Perhaps Edelbrock did that to equalize the 8 intake runner flows.

I personally never could understand the successful “6 Pak” idea of how six carbs could better feed 8 cylinder runners but historically it worked.
Experiment tops theory.

That is an eight sided flow rediredtor over top 8 runners.

In mineral processing the engineer is constantly challenged by taking the output of one pump and dividing it to 5 screens, or 9 shaking tables, or 16 froth flotation cells, etc, and like an engine manifold that has air and gasoline droplets, the pump and pipes have water and various sized rock particles that tend to separate at ever turn. It is more art than science to end up with equal divisions of mixtures in the real world.

I've always thought that the paired intake runners lent the 440s to
run better with the end carbs on a six pack more directly feeding those paired runners.

Now on the Hemi, dual 4s better accommodate the separated intake runners.

Just my 2 cents....

Joe

found this on craigslist. Says it is a factory sb intake.
I don't remember ever seeing one with stuff blocking the intake like this. Why did they do that?

Just need to b a bit creative.