Pretty sure this is my first post but I've been on this forum for years and usually can find answers to my questions just by using the search feature. Unfortunately I've searched high and low on my current issue with no success. I'll try and explain this the best I can without sounding repetitive.
Backstory: I have an 81 Trans Am which was originally a 301 automatic car, bought about 12 years ago. It currently has a Chevy 350 in it with a 4 speed Muncie, both installed by the previous owner. Car has always been a daily driver until about two years ago when the Muncie went out on me and had to be rebuilt. Long story short, the shaker assembly has always sat on the engine a little funky because of the 350. I later found out I had what looks to be an air cleaner base from an olds 403 (because of the off center hole) attached to a 400 shaker base. The shaker base from the 400 was removed from the scoop and glued back to the bottom of the scoop at an offset by one of the previous owners (I'm assuming to account for a slightly off center engine and 403 air cleaner base).
Everything is back in the car now and ready to drive with the exception of the shaker assembly. I am trying to make it right and DO NOT want to rivet this thing to the hood and am honestly surprised it hasn't been already. I am trying to find a good combination to make everything fit but it's been a PITA.
Again, the engine is a Chevy 350 with an Edelbrock TM1 intake and a Holley 4150 carb, P/N 0=76650BK. The intake is not a high rise intake and doesn't look like it sits nearly as high as the Performer RPM intake. The problem is, the stock air cleaner base from what looks to be from a 403 will clear the distributor but it hits the rear of the carburetor. After doing some research and talking to the guys at Butler Performance, I bought the WFO-1 drop base kit because it will clear the Holley carb with the choke tower, which is why I couldn't use the Blocker drop kits. Since height wasn't originally my issue, I figured I could use the WFO-1 kit as a good air cleaner base that would clear the carb and then just use an air cleaner spacer to bring the shaker assembly back up to where it needs to be.
Well, the WFO-1 came in yesterday and yes, it clears the carb but is now hitting the distributor
I would need at least a 2" air cleaner spacer to allow enough room for the WFO-1 kit to clear the distributor but even with the drop of the base, this would make the shaker and its base sit too high. Obviously distributor clearance wouldn't be an issue with an intake like the Performer RPM as it sits high enough and is the reason why one would need a drop base, but with my setup and relatively stock intake height, whatever route I go, I'm having fitment issues. Either the stock air cleaner base will fit height wise, but not clear the carburetor, or the WFO-1 kit will clear the carb, but not the distributor making it necessary to use an air cleaner spacer that unfortunately will now be too high for the hood to close. That doesn't make any sense to me as it's a drop base and I originally just needed something that would fit around the carb.
I'm thinking even if I had a Performer RPM intake on the engine, which is higher than what I have now, the shaker assembly would fit and clear both the carb and distributor with either the Blocker drop kit or WFO-1 kit, as they are designed to do, but I would still have issues closing the hood...
Does anyone make any type of aftermarket base that would work that has some type of indent in the back of it to clear the distributor kind of like the originals did? This is literally the only thing holding me up from getting the car back on the road.
Sorry for the long post but I hope I've explained the issue enough. I know its possible to fabricate some brackets to the hood supports to hold on the shaker but I'd really like to keep this thing mounted to the engine like it originally was. Apparently with a 350 in the car, that seems to be impossible.
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!!
