351c heat riser Is it really necessary?

They are designed to improve cold weather driveability. The exhaust manifolds heat up quickly and provide warm air to improve fuel vaporization and to help reduce fuel condensation on the inside of the intake manifold runners, until the engine gets up to operating temperature.

Because you do not drive yours in cold weather the only reason you would want it is so the engine bay has the original look.

Click to expand...

Back in the day when these were new off the dealer's lot, if you lived in the rust belt region and drove the car as a daily driver on the salted roads in the winter season (which 95% of owners did), the heat riser sheet metal around the exhaust manifold typically rusted away within 2-3 years.  So as a result,  your heat riser tube fell off or was removed since it was not longer connected to the manifold and/or rattled from vibration.

Maybe fuel economy suffered a bit, but usually no one noticed or cared as long as the car started and got you where you needed to be.

Click to expand...

On or about 11/24/19 there was a thread by Texasboss wanting a heat riser for the 351 4V in the want section of classified ads below. I'll see if I can link it, not too good t that stuff.  https://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-wtb-1971-exhaust-manifold-heat-shield-for-351c

Anyway there are two types. a long version for the 2V and short for the 4 V. TE gave a number of D1AZ-9A603-A for the short one. A couple of guys had one for sale, may still have, no idea. Try a want ad in the classifieds, you might get lucky.

Geoff.

Click to expand...

On or about 11/24/19 there was a thread by Texasboss wanting a heat riser for the 351 4V in the want section of classified ads below. I'll see if I can link it, not too good t that stuff.  https://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-wtb-1971-exhaust-manifold-heat-shield-for-351c

Anyway there are two types. a long version for the 2V and short for the 4 V. TE gave a number of D1AZ-9A603-A for the short one. A couple of guys had one for sale, may still have, no idea. Try a want ad in the classifieds, you might get lucky.

Geoff.

Click to expand...

Yeah I saw a diagram of the 2v long version so I’d assume I’d need a short one because I’m running a 4 bbl now and it would suffice

thanks for info Geoff!!

Click to expand...

"Yeah I saw a diagram of the 2v long version so I’d assume I’d need a short one because I’m running a 4 bbl now and it would suffice

thanks for info Geoff!!"

It's not just that the short version came with the 4 barrel carb, it's that the 4 barrel exhaust manifolds are larger. Your post sounds like you changed the intake and carb to a 4 barrel, but if you still have the 2 barrel exhaust manifolds, the longer ones are correct, and easier to find.

The 2V version also has two pieces, an inner and an outer. I have one of the inner pieces, if you want to PM me.

Click to expand...