Should I go back to a stock intake?

I need someone elses opinion.
I put a Poston intake on my 455 a few weeks ago and I have not been able to get the car to run right yet. I'm thinking I should go back to stock and try again in future with a B4B or something else. I can't get the carb to seal, I can't get the choke to work right, and there is a definite loss of power according to my g-tech and the way it drives.

Soooo, should I keep messing with it or sell it and use the money for some headers and buy a different intake in the future?

 

Sounds like a little machine work would solve the problem. I had to add a thicker gasket and machine the carb inlet on an Olds Torker manifold a few years back..

 

are you useing a spacer between the carb. and intake? i have read on here that the poston intake will really come alive with a 3/4 to 1 inch spacer. might be worth a try before you swap intakes.

 

I have tried a few things but not a spacer yet.
Last night I went with a thick gasket on the manifold, then steel gasket, then thinner gasket to the carb. Of course now my choke is way off again and it took forever to get the car started this morning.

All of my gaskets are 4 hole.

 

I use Poston for many parts and they do a good job. Their intake however will be seldom seen (I havent seen one yet) on anyones car at the track. The design ideology sounds good but I just don't think it works very well. I run a performer intake and I hear it's no better than stock except for the weight reduction and it lines up with the stock air intake hood system. If your looking for a good street intake and you want aluminum the B4B is best. If your looking for top end power and have something more than a street/strip car (500+ HP) then you'll need a single plane intake like the TA or better yet the KB Wild Cat intake.

 

Try an open gasket first,at least 1/4",then try a spacer.Is the center divider milled down some?Also,those chokes never work as well as a stock one,whether its on a B4B,poston,or TA,you'll have to bear with it some.
gary

 

When I get a spacer, should it be 4 hole or open? I'm going to stop at Jegs on my way home. Also, should I forget about the heated coil choke and just go for the manual cable type?

I don't think the divider is milled down any. How far should I go?

 

Man, sorry about all the trouble your having with the Poston. Can't remember from the other thread, did you ever put the steel plate between the carb and the intake? If you change it you won't have any trouble selling the Poston, there is a silent minority of us out here who like them. My car only runs in the 13s but it went faster with a Poston intake than it ever did with a B4B. I think they're a great intake for a mild street strip car, race NO! Also as Gary said you will just have to live with a marginal choke with an aftermarket intake. If it has to be a reliable winter driver then perhaps you would be better off with the stock intake and choke setup. o No:

Dave B

 

Intake

From what I've seem over the years, the factory iron intake is unmatched for off-idle and low end torque. The Performer/B4B is slightly softer on the very bottom, but mid-range and slightly higer is much improved. The T/A SP1 is a real good intake, but moves the powerband up even further. I agree with Dino, the B4B is your best bet. Poston is a good company, but that intake was kind of a flop. Seems like I remember them always having mixture distribution problems. So it depends on what the rest of your combo and intended use for the car on which one to get. :TU: Todd

 

We've had best results with 1/4"-1/2" milled down and open spacers.Before you get the spacers try the other things.Manual choke will work better.
gary

 

Dave - I did have just the metal plate and a gasket but now I have added the other thicker gasket. So it goes gasket/plate/gasket.

Todd - This is just for street use and the motor is stock. I plan on adding headers here real soon regardless if I keep the Poston or not. I did want to do some bracket racing eventually. I also like to embarass the ricers at stop lights.

I think if I could just get the choke to work right I would be fairly happy. I'm also noticing the drivers side rear bolt that holds the carb down is starting to strip out from taking it on and off so much. I guess I'll have to helicoil that to get the carb to sit on there tight.

 

I would not give up on it yet. your down on power because the motor isn't running right. afterall, if you can't the carb to seal how can you expect good performance. The s-divider will make power, but you need to tune your carb and igniton to compliment it.

 

I ran one of those on a 455. The guy I got it from said to make sure that the divider is milled and I run a 4 hole, 1" spacer.
FYI
Good luck buddy.

 

Why aren't any of you pro-Poston people answering the poll? :grin:

So I guess milling the divider down takes the "S-Divider" technology out of the picture?

 

Hey Mark, I'm a pro Poston guy and I answeared. I was just wondering, a four hole 1" spacer with the center divider milled down 1/2". Wouldn't a open 1" spacer without milling the divider be essentially the same thing? When you tighten your carb do you follow a criscross pattern and tighten in each bolt a little at a time? Also are you using bolts on the back side, I use studs back there, sometimes you can get crud in the bolt hole and the bolt will bottom out in the hole and allow the carb to suck air. Also next to the remote control the helicoil is the greatest invention of the 20th century.

Dave B

 

Brave man to say that, but I agree with you. For the bigger land-yachts, I think the stock manifold with it's cross-over heat is a better deal on the street. That advise tends to fall on deaf ears at times.....

 

Dave I just got some studs last night. And if I go with the spacer, Jegs has the spacer/stud/gasket combos as well.

I have been tightening with the cross bolt pattern but I think when I put the extra gasket in there, there wasn't enough thread to start the bolt.

 

You know I've given some serious thought to putting the stock intake back on mine, Skylark, but don't want to drag out the engine hoist to do it.

Dave B

 

Dave you don't need an engine hoist. Just get 4 or 5 strong friends and they can help you lift it into place.

 

Sell the Poston and use the money for headers.