Choke Heat Tube

The heat tube somehow worked it's way out of the manifold, leaving one hell of an exhuast leak behind. I can live w/o the choke, so could I just plug the hole? I'm not sure how well an old ceramic manifold would hold up to pluggin...

Anyone know the plug size off the top of your head?

 

it has been so long since i had a sixer but isnt that tube pressed in? if it is like i remember it is solid tube that screws onto the choke input and is held in by that solid line. any thing else will blow out of the hole so putting that back in and straightening out any bends to make it snug is your best bet. only other thing that will really stay in is something threaded or welded.

 

I dunno. It's been held in place by muffler dope for a while now.

I was thinkin a threaded plug should work... maybe...

 

a threaded plug and some more of that dope to seal it may work

 

Hell - If that don't work, JB Weld and ductape should do

 

I would get some drills - see which one would bring it up to round again and press in a new tube that diameter. Then you can adapt a new choke tube to it.
You may not use it but the guy you sell it too might want to use it. Fixing it with a plug is a one way trip to the scrap yard for that part if the choke is ever needed again.

 

you may even want to do this now. you could get one of the threaded nipples and put it in there instead. make sure the nipple is just big enough to fit inside the metal tube. now you can screw that into the hole and press the metal tube onto the nipple. just a thought....

 

Yes, the hole for the tube goes all the way through the manifold. When they rust out they are exposed to exhaust gases and it eats the tube up - that is why I said to drill it and press in a new stainless tube.

 

Hmmmm, so if he is getting pressure from that hole there may be a bigger problem i.e. time for a manifold?

 

It can be repaired by pressing a sleeve through the manifold after drilling and reaming it to the right size for an interference fit.The stock tubes can the be fit to the sleeve.
The sleeve should have a hole that fits the tubing and be large enough to make complete contact with new metal in the manifold all the way around both top and bottom.

 

THanks Paul. Helpfull as always.

 

I have had this problem before, but was able to drill mine just a size bigger than the hole and use one size larger tubing, then couple that piece to the old one with a piece of rubber fuel line about 6-10 inches up the tube. Been running mine this way for a few months now.