ClassicCar

Dan, Whoever told you that was misinformed. ALL stepdown water distribution tubes will interchange. The thing you need to watch is for the ocasional aftermarket steel water distribution tube. Don't know why they made them (!) but they are out there. Make sure the top holes are open on the tube. That is critical for cooling around the cylinders. If they are pinched they will not allow water to circulate and cool.

1049superg wrote:

At a very recent local Hudson meet I purchased a stepdown brass water distribution tube in pretty good condition that the previous owner claimed came out of a Hornet 308. He said that it will fit my Pacemaker 232 as well as a 262. However, he stated you cannot take a 232 or 262 distribution tube and fit it into a 308. Just to play it safe, I'd like to get a second opinion on interchangability of stepdown (except Jet) six cylinder distribution tubes. Thanks for any responses!



Dan

Walt here; Yes all water jacket tubes look the same but they are not. Early 232 and 262 will not work in a Hornet engine. The valve cooling holes on the narrow top are large in the front and smaller as it goes to the rear. Don't put one of these in a Hornet engine as you will have nothing but overheating and crack a valve seat. The Hornet water tube, the holes on top start small and get bigger as it goes to the rear, and has 4 5/16 holes at the end, one up and one down, and 8 inches forward 2 more holes, one up and one down. This is on the right side. On the left side, 5 inches from the end, at the top,has one more 5/16 holes, and two inches ahead of that is another hole, same size that sends water to the left side. Using one of these in a 232 or 262 really cools the engine.

What Hudson must have meant was that they will all interchange but the cooling capacity of the earlier tubes was not as efficient in later model wide head blocks. I went out and double checked my inventory and every one was exactly the same. I know they didn't all come from Hornets, but I also know that I haven't stripped too many 48-9 blocks 1049superg is right when he says the book indicates they all interchange but now we know better.

Found some pictures 51HornetA posted of the Hornet distribution tubes here, along with alot of other cool stuff...



http://www.hudsonmotorcar.org/coppermine/thumbnails/album=16.html

Hudson308 wrote:

Found some pictures 51HornetA posted of the Hornet distribution tubes here, along with alot of other cool stuff...



http://www.hudsonmotorcar.org/coppermine/thumbnails/album=16.html

I could’ve sworn someone else besides 51HornetA posted pictures showing the difference between these tubes, but I can’t find em. Here are a few shots for posterity of the two types of water distribution tubes I’ve got. As noted the top tube is from a ’49 262, and the bottom one is from a 308. The tubes slide into the block just left-of-center (as viewed from the front), alongside the cylinder walls. You’re looking at the back end of the tubes, shown here “upside down”. This means you’re looking at the side facing the manifolds, with the valve seat slits pointed down. Note the differences in the size and location of the rearmost holes at the right.

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Here are the tubes from the same angle, at the front. Notice the 262 holes up front are a bit bigger than the ones for the 308.

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Here’s a shot of the tubes propped upright, as viewed from the cylinder walls. As before the 262 is on the top. I’ve put some tape showing the location and width of the valve seat slits along the top of the tubes. Notice there aren’t any holes directing coolant around the 262s rear cylinder walls.

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Once again the same tubes at the front. Notice the wide front 262 slit. Any appearance of a tube size difference is an optical illusion… they're the same size. Can anyone tell me if the (’51-up) wide-block 262s or 232s have the improved distribution tube?

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