On the p***enger side of the engine my Ram Horn exhaust has a small hole in a boss that apprarently was for a heat tube or something, that must have been pressed in there... I need to plug this hole.... Any ideas on how to plug it other than welding it shut?? I am not good enough to try this myself, so was hoping I could jamb something in there...like a piece of tapered br*** or ??? Appears to be about a 5/15" hole... Also would high temp caulk around a 1/4" bolt be worth a try ?? Thanks for any help... And yes, this is in a difficult place to get to....and yes DUH...I didn't notice it when wire brushing/cleaning and painting it.... Cheers, Bob
Does it really need to be plugged? Is it leaking exhaust? Ones I have seen only transfer heat to a choke and are not open to the exhaust. If you really want it plugged, you could tap it and screw a bolt in. then cut it off flush and grind it smooth. Might even be able to find a soft plug that size. my 2¢. .bjb
Originally Chevrolet designed the choke system so it would draw air thru that tube and across the bi-metalic spring thus opening the choke as the engine temp rose. So if you have an exaust leak on the top you may also have one on the other end where the tube exited. I would clean the holes out using a long drill and tap in a piece of brake line tubing to seal it up.
If the tube is missing you can buy one from a corvette restoration parts shop. They were made out of stainless.
Thanks for the quick help guys... I do not have that "stove" part in there. Just made flanged exhaust pipe, and connected it directly to the Ram Horn using a donet gasket.... Other side works fine. This side does have an exhaust leak. A small one, but you can hear it ticking loud enough to be annoying..... It is all in place so tapping grinding, etc, not an option....I will try to drive in a short piece of brake line with one end plugged... Make sense ???
I have even seen bolts or screws driven in that hole it was quite common to see those rotted out back when I worked at a Chev dealership.
if they are rotted out , i have tapped them 5/16 NC and used an allen head set screw to plug the hole
UPDATE: Bought some "Steel Bar" from NAPA......comes in a roll and is a two part filler....you cut off a chunk, knead it together, and it forms to be a high temp resistant steel.... Worked real well....the left over I rolled into a little bar, and after about 1/2 hour cut it in half...Good strong stuff....Impressive...also a magnet picked it up!
The Jalopy Journal
