1965 BB exhaust manifold

[Bill W.]

I was at a friends house Friday and looked at a 1965 396 rt side exhaust manifold casting # 3856302 and a "5" date . It was not a repro it had all the correct bumps etc . The problem was the holes were not drilled for the choke tube ? My only guess was it could have been an over the counter manifold and the date was 75 not 65 . Anybody else ever run into this ?

[Patrick B.]

Re: 1965 BB exhaust manifold

I have had a 302 manifold that was not drilled for the choke tubes, and I don't think it was cast in 1975.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1965 BB exhaust manifold

I was at a friends house Friday and looked at a 1965 396 rt side exhaust manifold casting # 3856302 and a "5" date . It was not a repro it had all the correct bumps etc . The problem was the holes were not drilled for the choke tube ? My only guess was it could have been an over the counter manifold and the date was 75 not 65 . Anybody else ever run into this ?

Bill------


It couldn't be 1975 since the manifold was discontinued from SERVICE in June, 1974. Manufacture probably ended well ahead of even that time.

[Bill W.]

Re: 1965 BB exhaust manifold

Why do you think its not drilled ? I have two sets , one off of 17346 and one from 16120 . both are drilled .

[Joe L.]

Re: 1965 BB exhaust manifold

Why do you think its not drilled ? I have two sets , one off of 17346 and one from 16120 . both are drilled .

Bill------

That I do not know.

[Carl N.]

Re: 1965 BB exhaust manifold

Bill, I've encountered a couple of these over the years - who knows why - agree with Joe - should be pre '75 - QC on GM parts was not always the best - as with any other manufacture in that era. Below is a list I take to swap meet for manifolds as my memory is not what it once was and it wasn't much back when BBC Exhaust Manifold Casting Numbers
Cast # Years Side CID Applications
329225 1973-76 LH 454
353028 1973-76 LH 454
353030 1973-76 LH 454 police
3856297 1965 LH 396 325
3856301 1965 LH 396 425 Corvette
3856302 1965 RH 396 425 Corvette
3856306 1965 RH 396 325
3857297 1965 LH 396 325
3868874 1965-66 RH 396 325, 360, 375 Z-16
3869925 1965 LH 396 375 Z-16
3872770 1966 RH 396
3880827 1966-69 LH 427/454 Corvette
3880828 1966-72 RH 427/454 Corvette
3880869 1970-72 LH 454 Corvette
3883999 1966 LH 396 325, 360, 375
3884504 1966-67 RH 396/427 325, 385, 390
3892307 1966-67 LH 396/427 325, 390
3902401 1967 LH 396
3904399 1966 LH 396
3909879 1967-70 LH 396/427 COPO/454 325, 350, 375, 425, 430
3909880 1967 RH 396 325, 350, 375
3914613 1968-70 LH 396/427 265, 325, 335, 345, 390, 425
3916178 1968-70 RH 396/427 COPO/454 325, 350, 375, 425, 430
3969869 1970-74 LH 454 Corvette
3989310 1971-72 RH 402/454
3989343 1971-72 LH 402/454
3994045 1973-75 LH 454 police

[Cecil L.]

Re: 1965 BB exhaust manifold

I'm sure this is a dumb question, but what was the choke hole for.....clean air tube?
I always thought the Holley choke was intake manifold thermostat activated, not heat stove.
Obviously, I've never had a 65 BB.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1965 BB exhaust manifold

I'm sure this is a dumb question, but what was the choke hole for.....clean air tube?
I always thought the Holley choke was intake manifold thermostat activated, not heat stove.
Obviously, I've never had a 65 BB.

Cecil------


Starting in 1966 the big block choke was a divorced type (intake manifold mounted choke stove). For 1965, though, a tube was used.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1965 BB exhaust manifold

Bill, I've encountered a couple of these over the years - who knows why - agree with Joe - should be pre '75 - QC on GM parts was not always the best - as with any other manufacture in that era. Below is a list I take to swap meet for manifolds as my memory is not what it once was and it wasn't much back when BBC Exhaust Manifold Casting Numbers
Cast # Years Side CID Applications
329225 1973-76 LH 454
353028 1973-76 LH 454
353030 1973-76 LH 454 police
3856297 1965 LH 396 325
3856301 1965 LH 396 425 Corvette
3856302 1965 RH 396 425 Corvette
3856306 1965 RH 396 325
3857297 1965 LH 396 325
3868874 1965-66 RH 396 325, 360, 375 Z-16
3869925 1965 LH 396 375 Z-16
3872770 1966 RH 396
3880827 1966-69 LH 427/454 Corvette
3880828 1966-72 RH 427/454 Corvette
3880869 1970-72 LH 454 Corvette
3883999 1966 LH 396 325, 360, 375
3884504 1966-67 RH 396/427 325, 385, 390
3892307 1966-67 LH 396/427 325, 390
3902401 1967 LH 396
3904399 1966 LH 396
3909879 1967-70 LH 396/427 COPO/454 325, 350, 375, 425, 430
3909880 1967 RH 396 325, 350, 375
3914613 1968-70 LH 396/427 265, 325, 335, 345, 390, 425
3916178 1968-70 RH 396/427 COPO/454 325, 350, 375, 425, 430
3969869 1970-74 LH 454 Corvette
3989310 1971-72 RH 402/454
3989343 1971-72 LH 402/454
3994045 1973-75 LH 454 police

Carl------


The '301' and '302' manifolds were also used for 1965 full size passenger car with L-78.

[Carl N.]

Re: 1965 BB exhaust manifold

Joe, I do not see where 301 & 302 were used on 1965 full size cars - if they were used they would not require drilling on 302 for choke air as the chokes were off of a heat sink on the intake manifold - see attachment from section 3.601 of P&A30.A Wish they had been used on the passenger cars - then there would be a whole lot more available - Carl

[Bill W.]

Re: 1965 BB exhaust manifold

Carl I think they were made for over the counter sales and could be drilled if needed . I don't think any non drilled 302s could have been used on Factory built 396 Corvettes .

[Joe L.]

Re: 1965 BB exhaust manifold

Joe, I do not see where 301 & 302 were used on 1965 full size cars - if they were used they would not require drilling on 302 for choke air as the chokes were off of a heat sink on the intake manifold - see attachment from section 3.601 of P&A30.A Wish they had been used on the passenger cars - then there would be a whole lot more available - Carl

Carl------


They were not used for all 1965 passenger cars with 396, just those with L-78 of which there were 1,838 built. I've confirmed this from several GM and other sources. Plus, some friends of mine way-back-when (about 1971) purchased one of these engines out of a wrecked passenger car and I recall it had the Corvette manifolds.

For 1966, passenger cars with L-72 used the '827' and '828' manifolds, also used on Corvettes.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1965 BB exhaust manifold

Carl I think they were made for over the counter sales and could be drilled if needed . I don't think any non drilled 302s could have been used on Factory built 396 Corvettes .

Bill-----

These manifolds were only used for 1965. As far as I know, both the Corvette L-78 and passenger car L-78 applications used the same type choke. So, I do not see why the SERVICE manifolds would have been any different than the PRODUCTION.