Is there a simple method of measuring the clearance available between the carb and a cowl hood with the hood closed?

Styrafoam cups or kids modeling clay. I think the clay works best though.

Playdoh, put a piece of wax paper on the top so it doesn't stick when you reopen the hood...Zuma

John just give it a hard SLAM down and where ever the hood pops up, you can see the size of the bulge and just reverse that measurement to the underside and its done, then hammer out the dent in the top. graemlins/clonk.gif
I know I know, smart A**

package should be here this week, I will drop you a note so we can arrange a pickup.

you can set a ball of tin foil on the air cleaner and close the hood on it also.
Roger

I also like to use a telescoping emphasis pointer.

Click, Thanks for the thoughtful insight, Your the best! Oh yeah, thanks you other guys with those boring simple non-destructive techniques also.

I just pull out about 4" or what ever you need on the tape measure with a loose locking mechanism and slowly close the hood. It pushes the tape back into the case and leaves the exact clearance plus the 2" for the case. I did it at the back and front of the air cleaner as has a slightly different angle from the hood. Worked excellent for gauging how much soft rubber I needed to seal off the cleaner (Cake Pan) to the cowl hood. Good luck dude !!! :D :D :D

midlife is the breather the only clearance you are concerned with? If so... put some wax paper on the breather top. Spread a thin film of vaseline on the hood above itor tape some wax paper to the hood also. Buy a can of "spray insulation", the stuff you seal around windows. Squirt a small layer on top of the breather and shut the hood for an hour or so. Remember that this stuff expands ALOT so dont over do it. When it dries you will have a mold of the clearance. Kevin

I bought a laser level from Sears a while back that has worked great for all sorts of alignment problems. It's a short fat little thing. Kind of looks like a football. It has a flat beam that can be rotated from horizontal to vertical. It has a magnet on the bottom and a bubble level on top. It comes with a little leveling plate and tripod mount. All for about $24.

The laser beam is exactly 2" above whatever it is mounted to. You may find you can stick it on the hood somewhere, project straight accross and measure to you areas of intrest (like the aircleaner opening for example). Then set the thing up on the radiator support or something level and measure that way. Sometimes you have to noodle and fool around with it, but it is a fantastic tool for stuff like this.