle welding rods, and if the manifold has not had the "carbon" burned out of it (usually will look VERY RUSTY and quite Orange in color, when compared to an almost shiney cast iron exhaust manifold on a new car)then it will not be a problem (the problem being that all you can do with a stick welder to "burned-out" exhaust manifolds is burn a hole in it rather than able to deposit weld material) to weld to the manifold.

Thru the years I have used two types of new outlet materials. The earlier outlets were fabricated from a short pc of steel pipe with a home made plate flange welded to the pipe.( this assy was then welded to the cast manifold after burning a hole in the cast and grinding everything to fit). Later we even used steel tubing with a flange (like a stock Head pipe) assy welded to the cast.

Two welders have done this for me (the old timer - a lifelong aircraft welder taught the current guy - a carpenter how to do it) with equal success.

Save all the care and attention to details where it is needed welding up cracked blocks, transmission cases and INTAKE manifold as the exhaust manifolds dont need it.

I'll have to find a 235 exhaust manifold and fire up the sandblaster and make it nice and clean. I think I have one from a 1954 235 I took a part for a connecting rod. I saved what was any good off of it.
By nickle rod, I assume you mean Ni-rod? John

I'd like to say yes, ni rod, or ni-cad rod, but I did'nt buy the rod myself, or do the welding. But I was a good helper! Probably safest to get a welding supplier to answer that question.

The new opening was added behind the stock one on my '54 car-but boy there is a lot of stuff to miss. Clutch , and column shift linkages (both move), carb linkages, steering column-you'll wear out a tee shirt crawling under, fitting, and comming back out sawing/fabbing the dual side head pipe, but once you get below the floorboard you're home free!

That is one thing I've been trying to find out is whether it is best to go behind the stock outlet with the new one or ahead of it? I'm using an alternator, so generator interference shouldn't be a problem going in front of the stock location for the new outlet. I have a 4 speed tranny, so no transmission shift linkage to get in the way, but would have the clutch and brake arms and steering box. And of course you have the throttle bellcrank and rod going up to the carb. Sounds like ahead might be more room to work with.
John

I've gotta go behind ... the InnerLine block mounted filter is right in front of the stock outlet.

Are you talking about the canister type oil filter?? John

It's this one.

Updated link - http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5143/5675705544_241acd1648_b.jpg

That link does not seem to show anything?

Here is a thread with info on the Inner Line Filter.

Sorry. I jacked that one up ... here's the correct link - http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5143/5675705544_241acd1648_b.jpg

...trying to show why I need to go behind the filter.

Meanie, The original outlet can serve for cyl 1,2,3 OR 4,5,6--if you make the tap into the 4,5,6 run after blocking between 4 ,5 port and the heat stove the down pipe will be behind the filter.Just more fun to make the pipe.

Most splits you see are done so the front three get the new outlet. I'm going to do exactly as you're suggesting, enginenut, and split it to the rear of the heat box adding the new outlet to either the rear or the front of the manifold section that covers the rear three cylinders.