DeTomaso Mailing List: May 99, Message #154

Last night I was eyeballing my A331 intake manifold to see what 
it will take to make the modifications suggested in Vizard's
induction book.  It's been noted before that this intake looks 
a lot like an Edelbrock Torker, even though it's designed to 
match SVO high port aluminum canted valve heads.  Last night I
noticed something that leads me to believe the A331 is made from 
the same mold as the Torker.  On the bottom of the intake there's
a cast-in number 2760 which just happens to be Edelbrock part 
number for a Torker.  I checked my Edelbrock F-351 intake and it 
has its part number in the same location.  

The intake port of an A3/B351/C302 head is relocated upward from 
the standard 4V port location.  I've always assumed high port 
intakes were unique castings with the runners raised to match the 
relocated intake port.  However, that wouldn't work if the A331
and the Torker are the same basic casting.  Plus, there's not 
enough material to simply port match.

Either they've widened the Torker casting at the flange to make 
the A331 or they've widened the head.  Both of these approaches 
would raise the intake manifold location, allowing the ports to 
line up.  Shorter bolt bosses or longer bolts would be required 
for installation.  The clever way would be to widen the head.
In that case, any 4V intake could be used with the high port 
heads.  There'd still be the port shape difference to address but 
that's no big deal.  Might be nice to be run a Blue Thunder or 
Holley Strip Dominator.

Anyone checked into this?  I guess I need to mock up my A3 heads
on a block or find a Torker intake to compare with my A331.

Dan Jones