I would like to buy a 3 x 2 Offenhauser Y block intake so I can flow it, port it, and try to see just how good I can get one for a dyno test to compare against the Edelbrock 573 that I have already ported for my T-bird.  Anyone have one they would sell reasonably?  If it is really that bad, I don't want to have a lot of money invested in it just to have it sit on the shelf forever.  LOL  Joe-JDC

JDC

Does your hood close on the TBird? I was always under the impression that 3x2's wouldn't fit under the hood on a little Bird.

I have a Ford fiberglass hood with the factory bubble built into the scoop.  Where there is a will, there is a way.  Just want to dyno test back to back those intakes and see if the intake can be improved upon enough to make it a viable manifold to use for someone.  I have just about every manifold combination but that one.  Joe-JDC


JDC

Joe,I have the 1st one I used. I’ll take pictures tomorrow to see if you want to use it.

  Dennis in Lititz PA

Joe JDC: Did you reference back to Ted Eaton's back to back tests of 7- Tri- power carb intakes?  All the power & torque figures are there. The Offy was dead last!


Paul

The carb studs are 3/8 x16. I used neverseeze on them so they should come out to put some kind of threaded bushing in. A previous owned removed the dividers on the ports. I don’t know how hard it would be to put something back in, or if it’s needed. I remember Jerry Christianson saying that’s not good. The carb studs were that size when I got it, the bases were drilled out. I used it for probably 1 1/2 years before I got a small port offy then the Edelbrock 354 I’m using now. I have a 573 to put on, hopefully this winter yet.

  Dennis in Lititz PA

Dennis.  The dividers being cut out of the intake definitely takes that manifold down a notch or two.  I worked with the Australian cast ‘Cain’ manifold which has no port dividers and the torque levels were down considerably.
 
Here’s the link to the thread showing more on the Cain manifold testing.
http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/FindPost46008.aspx

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Joe is very aware of how poor the Offhenhauser 3X2 intake is for the Y as he has helped with a bunch of the dyno tests here at the shop.  With the black eye the Y just received with the latest Hot Rod Magazine article, I suspect he would like to see if there’s anything that can be done to improve the performance of those manifolds.  On Joe’s end, he can air flow the manifold and make changes accordingly.  On my end, I can run the manifold on the dyno mule to validate those changes.  Considering the number of Offy 3X2 intakes made for the Y, it would be great if there is a fix or modification to improve the performance level of those manifolds.  I have enough wall art now without adding Offy intake manifolds to the mix.
 
On a similar note, I dynoed a 401 Buick with an unmodified Offy 3X2 intake and that engine saw a fifty horsepower decrease versus using the factory cast iron four barrel and carburetor.  My understanding is that there is a company out there specializing in the Nail Head Buicks that does some extensive modifications to the Buick Offy 3X2 intakes to fix that problem.  That gives hope that there may be something that can be done to the Ford Y Offy 3X2 intakes to get the performance levels back to at least stock.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Yes, I am aware of the shortcomings of those intakes, and I have been porting them for 46 years.   I have worked on scrubrolet 427 3 x 2 intake that picked the car up from 10.90 et to 10.26 for an improvement of .64 seconds(no other changes), a 390-406 3 x 2 that had been gasket matched and dyno tested, and I was able to increase the horsepower another 25 hp on the same dyno 513 hp spacers with divider modified 538 hp, and my porting 563 hp, etc., etc.,  I really want to see if I can improve that Offy intake to make it work, or prove once and for ever that it is not very well designed.  I have read all those old articles, and I like a challenge sometimes.  LOL  Joe-JDC  

JDC

Would you be up to borrowing one for your test? I want to put a 3x2 on my car and the Offys seem to pop up more often than the 573's. This way you could do your test and I'd get a better flowing intake. Time is not a concern for me. I don't have any carbs yet so it would be a while before I was ready for it.


Durham Missouri