I have one of those hand held thermal meters you can get for $30 at Harbor Freight tools. I've read about Exhaust Gas Temperature guages and wondered if the same principle would work by pointing it at each header pipe while the engine is running. I would assume that there would be a slight variance to be expected but that the temps should be within a small percentage of each other.

I think it is a very valid tool. I ain't never used one but sometime in the future I will. you rarely see posts on header temps but alot of posts on rad top/bottom temp differences. It'd be good to know what the intake manifold flange temp is and the fuel pump and carb base temps. heat is energy & as we know it works for and against us

I was thinking that since there always seems to be some mixture distribution issues, this could lead to staggered jets or settings in the idle mixture screws.