Langdon Headers

[packratc]

Got new Langdon headers. Had a nice conversation with Tom. Fitted them on the engine stand with the Offenhauser two one barrel intake. Had to grind both a little bit . Sent the headers to the powder coaters and got them back today. Engine is now in the car but intake is not back yet from George Ashe.  Had put all studs in the side of the block for a good water seal. Rear header would not go on. Backed out the rear-most studs and swiveled the header up on the long stud and it hits the fire wall. Needs to go up about 1/4 inch to get  the two rear studs/bolts back in. I the car has been all painted and has been driven. The front clip is off again. I noted that the foremost body mount at the base of the firewall could be spaced up may a shy 1/4 inch as it looks lower than the driver's side. If I spaced it up it would throw off all the alignment of the whole front end. I think. The other obvious solution is to cave in the floorboard a tad with a port-a-power and hope I don't break the paint. Of course the paint scar would be hard to see way down there. Has anyone else had this problem or have a suggestion for this frustrated red neck? I'm computer challenged so I can't include photos until my wife returns in a couple of days. Thank you in advance and you can berate me if you must for trying to get too fancy.   

[55 Fargo]

1 hour ago, packratc said:

Got new Langdon headers. Had a nice conversation with Tom. Fitted them on the engine stand with the Offenhauser two one barrel intake. Had to grind both a little bit . Sent the headers to the powder coaters and got them back today. Engine is now in the car but intake is not back yet from George Ashe.  Had put all studs in the side of the block for a good water seal. Rear header would not go on. Backed out the rear-most studs and swiveled the header up on the long stud and it hits the fire wall. Needs to go up about 1/4 inch to get  the two rear studs/bolts back in. I the car has been all painted and has been driven. The front clip is off again. I noted that the foremost body mount at the base of the firewall could be spaced up may a shy 1/4 inch as it looks lower than the driver's side. If I spaced it up it would throw off all the alignment of the whole front end. I think. The other obvious solution is to cave in the floorboard a tad with a port-a-power and hope I don't break the paint. Of course the paint scar would be hard to see way down there. Has anyone else had this problem or have a suggestion for this frustrated red neck? I'm computer challenged so I can't include photos until my wife returns in a couple of days. Thank you in advance and you can berate me if you must for trying to get too fancy.   

Okay so why does George have your Offenhauser intake?

He builds his own intakes.

[packratc]

When I bought my car it came with an Offenhauser intake and an aluminum head. One of George's services is to build & match your carbs on your manifold, make the linkage, and return the assembly ready to bolt on. He called me yesterday and said it was ready and I sent him a check. OK? That's why George has my Offenhauser intake. 

[55 Fargo]

13 hours ago, packratc said:

When I bought my car it came with an Offenhauser intake and an aluminum head. One of George's services is to build & match your carbs on your manifold, make the linkage, and return the assembly ready to bolt on. He called me yesterday and said it was ready and I sent him a check. OK? That's why George has my Offenhauser intake. 

Oh okay makes sense, he makes nice linkage, I have a set.

But his cast intakes are really nice pieces, but a little rich for my blood right now.

[packratc]

Another "Don't fit problem" arose. As I said before I sent my Offenhauser intake to George Ashe for the rehab job. Got it back and tried to put it on. I had raised the front body mount about 1/4 of an inch to get the Langdon headers to not hit the firewall. So now the Offenhauser intake hits the firewall. Again, this intake came with the car and I don't know  how old it is but it doesn't appear to have ever been mounted. I don't know if Offenhauser built different manifolds for this engine some time ago, or the ones they now sell are different. In any event, it hits the firewall in my '50 Plymouth P19, Buisiness Coupe. I've been grinding on the end of the intake and I've dimpled the firewall a little bit. The car is/was all painted. Now it needs some touch-up. My question is whether anyone else has heard of an Offenhauser intake not fitting in a P19? Thanks, Carl

[kendall]

I'm hoping George welded those two freeze/access plugs underneath your intake.They are guaranteed to leak and Offy Co. is too unconcerned of those who want to run water thru them to weld them themselves or even warn the buyer to have them welded prior to installation.

[packratc]

Thanks, Kendall. I had read about those leaking but George did not weld them. I've got the kit from Tom Langdon to run water but haven't decided yet if I'm going to. Have you run water in one and what was your experience? Thanks, Carl

[JOHN EDGE]

The only problem I had with my Langdon manifold and offy intake was the flange thickness of the intake manifold and exhaust flange being different thickness. 

