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I recently rebuildt my quadra-jet carb and upon removing the carb I found a stainless steel heat shield under the gasket next to the manifold. Not sure if it should be next to the manifold or next to the carb.
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Re: Carb heat shield for 1969/ 350
Ann------
The stainless steel heat shield that you describe was originally used for all 1968-69 Corvettes with Rochester Q-Jet. The shield is supposed to be installed between the carburetor base and the gasket (i.e. on TOP of the gasket).
The shield is EXTREMELY important if the car remains equipped with an un-plugged heat groove on the forward part of the manifold carb flange. If you look at the carb flange on the manifold you will note this groove. At each end of the groove will be holes that connect the groove with the manifold's heat cross-over passage. Check the holes to see if they have been previously plugged with pipe plugs or cup-type plugs. If they have not been plugged, I strongly recommend that you do so. The easiest way to do this is to obtain some 3/8" cup-type plugs (mini "freeze plugs") that you can purchase at auto supply stores. Simply drive the plugs into the holes with the cup side up. This eliminates the heat groove functionality and will preservce the life of your carburetor without causing any detrimental effect. The heat groove causes the transfer of so much heat to the carburetor, even with the stainless steel heat shield installed, that carb throttle bodies and float bowls are often warped. GM eliminated this feature after 1969.
If you modify the heat groove as I described above, the stainless steel heat shield is a lot less necessary. However, I would still use it. You need to keep the gasket/shield "stack height" the same as stock if your choke is to function properly as the choke rod length is designed in consideration of this thickness.In Appreciation of John Hinckley
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