I'm in need of help and hoping that someone can help me. My GP was in need of a rebuilt Carter carb on the 389 , which I have and when I went to replace it, this was hiding under the gasket for me. Please look at the right top of barrel. I'm so confused

[SteveGP65]

[Wrongway]

Are you referring to what looks like a big hole justa above the top right hole in your intake?

[SteveGP65]

Yes, Yes

[Wrongway]

I'm not understanding Steve, why are you confused? Confused at why there is a big hole in your intake or something I'm missing?

[SteveGP65]

That is it exactly,  It looks like it was cut out with a air torch or something along those lines. You can see when you blow the picture up that it even has the Pontiac blue paint on the edge.  I have never taken the carb off before and that hole is covered by the carb gasket. Why would it be there? What's its propose if any? Hard for me to believe the factory would send a car out with that.

[Wrongway]

I can't imagine that Pontiac would let something like that out of the factory. How long have you owned this car? It's possible this happened before you got this car, and it was justa hidden by the gasket and nobody ever caught it. But it looks broken to me in the pic and I know my 428 factory intake does not have that big hole in it. Justa my thoughts and I'm sure somebody else will chime in shortly with more info.

[SteveGP65]

That's what has me so confused. I have owned this car since 2001. I found it in a garage in Joplin, MO.  Woman sold it to me, it used to be her father's and he bought it brand new in 1965. He barely drove it except on Sunday sort of thing. He got sick and parked car. It was parked for years. I have done nothing engine wise except tune up, and filter changes. Car runs perfectly, loves rolling down highway at 75 - 80 mph with out an issue. I would have never found this hole unless I had to take carb off. 

[TWO LANE BLACK TOP]

The intake manifold is designed that way...

It is not an issue....

What you are seeing is just the unfinished excess flashing left over from the casting process making it look rough and ragged....Along with years of crap built up in that portion of the manifold.... 

Edited April 11 by TWO LANE BLACK TOP

[Last Indian]

1 hour ago, SteveGP65 said:

That's what has me so confused. I have owned this car since 2001. I found it in a garage in Joplin, MO.  Woman sold it to me, it used to be her father's and he bought it brand new in 1965. He barely drove it except on Sunday sort of thing. He got sick and parked car. It was parked for years. I have done nothing engine wise except tune up, and filter changes. Car runs perfectly, loves rolling down highway at 75 - 80 mph with out an issue. I would have never found this hole unless I had to take carb off. 

While the picture makes that area look odd it is a normal configuration. The picture makes it look, as you say chopped up, but I would need to see a better picture to determine that. Still that area is just an open area. Unless there is a breakthrough into one of the plenum runners it’s not an issue. I seriously doubt that there is or the car wouldn’t run. This is a better picture of what that area looks like.

[Wrongway]

Well that makes a lot more sense. 

[SteveGP65]

Hi Everyone, I was finally able to take better pictures of this hole, Tell me what you think.

The carburetor gasket covers it completely and the car runs prefect.