Name That Part!

Among other strange things, my car isn't running like it used too :( So I'm tinkering around with it seeing if some parts need replaced or cleaned, and when I took the intake off, I noticed that the little sliver thing ( I believe it to be a heat shield of some sort ) was loose! What is this part? and whats its purpose? Also, for those of you with the same 305 small block V8, does your engine have that little flimsy metal coming from the bottom of your intake, to part X?


http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b165/urstin/Caprice/th_car464.jpg (http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b165/urstin/Caprice/car464.jpg)
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b165/urstin/Caprice/th_car465-1.jpg (http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b165/urstin/Caprice/car465-1.jpg)
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b165/urstin/Caprice/th_car462.jpg (http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b165/urstin/Caprice/car462.jpg)

That is the heat stove, which in turn is a part of the early fuel evaporation system. Not only an emission control device, it also helps your engine run smoother when it's cold. The metal hose connects the heat stove to the air cleaner. There is a flap in the air cleaner that directs warm air from the heat stove into the air cleaner when the engine is cold.

Ahhhhh! It all makes sense now. But should the "heat stove" be loose?

They get that way from time to time. You can use a small hammer to drive the rivets back into the exhaust manifold if it's vibrating.

Okay cool. On last question, the little metal hose, its cracked near the stove itself, what would you suggest I replace it with?

They sell replacement hoses that you can buy at any parts store. They work well, although you might have to trim to fit. Scissors work well for this.

Cool man. Thanks for all your help! I checked out the link in your sig, YOUR ENGINE IS SO CLEAN! hahaha, I so hate Michigan!

I know this is off topic, but I have to agree with Urstin on that amazingly clean engine of yours. Here in upstate NY, thats practically show worthy. Salt and sand on the roads (not to mention all the loose gravel come spring from the plows tearing up the pavement) really does a number on cars, especially when they get older. Thats why I don't let my Caprice leave the driveway all winter.

Yeah silicon you get the clean engine award lol, i tried cleaning mine last month, it came a little bit cleaner but the engine was probably never cleaned its entire life, and plus i wasnt expecting a 25 year old engine to look that great anyway.

That is the heat stove, which in turn is a part of the early fuel evaporation system. Not only an emission control device, it also helps your engine run smoother when it's cold. The metal hose connects the heat stove to the air cleaner. There is a flap in the air cleaner that directs warm air from the heat stove into the air cleaner when the engine is cold.
Wow... that would probably explain why my engine's been idling a bit rough after some of the bottom tore off of the heat stove... Now it's not even touching the part of the engine that it connects to, it's just dangling from the intake manifold...

Thanks, that saved me a lot of trouble ;)

Wow... that would probably explain why my engine's been idling a bit rough after some of the bottom tore off of the heat stove... Now it's not even touching the part of the engine that it connects to, it's just dangling from the intake manifold...

Thanks, that saved me a lot of trouble ;)

It will still run roughly for the first minute or two until everything heats up. The main purpose of the heat stove is to heat the carburetor so that the fuel gets vaporized better, quicker than without. The reason the engine runs rough when it's cold is because the fuel isn't properly vaporizing, but is instead being introduced to the cylinders in liquid form. The heat is what vaporizes the fuel.

Ahhhhh! It all makes sense now. But should the "heat stove" be loose?

to secure the air intake heat stove i use .032 stainless steel wire... with this rapped around manifold and steel stove it will not rattle... also if it is rusted out replacing with stainless steel metal is the best solution....


on the air tubing it is good to rap insulation around this to aid in getting warm air to carb on very cold weather...

my car never came with any of this heat stove stuff, wonder why

They all did - if yours didn't have it when you got it, it was probably removed ahead of time.

probably, pretty much most emissions were removed as you know

probably, pretty much most emissions were removed as you know

where i live this part and the air injection tubing fail,, rust to failure after 8 years... most remove .... this metal exhaust manifold air intake heater part can be reconstructed and made to last and operate better than original....but if you live in a warm climate this would be unnecessary....i found driveability when cold temps below 45deg f the engine would hesitate..some also found if humid and cold carb icing and stalling until engine got to normal temps so most would let engine warm up for 15 min before operating vehicle...