I am looking to replace the Ford stock 4 bbl intake manifold on my 306 with an aluminum intake. I've been seriously looking at the Edelbrock performers, but I was looking at one locally (not sure exactly which version it is) that does not have the water cross-over at the back of the manifold. I've seen this in several aftermarket manifolds. Is this not a problem with cooling the heads?
Don't go performer, go Performer RPM or better, such as Air Gap. The performer is not much better than the stock intake.
The information I've seen on the difference is the RPM range. This engine is actually on my pickup which does most of it's work at low RPM (like pulling a stock trailer). From what I've read, the bennefit of the Performer RPM won't be used much on the truck. My main curiousity is the lack of water cross-over on several intake manifolds that are supposed to be for that engine.
Well, the performer is not much different than stock so unless you are replacing your stock one because it is broken, you might just want to stick with it. Or if you are swapping to go from 2 barrel to 4 barrel carb.
I went to a four bbl about two years ago. I got the stock intake from a friend who said it came off a 289 mustang. I've been SLOWLY modifying this engine over the last 10 years (pickin' folks brains along the way). I started ranching about then and instead of getting another truck, I've just upgraded this one, a 76 F100 short-bed that I've had 20 years now. I don't mind playing with it a bit, but it is not gonna race anybody. The 302 was bored to 306 at the last overhaul. Compression is 10:1, it has a somewhat improved cam (Cranecams), Hooker headers and an Edelbrock Performer 4bbl carb. The c4 was replace with a c6. I basically am using a light half-ton like a three-quarter ton. From what I've read lately here and elsewhere, I am planning on the aluminum intake and adding the H pipe to the exhaust. What I've done so far has made a tremendous difference in what it will do and I can do these next two things relatively easily and inexpesively. This will probably be as far as I will go with this engine. (Then I'll start playing with another 302 for our maverick).
The only thing that I can think of...and this is a total guess...is that because the heads are interchangable (no specific left or right hand sides) that the back water passages are not needed but still built into the heads. The way the engine is designed (I may be mistaken, but I'm sure someone will chime in) the liquid water comes into the lower radiator hose goes through the block up into the heads and exits out of the thermostat housing at the front of the block. Because the engine typically sits lower in the back (note that all intake manifolds are built tilting the carb forward) any air bubbles or steam would come forward and up. Technically you wouldn't need a crossover in the back. I think that lately a lot of manufacturers are saving material by not putting that unneeded crossover into the rear. Purely my own observations here, but take it for what it's worth.
The rear passage isn't needed for cooling, the only reason there's two coolant passages to start with is the ablility to swap the heads from side to side. The RPM intake will do fine even on your truck. Dual plane intakes aren't as sensitive to rpm ranges as a single is. I ALWAYS use these type intakes regardless of application. Another good replacement for the stockers is Ford's own A321, this is basically a remake of there older C9OX and Shelby Cobra high rise. Edelbrock used to make it too as their F4B. Works on stock to wild motors from idle to 6500 rpms as does the RPM intakes. Weiand also has a good one in their Stealth.
i have a Edelbrock Performer 302. it works.. but not good for power.. just like scott said, go RPM. it is much better... or go Weiand. But if you want any sort of performance.. do not go performer... take my word on experience
Check your stock 4v intake... It doesn't have a rear water passage. The iron 4v intake will actually run better than the Performer. Just the Performer is a bit lighter. If you want aluminum, I recommend the Wieand Stealth. Being in TX you can get away with blocking the heat risers too. Get the gasket kit with the block off plates.
Place the two side by side and you can see there's virtually no diffference, other than one's iron and the other's aluminum. If you want an aluminum like it, just go to ebay and buy either a used Performer or an 83-85 5.0 HO intake. The HO's go for $50 and that's all I'd spend for any of the three.
Performer I agree. Buy the cheapest you can find. I will say that the Performer will do just fine, especially in a pickup, which weighs a thousand pounds more than a Maverick. It, or the factory manifold, will have much better off-idle torque than the RPM will have. It will be better than the RPM until about 2500 rpm. In a light car the RPM will move it just as well off-idle and will perform better to 6000 rpm. YMMV, Jim
Well, the stock intake manifold for Mavericks & Comets is a 2-barrel, so a Performer is a substantial increase in performance. I don't undestand why people here bad-mouth the Performer. It is a kick-ass intake manifold. Sure, the RPM is excellent, and I would certainly run it, but if your engine has stock heads and a cam that's not real radical, the Performer works excellent for that RPM range, whereas the RPM really isn't giving you anything extra. Oh, and the cast aluminum is lighter in weight and dissipates heat better than cast iron, so they are hardly the same. I had a stock cast-iron 4-barrel intake from a '68 Mustang before I got my Performer, and there is a difference between the two besides iron & aluminum. The stock unit's carb mounting baseplate is a whole inch lower than the Performer. I had to use a 1-inch spacer for the carb height to be correct (the original 2-V intake had a 1-inch EGR spacer). Obviously, the ports are the same size, and the appearance of the two is similar, being that they both must fit a 289/302. Be honest now; With the exception of you racers, how many of you guys see over 5500 or 6000 RPM on your engines, for which case you'd actually need something better than a Performer?...
