'61 3x2 Manifold on Edelbrock Head

ThumperNZ

Well Known Member
Have had an inquiry from a club member if his '61 TriPower manifold would fit the W series Edelbrock head. My thought is no, the head has the HP large ports meant for the HP 409s. Is this correct or is there a way of fitting the 3x2 intake.
 

Fathead Racing

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 7
If he insists on having the three two system he can achieve great street manners from the 348 heads or other small port heads of the period. Installing oversized valves and full porting can result in surprising flow numbers. I ran a 409 truck block topped with 348 heads casting 379 with three twos, oversized valves and ported by yours truly in my shop. Ran 13.55 in my 60 Impala @ 4250 lbs. that my friend is a killer street machine.
 

1964SuperStocker

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
Hold the horses boys, where there is a will there is a way! I thought I've heard this has been done many times? Wouldn't it really just depend on whether or not the person wants to chop up and modify the runners on the 3x2 to get it to fit? Can't promise it would look factory fresh or flow well (not done it yet but should try for extra credit :weld) in the end but maybe someone can help me understand further as to why it isn't possible. So you can't use the bolt just above the intake runners, its over engineered for no reason. My small port Edelbrock dual quad intake on my 333 heads don't even use those holes. I could raise the top of the runner in the intake to make a smooth transition. Plug those runner bolt holes and it should work. Yes we would all say that is extreme but when you are looking for a specific look then you do what you have to do. Keep in mind that no matter how easy it would be to use a small port runner head in this situation. Chevy never made aluminum heads for small port so the weight gain is in some cases a big deal, say my dads bucket T probably wouldn't like all of that weight up front. Yes he could sell the large runner heads and get small runners from edelbrock. The guy is trying to use what he has laying around to get the look he wants, we are all guilty of that. :winner
 

Don Jacks

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 3
Lay a small port intake gasket on top of a large port gasket,that'll tell you all that you need to see.Chevy never made aluminum heads for any W engine configuration .There have been small port heads that have been hogged out to "kinda-sorta'' work with large port heads however.I do wish that someone would come out with an alloy version of the small port heads.
 
Last edited:

1964SuperStocker

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
I have layed them together and measured many times because modifying it to work doesn't look difficult to me. I'll do it soon, just busy getting wagon ready for spring switching motors and setting up suspension. Less than 60 days to drag racing at Eddyville for test and tune.
 

Fathead Racing

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 7
Diminishing return for the effort I will hazard a guess. You would have to do a back to back to see if it were worth the effort. For my money I think I would be looking at a reworked set of 333's. Sounds like something I would try if I were wearing a younger mans clothes.
 

Fathead Racing

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 7
If it were performance you are looking for I think it's a waste of time. The three two intake was a piece of cast crap. Over rated by GM at the time. Looks great tho. I have a hunch that a matched set of heads with the three two intake paired with phenolic 1/2" spacers and a reworked set of trips would out perform anything but a first class rework of the cast iron three two intake. Most of us including me, do not have the shop tools to do anything near what is needed.
 

1964SuperStocker

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
Diminishing return for the effort I will hazard a guess. You would have to do a back to back to see if it were worth the effort. For my money I think I would be looking at a reworked set of 333's. Sounds like something I would try if I were wearing a younger mans clothes.
It sucks being a little younger because I get excited to take on a new challenge then remember I have to go change my kids diapers which turns into baby sitting while mom rests for a few hours. She needs it.
 

1964SuperStocker

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
If it were performance you are looking for I think it's a waste of time. The three two intake was a piece of cast crap. Over rated by GM at the time. Looks great tho. I have a hunch that a matched set of heads with the three two intake paired with phenolic 1/2" spacers and a reworked set of trips would out perform anything but a first class rework of the cast iron three two intake. Most of us including me, do not have the shop tools to do anything near what is needed.
What he said! :good
 

1964SuperStocker

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
IMG_20180419_153836.jpgs-l300 (1).jpgs-l300.jpg

Has anyone run these with any success? They seem dime a dozen everywhere I look. Maybe not the Eddy Drag Star vs the Offy's but the multi carb set ups in general. Do they perform decent or are they just another way to mount a carb on a low flow intake?
 

425/409ER

Well Known Member
Wayyyyyyyyyyyyy back in '75 I got our Biscayne with a 348 tri-power engine in it and we thought that sucker was the fastest thing since canned beer. I do remember beating up on a lot of the low-po 409 cars with it but I never got a chance to race a 425hp car, most likely would have lost. I do though remember switching to every 4bbl intake ever make for the small port heads and not one of the cast iron one could make the power that the tri-power made, at least for me. I do know that the RPM Performer works really nice and wish it was around back then. I still say if someone were to make a nice tri-power intake that had better runners and could use the Holley 2bbl's a lot of people inc. me would get one. Where the hell are the Chinese when you need them.
 

1964SuperStocker

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
Any of the current open plenum intakes (cast or sheet metal) could be fitted with a top plate to allow 3x2 set up instead of the single or dual quad intakes. Hard to see anyone wanting to do that because 3x2 set-ups are not as easy as a single 4 valve carb. What we would like to see is the mid 60's big block style 3x2 Winters intake that would bolt to a 348-409. No one is going to run them because its for looks not performance. More people want performance than looks so we are stuck with just a handful of modern aftermarket intakes to consider. That or spend stupid money and make a one off piece.
 

fourzeronine

Well Known Member
Walden has modified an Offenhauser 6x2 intakes to work on aluminum heads. If you have the skill to weld aluminum, it wouldn't be too hard to do. Keep in mind each side is an open plenum; the runners are basically just limited to the ports in the heads.

49688624_2194968960547384_5747026538264526848_n.jpg

49783378_2194968947214052_2286818692094230528_n.jpg

49730788_2194968983880715_8783098774747611136_n.jpg



They've also done an aluminum 3x2 on aluminum heads. Not sure what they used as a starting point for this one, though.

15697761_1335721186472170_4379611173069818259_n.jpg

17554296_1429143520463269_9022108474060960406_n.jpg

19665643_1535398599837760_7944220339436332522_n.jpg

You might be able to find some more images of these engines on their Facebook page.
 
Top