'71 302 2V carb spacer for PCV?

[idrivejunk]

71 Bronco I am working on is stock. The body had some bad days in it's past, for example pan braces at toe board were crammed down over mounts and fenders had been replaced. I fixed that cab area stuff and after some challenges have good gaps going. On to the front end... New aprons are still in with screws pending final fitup.

Lowering the hood at rear to match fender height was the last thing in fitting new hood. Dangdest thing though...

The carb stud hits hood bracing. It is only 1 3/4" long above the air horn. Low profile aftermarket chrome air cleaner (which also hits another hood brace) is on it with wing nut. Took the stud out, finalized hood but...

Upon further inspection, a 1"+ tall spacer (with a tiny wafer thin heat shield maybe, on top) is present. It has one hose only going to it, the PCV.

So... what am I looking at, is it an add-on or is the body messed up or??? Can anybody tell me if that is supposed to be there? "Looks factory" but I ain't looked real close. Would a 4V have had PCV on the throttle plate? Its not a Pontiac soooo...?

We've had to notch Bronco hood bracing before, and this one will be EFI on the 302 just not a Coyote which is wide but low. I need to know if I have stock clearance or not. Looks to me like the short open air filter was installed to compensate for loss of hood clearance from smashed pan braces. The frame appears to be undamaged in a brief X-ing with tram gauge.

Its always something, detective work required. I suspect none had much clearance originally.

Thanks in advance if you can even point me at the right rabbit hole.

[kb426]

If you look on this page, you will see a stock unit that was offset. There are some replacement options listed.
https://tomsoffroad.com/ford/66-77-bronco-air-cleaners

[idrivejunk]

Aha! That explains that pretty well. Thank you sir.  There never was any hood clearance.

The bottom of that could have been retained with a hold-down fastened by a screw so the stud probably isn't stock. 

The stud hits the flange of a hat channel brace so it is slightly off center to passenger side. Would clear if centered but the 12-14" chrome parts store lid hits the cross brace.

Like I said... Pontiac guy. Besides that and Chevys, never paid no mind to anything else much.

Bill, what do you think the chances are that popular square bore EFI setups will require an offset hat? I mean do you reckon they are shorter than the 2V with spacer? Just some planning curiosity but not gonna concern myself with it further, doing bodywork. Reckon I could research that if I needed to know know. Thanks again.

[kb426]

I see them with normal air cleaners but the heat riser plate is probably removed. What i don't know is if there is different engine mounts that might be used to lower the engine some. There are several different heights of intake manifolds also.

[jaybee]

I learned a lot about vacuum leaks when I was young, dumb, and tried to drill that spacer to fit a 4bbl adapter with a bolt pattern that didn't match my intake. Thankfully the junkyards were full of them in those days.

[enjenjo]

Most of the square bore EFI setups have a built in PCV port. And if you google the one you are planning to use the list the height along with the other dimensions.

[idrivejunk]

I won't have any influence or input on that. Theres no plan. My task is merely to provide the blank canvas and I'll go forward on the assumption that no issue exists. Anybody asks, it had a wrong air cleaner.

[idrivejunk]

Guy that will be doing the EFI job says no worries, so that monkey has been transferred to his back. Works for me!

Stock air cleaner was just missing which left me no reference.

[idrivejunk]

Thread was or is overwith but today I thought to take pics. Now I am curious.

Pic 1- Theres today's apron job but look how lofty that carb sits. Dang.

Pic 2- See how tall it is.

Pic 3- Look close below and left of bottom left diaphragm cover lever thing (accelerator pump?) screw. Head of an upside down screw threading into carb body? OK so its an adapter? Or...

Pic 4- The PCV hose. Goes to valve cover 710 cap.

Looks kinda freakshow to me. But whut th heck izat fer. And somebody translate please... SBF firing order from web glance is 13726548 which is greek to a 18436572 guy. What in the world is this firing order? 1542...something. Did somebody slip a 318 in here or something?

No I dea. Ford mind exercise?

[kb426]

The pics show the same spacer that I looked at for years. Standard issue from the factory. There are 2 firing orders. One for the standard 289 and 302 and the other for the 351w and the ho version usually found in the 80's with roller cam engines. The 302 is numbered straight down one side and then the other. The 2 front cylinders are 1 and 5.

[enjenjo]

You can change the 302 Ford firing order by installing a 351 cam and vise versa.

[idrivejunk]

Numbered straight down each side, OK. I don't speak Ford. Spacer seems afterthoughtish.

[kb426]

Right bank front to rear, 1-2-3-4, Left bank front to rear, 5-6-7-8.

[wayne petty]

the standard ford firing order... if you numbered the cylinders like a chevy is the same.

 except ford number 1 is passenger side and chevy number 1 is drivers side..

 as for thinner carb spacers. there are several choices for 1/2 and 1" https://www.summitracing.com/search/part-type/carburetor-spacers?N=carburetor-mounting%3A2-barrel%2Bthickness-in%3A1-000_0-500&PageSize=25&SortBy=DisplayPrice&SortOrder=Ascending

but will an additional fraction of an inch be enough..

 there are some 2" drop spun aluminum air cleaner housings that take 14" air cleaners..   you might have to bend the throttle linkage into a hockey stick shape but i think you have the lower throttle linkage..
 
 PS... probably TMI. everything with a carb.  and 5/16 fuel hose into the fuel pump inlet i use a 1994 ford probe 2.0L automatic trans fuel filter in the line before the pump.. 3/8 line i use a 1984 corvette fuel filter. this protects the fuel pump check valves from sediment and the carb needle and seat from seeping. causing stains on the intake and issues when trying to restart hot..  those two applications are 10 micron filters..

 

[idrivejunk]

Update: The assembler indicated that the spacer in question is actually there as part of the heat riser system. A throttle body warmer working in conjunction with an exhaust manifold flapper. As Bill mentioned early on it this thread. So, aha. Now I get it. You know me and my dim wit.

Air cleaner clearance is still a potential issue I guess because I was questioned as to the whereabouts of the stock offset arrangement. It only had a cheapo chrome air cleaner with low profile filter when it came in. But now I get why the goofy spacer was there originally.