[packratc]

I noticed the difference my self. What did you do to fix it? Thanks, Carl

 

[dpollo]

Exhaust manifolds changed between 48 and 49 to fit the new body.  Fenton headers , at least the two sets I have , are made to fit  both  48 and 49.

[kendall]

I'm hoping Tom welded the two access holes under the offenhauser for you.The factory covers them with freeze plugs and does not inform customers that they do not hold water! I disconnected my water supply until I someday remove my intake for some other reason and weld aluminum plugs in place of the steel ones. A few folks recommended  adding leak-stop pellets into the radiator to possibly seal them up but I haven't attempted yet.

[kendall]

Coolant flowed out of the freeze plugs immediately, not a drip but a stream, and that was the first I heard that Offenhausers don't hold water. It would have been nice if Offy or the company who sold me the plumbing had given me a heads-up on the need to weld before installing. I was more interested in tuning the carbs and getting my homemade throttle linkage right than pulling my newly installed intake mani. off to fix a leak. I live in Florida which may make heating the manifold unnecessary but I will hook it up when convenient to see if I can cure an occasional stutter I have on acceleration. 

[packratc]

I finally got around to dealing with the different flange thickness between the Langdon headers and the Offy dual carb intake. I had not been satisfied with the thick washers making contact with the different manifolds. It seemed to me that the washers didn't "catch" as much of them to really get a good bite. I cut up some steel into small pieces about 1.25" by 2'''s. Held them between each of the four uppermost studs and drilled a generous 3/16th hole where I guessed it should be for the stud to go through it. I then ground the shape of the plate to go around the manifold contours so it would catch the most area of each of the manifolds. I then ground down the "home-made" washer on the side toward the block where the washer hit the thickest manifold until the "washer" was level. Then I added a healthy 3/16th washer and locking fine-threaded nut. The home-made washers are funny shaped but you only see the tops which I ground straight across. I then painted them the block color. By now you've caught on that you are smarter than I am. You would have made patterns of the washers out of an old cereal box. I didn't think of that until I was making the last one. 

[The Way]

I may be a little late for this conversation. Below are links to Tom Langdons 'tech tips' regarding heating the intake manifold and how to keep it from leaking. I have the Offy dual intake and the pellets worked amazingly. Mine also leaked at a high rate but no troubles at all since, that was 3 years ago.

 

http://www.langdonsstovebolt.com/tech/why-you-need-to-heat-your-intake-manifold/

 

http://www.langdonsstovebolt.com/tech/repairing-coolant-leaks-in-inlet-manifolds/

 

 

 

[James_Douglas]

I am resurrecting this thread as I just mocked up for the first time my Langdons Exhaust Manifolds for the 25 inch Desoto Block and my Edmunds intake.

 

I noted that one of the holes was drilled a little off and the holes were "right on" the stud size. I drilled them the next (numbered) size up to give them a little expansion clearance on the studs. The inner side of each manifold was tight against the stud, on one side it would not go on. I checked a stock manifold and they are "dimpled" there for clearance. Then I looked at the opposite side when I put the edmunds on and it is so far away from the stud that a factory washer will not even touch it. His manifolds are also thinner than the Edmunds and as such a washer would site cocked like someone else noted.

 

I was worried that these exhaust manifolds had bad core shift. Since I am using a bare block, I could stick my finger down and feel the block to manifold face. It is not too bad and about just as off as a stock one. I will wait until I get the 265 block ready and then I will make it on that one in case that block is a little off from my test bock. I will then port match them.

 

For the life of me, I don't know why when folks make parts like this they don't give you more meat on things like flanges. You can always grind it off to get what you need.  The casting shift on the flanges on both sides with the outer's not even being able to take a stock washer is bad.

 

I will make a set of four special washers to deal with the gap and the thickness issues.

 

I cannot go grip at Tom as I purchased these from someone who had gotten them and never used them. I don't know if they knew the problems and dumped them on me or they never new.

 

I can make them work with a little spit and polish.

 

The mock up, no photos yet, with the edumnd's set up with two carter 1BB bases as air valves and George's linkage is starting to look good.  I am not going to drill the Edmunds for the Injector Bugs until I am sure everything else will physically work.

 

I hope everyone is well. With Sondra in and out of work in the ICU every day...we are playing a real world version of Russian Roulette.

 

James.