Thanks for your input Tim. The engine I am painting is a marine conversion with water cooled exhaust manifolds and does not have the usual heat riser valve on the left exh manifold. I am assuming that even with a more or less open exhaust some hot gas will be directed through the intake manifold?

My experience with marine engines is that they are usually in an tightly enclosed space and cooling is more of an issue than heating. My gut feeling is that after a few minutes of operation the intake will draw and retain enough heat from the heads to aid fuel vaporization.

John

Thanks, I'll check out the PAC forum. Wasn't aware of it.

Good info guys, thanks. Randy, did you use freeze plugs?...if so, I'm guessing steel not brass? The choke oven is not an issue as it is running an Edelbrock USCG approved Marine carb with electric choke and I don't anticipate arctic operating conditions, so the heated intake is likely not a must.

Has anyone with a 1956 Senior had an issue with the bronze enamel discoloring or peeling on the intake manifold exhaust crossover? I am going to repaint a 374 and the paint now on it is pretty sad looking on the hot side of the intake.... wondering if the current engine enamels from the usual vendors have that same problem. I'm thinking that maybe a jet-hot type coating prior to topcoat might prevent that.

Thanks

Thanks for the photo O_D. Looks like a BW velvet drive gear with its own oil cooler above the bellhousing. I've seen one other Stokes in person and it didn't have the "Skypower" decals on the VC's. I wonder if SP put them there or perhaps authorized the use of their TM to Stokes?

@ PV8: by the block casting # it is a 1955 320 cid and the crankshaft is cast (I was hoping to find a forged one, but no such luck!)

@ Jack Vines: The oilpan has a different rear profile than the Packard version and the drain plug (now brazed shut) is in a different location so I assume they started with the Hash version and modified it with both a side drain as well as the pipe extending up to suck the oil out with a pump. I'm not sure I'll pull the motor down further, as my plan is to swap the marine parts (oilpan, marine manifolds and cooling system) over to a built-up 1956 374 I have sitting around. Hopefully the new marine motor will find its way into a classic wood speedboat when I take it to the Lake Tahoe Classic Boat Show this summer.

Cheers,

John

An educated guess would be yes...1951 thru 1954 were basically the same chassis and I believe the Biz coupe and the Clipper sedan shared the same 122" WB. Should be an easy swap.

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