Two heat riser questions.

[Barbecue]

Hi, all.

Last weekend I finally brought my '86 Silverado home. I couldn't be happier and am looking forward to sharing my progress on here.

My first order of business is replacing the "computer controlled" carb (q-jet) and distributor with a regular (rebuilt) and regular HEI distributor. While I'm at it, I'm throwing on an old edelbrock intake, rams horns, and removing most of the smog equipment.

In the process of doing this work, I've removed the heat riser from the passenger side exhaust manifold. It seems to be a vacuum controlled unit, as opposed to one of the older style ones with by bi-metallic spring. Question: have people had success just removing this heat riser and not re-installing it? Does it just take the carb a little longer to warm up?

In the process of switching to rams horns, I'll be losing the heat collecting shroud on the passenger side. This shroud collects hot air from around the exhaust manifold and sends it up into the air cleaner as a means of assisting the carb warming up. I would like to continue to use the stock air cleaner (I like its pseudo ram air design), so does anyone have experience in mocking up some type of heat collector for around rams horns?

Thanks everyone in advance for any insights you can offer.

Barbecue

PS, I live on the west coast (very mild winters), so that plays into the above to questions seeing as I won't be trying to warm my engine up in -20, just around freezing at the lowest. Thanks