OMG! Carb manifolds are crap..., Straight out of the box Options

[McMark]

No real surprise here. The manifolds for carbs are pretty crappy. I just spent WAY TOO LONG truing up a set with sandpaper on glass. I snapped a couple of pics to show just how not flat these things are. I would expect a huge vacuum leak if I had left these guys alone.

The area in the circle shows what hasn't been touched yet by the sandpaper. This is after a LOT of sanding. And it took a LOT more to get it completely out. This is a cheap, and relatively quick project that any carb owner can do with the engine in the car. All you need is a piece of thick glass, which most any house glass shop should be able to cut for you and round the edges, for cheap. Some sandpaper and tape and a sure, steady hand. Hold the manifolds flat against the glass and use long, even, slow strokes. You can also use a sharpie to check your work as you get closer to finishing. Draw on the surface, take a couple strokes, then see how much sharpie has been removed.