Octania

Assuming none can be found, which so far seems to be the case, I am considering having some machined. You know, more fake crap.

Naturally cast iron is not likely unless I find a lot of handy blanks.

I was leaning towards stainless steel, for strength and longevity.

Maybe aluminum for, er, frugal buyers.

Neither one will be "correct" so, might as well make 'em whatever I [and possible buyers] want, eh? I was imagining duplicating the factory shape with CNC machining.

Input appreciated... on the materials and shape only- we have a discussion elsewhere on whether anyone other than GM back in the day can and should make parts. This is one of those things you can neither do without nor just go buy at the dealer.

edzolz

I would vote for stainless because of the need to prevent corrosion sticking. I had a set up on a 67 442 and both sides had stuck preventing using them for their intended purpose. And there is going to be a limited market for these no matter what material is used.

CRUZN 66

Definitely a limited market.... How often have you actually seen these in need of replacement? I presently have 5 3x2 intakes, none of which have blockoff plate issues.........

Octania

Agreed the market is limited, but... every L69 intake I have ever seen has needed at least one. The machine shop can quote a price for a small run of say 20 pcs, and then we'll see if I am getting just some for me, or enough to share...

Seems to me like SS would be ideal. Maybe deviate from the factory shape to implement a more robust gripping feature so it could be freed up by turning? Taller rib across the top maybe?

TripDeuces

Both of mine are damaged and I've been thinking about how to do this also. I'd like to see where this goes. I'd never use mine as my heads are blocked but I'd still like to see ideas.

shakeyhands73442

Did they have a tri power set up for olds 350. if so i would love to put it on mine

59-59-59

I have seen a '58 in a yard with the block off plates your talking about. Seems they made an abundance of J-2 manifolds, and the option didn't take off. Factory plugged the front and rear off with plates and you were left with a 2 bbl carb. Maybe the earlier ones will work?

Ozzie

Is everyone on the same page?

joe_padavano

Clearly not. Just to get us all back, Chris is talking about the L-69 manifold, used on 1966 442s ONLY. J-2 fans can stop reading now. And no, there was never a 3x2 setup for the SBO, neither factory nor aftermarket - ALTHOUGH I did see one recently at Pomona. Someone had taken an Offy dual quad intake, milled the top, welded an aluminum plate, and machined it for 3x2bbl carbs. Unfortunately, that Offy isn't the best for flow in stock form and I doubt this was an improvement.

Back to Chris's original question, definitely stainless, and I'll probably take a pair just to get away from the rusty cast iron on my intake. Suggest you sandblast or otherwise texture the top after machining to look like cast.

TripDeuces

"Is everyone on the same page?"

I think we are. Octania is looking for interest on reproducing block off plates for the L-69 intake. He was asking for ideas on how to go about it and if there was any interest.
I for one am interested because I snapped the ears off mine trying to remove them. Made me sick. I've thought of aluminum and stainless steel as an alternative but I'm not sure I'd like that look. I'd prefer remade cast ones but that may not be feasible from a cost, material or labor perspective.
I do have one idea though. If you could take a mold of an original one you could make it out of cast aluminum or that zinc compound they use to fill heat crossovers with. It would have the same texture but a different color. Considering the intakes were painted bronze you probably never know the difference once painted.

aliensatemybuick

Someone DID repro these, but its been a while:

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...ff-plates.html

Boldsmobile

George, can you remove yours and let me borrow them for a few hours? Id be happy to put it in CAD. My previous waterjet source is no longer available but i do have a lead on someone reasonable in CT.

If you prefer cast, wonder if the local guy that Frank used to mold and recast his emblem could do it.

I moved offices from Prov to Pawt. Ever up this far north?

TripDeuces

Pete I already have them off so I could mail them to you or I could run up that way. Of course I'd have to have my passport to leave the island (Only people who live here would get that or maybe RI in general)

Boldsmobile

I will send you an email. I suppose leaving the island for the bucket is unheard of

Octania

HOARDER!

:-)

As luck would have it a kind man in Lansing spotted my ad and had two of them sitting around looking for a Purpose In Life.

I now have a pair and they appear to be NOS. He now has a lot more money.

Everyone is happy, and the reproduction of these blockoffs project just ground to a dead halt.

Rocket On!

66400

Different page, I think he refers to the block off plates to eliminate the two end carbs.

Henry

F-85 4-4-2

As Scott indicated, I did have 3-4 sets of L69 block-offs cast, by a place in Michigan, maybe eight years ago. Their quality was marginal. I kept the best set, and sold the rest. Definitely a market. Later I was in touch with Ted Loranz, he had had much better ones cast. I bought 1-2 sets from Ted. I'll try to find them and post photos. (I've moved twice recently, under challenging circumstances and, uh, am still unpacking.)

Five or so years ago, Ted was contemplating doing another run, 20 or so. I would contact him, there is enough interest. A link to Ted's Olds page is below.

- Tom

http://www.teds-olds.com/

joe_padavano

Only eleven months late, Henry...

Eddie Hansen

Has anyone thought of having one 3d printed? then use that to have an mold suitable for aluminum made? obviously machining stainless versus an aircraft aluminum is harder ( read more expensive) I would imagine. I would say the hardest part is getting the cad file, after that I would think you could go to several machine shops. Another thought I remember doing sand casting in school when I was younger , you would take the original then make a sand mould, pour in aluminium and then clean up the casting.. done right it looked very good, done poorly looked wretched...

just thinking out loud...

Eddie Hansen

http://gpiprototype.com/services/metal-3d-printing.html

http://www.solidconcepts.com/3d-prin...FepQOgodFT8A1w

I think in the very near future we will be able to bring once rare and unobtanium parts back if we could find a master or the drawings very cool stuff....

Eddie Hansen

are these the type of plates your talking about?

http://www.sonicmotors.com/1964-1966...GTOTRI-018.htm

allyolds68

My brother-in-law is in supply chain management with a major pump manufacturer. We've run rough numbers to do a reproduction tri-carb manifold. He feels to get the point scanner to be accurate enough you'd probably have to cut up a good manifold. We were planning on 3D printing the core and sand casting the manifold itself. The prices weren't that bad. I think we figured we could probably produce a CAD drawing and have a prototype casting for about $3k before machining or buying the manifold to sacrifice. Realistically it would cost less than $6k to produce the prototype. I also think that you could build a functional tri-carb manifold with 3D printing technology and skip the sand casting all together for a lot less money. I'm not sure what the market is and, to be honest, I'm not interested in the risk at this point in my life.


I've said this before but I think point scanners and 3D printing are going to revolutionize the parts reproduction industry.

Eddie Hansen

Mike I was thinking just the plates not the whole manifold but as you say technology is rapidly making dreams possible, I have made a lot of items using rtv moulds I made resin parts, but there is a low temp metal that the molds will withstand, but I was just thinking something like a rtv mold, making disappearing masters (lost wax method for casting) and thinking you might make them that way, but if the plates are like what I posted above, you might get a company to stamp them out instead of machining very reasonably as well. ok back to the sidelines LOL....