65 Econoline heat and steeringwheel questions

First question: Has anyone had experience with fuel boiling in stock one barrel carbs? I'm running the stock FoMoCo carb on a stock 240 six with an insulator plate between the carb and manifold, the pre-heat flap in the exhaust manifold defeated, belly pan is in place, and after stopping the engine, the fuel boils in the carb. It's gotten bad enough to gum the float valve, and I'm going into the carb again (3rd time) to de-gunk it. Any cool fixes (sorry for the pun) for keeping the carb cold? I've been thinking about getting rid of the stock intake and exhaust manifolds and going with heat-wrapped headers and aluminum intake manifold to get away from the Siamesed stock intake and exhaust manifolds. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Second question: Can anyone tell me if/what Grant steering wheel adapter fits the stock steering column in my '65 E100? I've talked to Grant and they say they have never made an adapter for my van's column.

Thanks everyone, and great forum! Pete

Welcome! No doubt in Arizona, you'll be experiencing that!

I don't know if the carb mounting plate with the cooling passage helps to actualy cool your carb down... up in Canada, it warms it up! One gadget that can be used is an aluminum heat sink plate mounted underneath... pics I've seen are relatively large blocking the hot air around the manifold from merely rising up around the carb and causing the boiling. Maybe someone down there is familiar. Good luck!

Grant steering wheel adapter 3158-4599. This is the one I used.

Mike, he's in Arizona... who is it there that may be able to provide that heat sink? Where you got your stuff?

Is the fuel line close to the exhaust? Check your fuel line from the fuel pump to the carb. You can also wrap your fuel line with the same insulation you use to keep water pipes from freezing. Available at Home Depot and Lowes. I would never wrap the headers under any circumstances. Buy the headers you need then have them jet hot coated. Headers run around 900 degrees but with the jet hot coating only 500-600 degrees helping to keep your doghouse cooler and the headers will last years longer with the jet hot coating.

Thanks vanishingbreed for good info on the Grant adapter. As for the fuel issue, I've corrected fuel spilling over into intake manifold; the current problem is the fuel that remains in the float bowl boils after shutting down the engine. Since the bowl is vented, this results in gas fumes inside the van and a varnish build-up in the bowl that eventually glues the float valve shut. I'll scrap the header wrap idea (thanks again vanishingbreed) and I have an electric fan to install for cooling assist (thanks donivan65). A buddy of mine has a '62 with a 140 in it and his carb has a spacer under it tied into the water cooling system (I think that's what saskatrini referrs to). I think I'm going to fab an aluminium spacer block for under the carb, machine water passages through it, and get a small cooler (like a heater core) and electric water pump to make a separate cooling loop to try and keep the carb cool. I still want to go with headers. Thanks for the replies folks.

The mounting block just runs inline with the heater core hoses. I don't know if that's what you need... imagine a thin sheet of aluminum about 8X10 mounted between the carb and manifold in a way that the area blocks heat rising from the exhaust, and the aluminum itself draws heat away from the carb as moving air pulls the heat away from it's surface area. I have seen pics of both an aluminum plate and the carb mount with the coolant passage used in the same carb installation. If you plan to fab your own up, I would try to make it the same thickness (5/8 " ?) as the stock water passage type of carb base, but make it large enough to deflect exhaust heat, and fin it for maximum surface area! Would be a real nice unit, for sure! Separate loop... interesting idea! Good luck!

Mike's right about the Grant adapter but theres more to the story. It's designed for a 2nd gen. Econo and it only works on a 67 style column/wheel setup if I remember correctly. The 67 wheel is like the 2nd gen. wheel(69-74) You would need that wheel or at least the piece off the back side to make it work. I cant recall if you need to use the 67 style switch or not. I ve talked with folks about it in the past but never done it myself yet but Im sure Fred will chime in since he knows about it.

I used it on my 65. Hooked right up with no mods or trouble of any kind. Had the same one on both of my 64 Econos. Of course you need a Grant steering wheel and they are pretty cheep. Mine is a white Grant 15".

Here's a pic of the one on my 65. I do have hazard lights on this van.

Mike,I researched it and the problem you run into is the turn signal switch being different and also the horn contact. I know a lot of guys who install a seperate horn button on the dash but I dont like that. You have to either modify the 61-66 switch or use the 67-74 switch to have the horn work. Either way ,some modification is required. Apparently way back when Grant did make a kit for the 61-66 style but they are long gone unless you find an old one someplace. Maybe you have one of the rare bird old kits????

I didn't hook up my horn since someone took the horn itself off and I am installing train horns. When I put the same kit on Vanishing Breed I had trouble with the turn signal switch but I used one of those that strap to the column because I wanted hazard lights and the van did not come with them It is a 66 Econo. My horn on VB worked with the kit. The kit came with a button that we easily wired up. I bought my kit on ebay. It came with the steering wheel which is a Grant. My turn signal switch is stock and works great.

Mike,some late production 66 models had the 67 style switch. Did breed???? If not,the kit you bought must be the early one. Do you have a part number by chance? I can dig em up if need be.

yes it was the late model. I used the kit number that I posted earlier in this thread. on my last four Econos. Not sure what kit we used before that but I have had more Econos than I can remember and had Grant steering wheels on all of them at one time or another. I got the kit I used on VB at Pep Boys 5 or six years ago but when I tried to get one for my 65 they said they didn't carry it anymore and then I found a guy on ebay who had bought a white steering wheel and the correct kit for his Econo and then sold the Econo without installing the kit and wheel . I bought them both for $55.00. The kit came with a horn button but I didn't need it since I had no horn.