CMP Chevy 216 carburetor heat insulator

[John Sek]

I am working on my C15A engine, replacing all gaskets due to a major oil leak. In doing so, I notice that the carburetor heat insulator was cracked and needed to be replaced as well. I believe this to be an original as the material is cork and not bakelit. There is also a metal sleeve which is a bit rusty but still reasonable overall. There was a significant gap between the sleeve and cork insulator thus not cojoined.

When I look in the parts manual it states "Insulator & Sleeve Assy., Carburetor Heat..." Checking online for replacements, all insulators being offered are bakelit without a sleeve. I don't see a cork option or any comment regarding the sleeve. I assume that the sleeve was required to provide additional heat protection since cork was being used. To me replacing this with the currently available bakelit version (sized correctly since I notice 2 different sizes are available for the years 1937 to 1954) should be okay.

Does anyone have any comments to share on this, please?

[Lang]

John

Bakelite will be just fine.

I would hazard a guess that a large number of 216 engines have nothing other than a normal thin cork or even paper gasket after years of carburettor changes and servicing. An asbestos type thin gasket (of course an EPA approved asbestos replacement material!) would probably be even better than the bakelite.

Lang

[Bob Carriere]

..... can be made smoother my rubbing on a flat light grit sand paper..... some of the available Chinese models are not perfect........ I prefer to use a thin grey fiber/paper gasket above and below the spacer for good seal...... make sure the gaskets are cut to allow the small air tunnels in the carb base are not to blocked off.....stock gaskets are already cut on all four sides so they can't be installed wrong..... a GOOD seal is crucial........ and the bolt pattern must be matched,,,,,,, picture from Chevs of the 40s.......

[Jordan Baker]

John, get the black plastic spacer that is available from the parts dealers. Also make sure to get two gaskets. One for the top and one for the bottom. You may need to change the threaded studs to be long enough. While you are at it, make sure the flapper valve is loose and functioning properly in the exhaust manifold.