Pretty sure (95%) that when I bought my '76 ten years ago that it did not have the left side spark plug heat shields.  Possible that some mechanic removed them, but the car was always maintained by a dealer before me.   The interesting part is that my ass'y manual for a '76 has a revision to that drawing sometime during the production run that shows "LH view removed" - like they eliminated the view since they were not installing them on the cars.  Is it possible that my car came from the factory with only right side shields?  Any stocker '76 owners willing to go out and check for me?  What about the later cars?  

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Which particular shields are you asking about? There are the cad/zinc plated shields that kinda wrap around/under the plug, right next to the exhaust manifold, and then there are the chrome plated shields that fit around the outside of that area, and fasten the the other shields with wingbolts.
The reason for the hole in the front, driver side outer(chrome) shield is to allow the wiring for the temp sender unit to pass thru. In cars that have the TCS system, there is also a different temp sender in the pass side head between the two rear plugs, and a corresponding hole for that wiring in the chrome shield. I don't think the two shields are interchangeable...I think the brackets for the wingbolts are in different locations on the shields, but I'm not 100% sure.

As for the page in the AIM deleting a particular "view" in the drawing, that could mean anything. IF the shielding for that area itself was deleted, the notation would state such, as in "#332456 deleted", and there would be no shield part number listed on the page(upper right).

hth


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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Joel,

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Hmmmm.....I really don't know for sure if all four in the link will work on your engine, but they should at least bolt up. Imma thinking there will be a difference in the shape of the exhaust manifold that will keep at least one of those particular shields from fitting properly. Do your exhaust manifolds go UP from the head, meet in the center, and go back down(ram's horn), or do they go DOWN from the head, and exit from the rear? 

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Thanks, Joel!  I thought you might be the one to answer this post.  To answer your question, yep, I've got Rams horns (I thought all of our small block cars originally came with them??) so they're symmetrical.  I think I'm going to order that set in the link (or one like it) and see if they all fit.  Worst case 2 or 3 of them do and the 2 that I have now are pretty rough any way.  I'll take pics and post when everything is put back together.  

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Just to follow up on this post, in case anyone was following it - it seems like all four of the regular SBC spark plug heat shields will fit.  I've got both manifolds on, spark plugs in and the four shields are installed and I can get plugs in and out without removing the shields.  My car does not have TCS so there is no temp sensor on the pass side.  BUT - I don't have everything installed yet like motor mounts, ignition shielding and the lower heat shields for the ignition wires (the V-shaped ones).  I'll post some pics soon.  

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"