[345 desoto]

Has anyone heard of or done an intake manifold modification that will bolt up to a DeSoto short deck engine? I'm talking about an intake from another make of engine, not a sheet metal/tube type fabrication. I've heard somewhere that some sort of GM or Chevy intake, with slight modification, could be used...or is this just a pipe dream? I've been waiting a LONG time, for a certain Company (who shall remain unnamed) to develop/market a dedicated DeSoto intake...no, it's not the current tall deck DeSoto intake that's on the market. I'm talking about the 276/291 short decks. I HAVE a Stock cast iron/WCFB intake for my 291, but would prefer a lighter, aluminum intake with an AFB bolt pattern...

[Centerline]

I had the same problem with the 331 I put in my AD pickup. Because I used pre-"55 heads without provisions for a water crossover manifold it was necessary for me to use the stock 4 bbl. intake manifold. I could have use a later version without the integral thermostat housing and modified it to use a remote housing but the "look" wouldn't have been right. Like yours the manifold was designed for the WCFB. As you can see by the scribe marks the difference in the diameter of the WCFB and a modern Holley or AFB 600 cfm carb is pretty dramatic. In order for this engine to perform at all these holes had to be opened up.



A quick trip to the machine shop and walla... we now have a manifold that can breath.



Here is the carb adaptor I used. It adapts the stock "small" mounting holes to the later Holley / Carter / Edelbrock square flange bolt pattern. The center section was made from a 1" plastic riser and simply fit in place. Bought it on e-bay for $15.



The finished product looked stock and the 600 CFM AFB performed flawlessly.

[345 desoto]

CENTERLINE - What do you think for the 291 DeSoto?...500CFM, or 600CFM Edelbrock? Which ever I settle on, I'll use vacuum secondaries and an electric choke. How do you think your opened throttle-plate-bore intake flows?...

[Centerline]

For the little DeSoto I would stick around 500 CFM if you use your stock manifold. Anything more than that probably would be kind of a waste anyway considering the small intake runners in the manifold. The intake on the truck (now my neighbors, I sold it to him) worked very well. I just cut up a plastic spacer to fit inside the adapter and it seemed to flow without hesitation or any kind of problems. Keep in mind that the hemi in the truck was built for cruising. It has a good cam but 8.5 compression and stock exhaust manifolds. No head work or anything else. Even at that it hauls that truck around with NO problems ..... and you can here it coming a block away with those Thrush turbo tubes.