S&S Intake Manifold

S&S carburetor isues
Post Reply
MikeL
Member
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2011 2:45 pm
Bikes: 1952 FL
Location: Regina, SK
Been thanked: 1 time

S&S Intake Manifold

#1

Post by MikeL »

I am looking at buying the proper S&S Mainfold and I believe I read on here that the optimal gap between the head and the manifold should be .032" or .064 in total, I have after market heads STD replica ( not the ones withe the shovel intake and 3 bolt exhaust) but actual replica of the 55-62 head. I am also running a S&S carb and why I ask is S&S offer 4 different size manifolds ( port to port) 2.975", 3.025", 3.075" and 3.125") my space between heads is 3.093 so I was assuming the 3.025" based on what I read before but I just wanted to be sure before I order. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
58flh
Former member
Senior Member
Posts: 3332
Joined: Sat Jun 26, 2010 1:54 pm
Bikes: 1958flh 1969sporty,had a knuckle but sold back to original owner
Location: NEW JERSEY
Has thanked: 195 times
Been thanked: 277 times

Re: S&S Intake Manifold

#2

Post by 58flh »

Mike L---Your going to have to get the O-Ring Clamps to seat properly to!--The way the S&S manifolds are --They tend to ride inwards! & giving you a miserable time!--Check the K-BASE!--The S&S manifold when held side by side with a stock one --Becomes apparent that the seat for the clamp STINKS!-& need some minor Lathe work to operate so you will be riding & not Hunting down LEAKS!----As Kitabel said TIGHTER the better!--If you can its best to keep the daylight to a MIN.--& if you have a GAP--NO PIE-SLICES.--Keep it square & Bubbletest REAL-GOOD!--After you get a few cycles thru her -Bubble-test again!--Even small ones can lead to Headache!---RESPECTFULY---RICHIE
Cotten
Senior Member
Posts: 6937
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2002 2:30 am
Bikes: -
Location: Central Illinois
Has thanked: 112 times
Been thanked: 310 times

Re: S&S Intake Manifold

#3

Post by Cotten »

Tighter is better, to a degree, Folks...

Beware that there still must be room for the O-ring, or the clamps will "walk' because they are suspended by the O-ring, distort because of their un-even support, or worse yet, over-tightening can break the fragile lips of both the manifold and head.
Inferior O-rings that swell in modern fuels compound the problem.

O-rings are 5 1/3 mm, or about .210".
The lips on stock manifolds are ~.100", just slightly smaller, when butted together.
So please beware when carving an S&S to minimize a gap that there is still at very least .1875" between the shoulders of the manifold and head.

(And please bubbletest the entire S&S manifold when installed, as they are known to occasionally be porous:
S&SPORE.jpg
S&Spore2.jpg
Frankly, I have no problem with a 1/32" gap on each side!

.....Cotten
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
MikeL
Member
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2011 2:45 pm
Bikes: 1952 FL
Location: Regina, SK
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: S&S Intake Manifold

#4

Post by MikeL »

My current intake is 3.010"after being added on to by a local machinist. (long storey the original heads came with O-ring conversion adapters which the previous owner installed incorrectly and they were a mess so the previous owner shortened the port to port dimension to under stock) I have since changed to the STD heads as per above. The holes you see are because the local machinist said the material was very difficult to weld, I have tested it to see if there aren't any leaks and it is good, but I am getting a real small leak where the marker line is when the o-ring and clamps are installed. It appears that where the clamp sits slopes towards the intake, so I am wondering if that is giving me the grief, that and maybe the gap is too large that is why I am looking at ordering new. I have been bubble testing trying different things for a few days, so I am down to ordering a new manifold.

Thanks for the above comments/suggestions. I am open to any other thoughts/comments.
photo 2.JPG
photo 1.JPG
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
bedwyr
Member
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Dec 09, 2006 8:52 am
Bikes: Panhead.
Been thanked: 3 times

Re: S&S Intake Manifold

#5

Post by bedwyr »

I also have original style STD heads on my 1960 pan,and have found that an aftermarket 'ZEL' brand of inlet manifold fits perfectly with just the right size of gap, as discussed by Cotten. When I tried to fit an S+S manifold to my original heads and the STD heads,both sets installed to my otherwise OEM case and barell engine, I found the S+S manifold to be too short leading to an excessive gap for the 'o' ring to seal .
Cotten
Senior Member
Posts: 6937
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2002 2:30 am
Bikes: -
Location: Central Illinois
Has thanked: 112 times
Been thanked: 310 times

Re: S&S Intake Manifold

#6

Post by Cotten »

MikeL!

Sorry I cannot view your photos on my ancient PC because they are enormous (its like an ant inspecting a mural, and psychedelic because I'm stuck in "safe-mode"; If I wait for them to fully load, it locks up my dial-up), so I must ask what is obvious to everybody else:

What sort of clamps are you using?
Do they have #10 fasteners, or big ones?

....Cotten
MikeL
Member
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2011 2:45 pm
Bikes: 1952 FL
Location: Regina, SK
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: S&S Intake Manifold

#7

Post by MikeL »

Cotton: the clamps I am using are an after market clamp the #10-32 screw with a hex head and are of similar construction to the original clamps (but they are chrome). I do have the other clamps with the with the bolt and nut fastener that I tried (just in case) and they leak as well. What I was showing in the photos was the surface where the clamp sits appears to be sloping away from the head as well is there are some pin holes (which I have leak tested) in the surface where the clamp sits which resulted from the machinist welding an extension to the manifold.

Thanks
pan620
Member
Posts: 219
Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2005 2:28 am
Bikes: 62 Duoglide, 48 Pan, 1990 FLHTCU
Location: Kansas
Has thanked: 299 times
Been thanked: 63 times

Re: S&S Intake Manifold

#8

Post by pan620 »

I would say you need a new manifold, looks like a mess to me, and the guy that welded it is not a welder or machinist!
Post Reply

Return to “S&S”