Manifold heat control

[HerbWessel]

The manifold heat control on my 1938 Dodge is stuck in the cold engine position. Have tried all the stuff in the shop from WD40 to BP Blaster to no avail. Would it be ok to remove the flap and use a solid gasket to close the opening thereby putting it in the hot engine function permanently?

[The Old Guy]

You wou;d be MUCH better off to leave the butterfly, open. If you shut it off. you will burn the valves and the engine will be subject to overheating

[mlander]

After you get that thing apart knock off the butterfly and throw it away! This thing caused more burnt valves than any other thing that I know of. When it is stuck in the closed position all the exhaust gases have to go through the passage in the carburetor area, a very small restricted area. I had this happen to an old 1953 Dodge V-8. If you want it to look stock this will not show up on the outside of the manifold. This will cause the engine not to heat up quite as quickly as when it is fully operative but if you take trips of over 10 miles you not even notice it. Do not use a solid gasket as that will cause absolutely no hot gases to get to the carburetor which does need some heat. The "Old Guy" is correct.

M.L. Anderson