Cowl Induction

[1940fords]

Anyone have any pros or cons about using the hole in the firewall where the blower unit was in my 57 to hook up an air intake for the carburetor using a 4 or 6 inch flex hose.

[4banger]

What would be the advantage ? Your carb can take only so much air and that is it. If you plan to drive around at a 150 mph, then you might pick up 5 hp. If you want a different look . then go for it.

[rmk57]

  Wouldn't you get gas fumes entering the inside of the car? I'd stick with an open element air cleaner.

[57AGIN]

1940fords:

I guess the primary advantage would be that the air outside of the engine compartment is usually considerable cooler than that inside the engine compartment.  Drag racers and "blown" engines would benefit, but not having an efficient air cleaner mounted would probably be a real detriment to engine life.  Most of the 57's I've seen with the cowl induction have been F-codes and if I ever stick a supercharger on mine, I'll probably do a cowl induction.

Bob
57AGIN

[Hoosier Hurricane]

I have cowl induction on my F code drag car, and used to have block off plates over the fresh air vent openings, no vent assemblies.  I finally thought maybe I'd put the driver side vent in to get some cool air while driving down the track.  I found that no air came in the fresh air vent while I was running down the track, but when I let off the throttle at the end of the strip, it was like a typhoon coming through the air vent.  So I decided that the screened opening wasn't delivering all the air the engine needed at 6000 rpm, so I now run it with the vent open, even in cool weather.  So far I haven't sucked the top down on my head running it this way.

John