Heat Riser Problem..
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 4,977
Likes: 38
From: Massachusetts , USA,
But before doing that , bought a new heat riser & but it got sticky after a couple of years.......... My 66 is a BB & I occasionally run the 1/4 mile, Oldies day at the local strip 13.13 ET
I have stock side exhaust & no hedders, It can ( no heat riser) take longer to idle smooth on a cold day & maybe stumble a llittle till she warms up, My cure, I install a 190 deg thermostat in October & dont go back to a 180 till may for the occassional drives I take on nice days in the fall & spring ( have never had an overhreating problem ) ....so what i am saying is Yes, wire her up you wont hurt anything ...................... My moto" Driveum dont waxum "....The Dog 
Last edited by StrayDog; Nov 29, 2008 at 09:42 AM. Reason: bad spellin
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,068
Likes: 27
From: St. Joseph Mo
I wire mine open in the spring and remove the wire in the fall. Wiggle it open/shut to keep the shaft clear of deposits.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,977
Likes: 194
From: Putnam Valley, New York. Amateur Radio Operator K2NS
Heat riser
I'm right across the river from you in Putnam County. I wired mine open a few years ago after going through 2 right side mufflers, and haven't looked back since. If it's a little on the cool side, I just let it warm up for an extra minute or so. The only thing I have noticed is that it takes about 10 minutes for the choke to open instead of 2 or 3. No spitting, no bucking, no nothing !!!
RON
Last edited by rongold; Nov 29, 2008 at 12:10 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 9,015
Likes: 331
From: Southeast Missouri
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 9,015
Likes: 331
From: Southeast Missouri
By allowing the exhaust to flow through the right side when wired open, most of the corrosive acids and products are carried through the exhaust system, same as happens normally on the left side which is open all the time.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 223
Likes: 0
From: Hawaii
It affects muffler life, especially during short trips when the right side doesn't have time to fully heat the exhaust system back through the muffler, by allowing by-products of combustion to collect with the water vapor inside the muffler. This effectively rots it out from the inside.
By allowing the exhaust to flow through the right side when wired open, most of the corrosive acids and products are carried through the exhaust system, same as happens normally on the left side which is open all the time.
By allowing the exhaust to flow through the right side when wired open, most of the corrosive acids and products are carried through the exhaust system, same as happens normally on the left side which is open all the time.
Thanks. I learned something today. I think I’ll wire mine open. But how do you know which position is open?
Chet
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 9,015
Likes: 331
From: Southeast Missouri
You can push on it then, it will go down to fully open, but will spring back up to the closed position when released. Just push it down to the open position and wire it there, fully opened.
You might also want to disconnect the battery before starting any wiring in this vicinity, it's pretty close to the "hot" starter terminal, and it's not too difficult to get the wire into the terminal while fishing it around the exhaust pipe. Ask me how I know this . . . .
Last edited by Ron Miller; Nov 30, 2008 at 10:57 AM. Reason: Further info . . .
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,602
Likes: 14
From: MA
larry
Racer
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 316
Likes: 29
From: Long Island, NY
I have a 71 AC car that spews heavy vapor on the right side and nothing to speak of on the left
(not smoke but vapor) side even after a 15 minute idle. Could a stuck control valve cause this? Its bothersome to see. Thanks
(not smoke but vapor) side even after a 15 minute idle. Could a stuck control valve cause this? Its bothersome to see. Thanks
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 814
Likes: 6
From: Murfreesboro, TN
http://www.etvette.com/heatrisers.htm
Make sure all call as the email address is not correct on his site. Nice guy too BTW..
Make sure all call as the email address is not correct on his site. Nice guy too BTW..
Last edited by mscaggs; Jan 7, 2011 at 10:39 AM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 814
Likes: 6
From: Murfreesboro, TN
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 7,246
Likes: 21
From: Going too fast over the hill. Iowa
It will not take longer to warm up either. All a properly operating heat riser does is send
more heat under the carburetor to assist earlier vaporization in cold weather. The engine
warms up at the same rate.
With today's fuels, I believe the heat riser is unnecessary, and I took the blocking plate
out of my heat riser about 15 years ago. I also blocked off the intake manifold ports that
send hot exhaust to the base of the carb.
My car starts and runs fine even in single digit cold weather in Illinois, Wisconsin,
Colorado, and Montana, and I have the choke in my carburetor disconnected.