I did some searching before posting, but I may have missed these questions already being answered somewhere. If you have a link post that for the answer. Thanks.

The vehicle is a 69 A100 with the 727.

1. How do I tell if I have a "high mount starter" that will not accept the rear Dutra manifold? Anyone have pictures?

2. On a daily driver stock engine how important is it to have the intake manifold heat? I live in the south but would like to hit the key and be on my way without excessive warm up time.

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1968 A100 Van, 225, 2bbl intake, carter bbd, 727, 3.55 sure grip, Scarebird front disc conversion. Van was originally a CA fire department vehicle.

When looking at the engine from the grille of the vehicle a high mount starter is about at the 2 o clock position and under the exhaust manifold...

If you have a low mount starter (NP 435 vehicle or 727 with the adapter plate), it will be at about 5 o clock and near the ground (you have to crawl under vehicle to change the starter....)

You can put a dual dutra in the rear on the high mount starter but you will need a mini starter or clockable starter, possibly with a heat shield and a custom pipe to come off the rear dual and go over the starter and sheild...

Thanks for that info. I definitely have a high mount starter. What is a "clockable" starter? Were they a factory item or is it an aftermarket starter?

Never mind, I found the answer on the forum. Thanks again, hate to bug forum members with already answered questions.

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1968 A100 Van, 225, 2bbl intake, carter bbd, 727, 3.55 sure grip, Scarebird front disc conversion. Van was originally a CA fire department vehicle.

I have the high mount starter and the rear Dutra Duals, (front as well). The exhaust guy had to bend the rear one up and over the mini starter that is also required. You can grind the flanges down somewhat to make more clearance space.

Sam

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Exactly what my exhaust guy did on mine. He made a "C" pipe to wrap around the mini starter that allows enough room to remove it without removing the exhaust. Not pretty, but effective.

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If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.

Don't forget, there are "outie" mini starters that protrude up into the exhaust space (the kind everyone's meant by "mini starter" since 1989) and there are "innie" mini starters that hug the block and leave a lot more room for exhaust parts. See here then here and here.

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Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Sorry to say that a Dutra casting will not clear the standard starter, when it is installed with a later "RG" 727 automatic trans with the "high mount" starter, using the 727's common 143 tooth ring gear size.

As others have commented, the Dutra casting, machined to service the rear 3 cylinders, is a tight fit, when used with the 122 tooth (904) high starter location but the Dutra exhaust manifold becomes direct interference, when the starter moves up & outward, as it does on the high mount 143 tooth ring gear, RG727 auto trans.
(a 727 w/ a Slant 6 bell housing, not the low starter adaptor plate set-up)

A modified (capped-off) factory manifold combined with a Dutra front manifold works just fine with the RG727... and you get to keep your choke and intake heating.

But, if you really want that "clean look" of the dual exhaust pipes, coming out from under the intake manifold there may-be some newer starters that can be made ("clocked") to clear that high mount 143 tooth RG 727 starter location, with a rear Dutra manifold.

Another option is to make a special modified factory exhaust manifold, with-out the intake heat box,
DD