I want to buy an intake manifold for my 86 HO engine that is going into my maverick. I have been looking at the edelbrocks, etc, looks like the performer 289??? Are pretty much all intakes compatible with all year 302's??? The maverick does not have any smog laws where I live. I know the performer 289 is not equipped for egr, that's fine, is this going to effect me in a negative way?? to the best of my knowledge, egr goes through the intake only and not the heads right?? So I can use a manifold like this?? Just trying to find my best choice, and something on a budget. Thanks!
I have heard that there are water passage differences between early and late blocks, but I don't know for sure. Anyone know if I'm smoking crack?
I would not buy a Performer manifold, in my opiniom they are a MPG manifold not a performance manifold. Not really any better than the factory 4bbl manifold on a early 5.0 mustang. If my motor was stock or close to stock I might get a Performer RPM or RPM air gap( airgaps are not cheep). I dont think I would buy a Performance Products manifold, they are copies of the performer RPM and RPM airgap and the castings look a little rough. If you are on a budget I would get a Weiand Stealth, it has about the largest ports of all dual plane manifold and there is easily enough material to port match it your heads. I compaired it side by side with all three edelbrock manifolds and liked the Weiand the best. Also I looked at Offenhauser dual plane manifolds an passed on them also. Not having an EGR is a good thing If I was going to run a single plane it would be a Victor Jr
I have an offenhauser 360with a 1" 4 hole spacer it seems to work pretty nice it pulls hard to 6000rpm
From what I've seen the two best options now are the Edelbrock Performer RPM Air-Gap and the Weiand Stealth. The air-gap is the newest and I'd say the best. I have a Stealth and it was a big improvement over my old-style Edelbrock F4b.
Thanks for the suggestions, I'll look into pricing for all of those, isn't the performer rpm best for higher rpm useage?? Don't you loose some low end??? The 86 block going in supposedly has the following -fresh rebuild with only a few thousand miles -keith black forged pistons -stock cam, but has some custom grind?? -port and polished e6 heads with manly 2.02 intake and 1.92 exhaust valves, though some people thought I was smoking crack when I said that about the valves. The last owner rebuilt this engine, so i can't gaurantee anything, I can say it pulled HARD in the 86 gt it came out of, which is a few hundred pounds heavier than my maverick. Does anyone suggest swapping in a cam or anything before t he engine goes in, or would that be a complete waste of time with my heads?? ALSO, I have begun the search for a used intake based on all of the suggestions above. How can I be sure I get a good one and one that is not warped??
I have run a RPM air gap on a 350 chevy. I doubt you would loose any/much low end with a RPM airgap, its not that much of high rpm manifold. Actually I was a little disapointed with the RPM air gap on my chevy motor. That's why I purchased a Weiand Stealth manifold for my Ford. Also when looking at the RPM and Stealth side by side, I saw a few "features" on the RPM that I didnt like. 1. The RPM has smaller ports that limits mid and high RPM power. 2. The area just under the carb is smaller, there really isnt much of a plenum also limits power. 3. beacuse of the air gap design fuel dosnt atomize as well (no heat)so the manifold has ridges on the floor of the ports to keep the fuel from puddeling up. Price really wasnt an issue but the weiand was about $80 cheeper that the RPM airgap.
It looks like I have a lead on a new weiand stealth for $130, from a guy who was going to use it for a project that didn't happen. If it is used, what are signs to check?? What do I look for to be sure it is good?
Victor Junior I looked at all the above mentioned when I was going to get my intake. I got the Victor Jr. Its a pretty health intake. Much taller and has lots of room for it to be ported inside. I opened up the runners and I knife edged the intake where it starts into the runners. I haven't run the engine but per all the guys here that race it is much more stout of an intake than the other edlebrock intakes. Some say better than the others. That is always a matter of opinion. If you put them all side by side they each have their own specialty. The air gap is supposed to help with higher RPM and the low as well. The plane type are setup for low rpm. Each is the open type works best with high rpm and you lose a little on the bottom. Supposedly if you run with the air gap this will help. I chose the open since I will be getting my cam to kick in at later RPMs. I am running an Isky 232@50 317 lift and 108 degree lobe seperation. So basically your intake should depend on what you have for a cam and what you want to do with it. If you don't have much of a cam then your choice should be to go with a street type like the smaller single plane. And on and on. I bought an intake that I didn't like first and had to sell it for less than I paid. If your not a mech. My suggestion is to get a combo that is setup by a company. Summit can recomend a combo too. Edlebrock has setups they have tested. I know that there are people here on this board that race and that build their cars. They give great advice. I just don't get on too often to give advice. I think that if your not sure the best alternative is to call and talk with summit or jegs they will talk with you and you can call back for parts if you want to get them from there. They have more info at their disposal than most places. SORRY about the length but buying right the first time is now my main concern I don't have the money to buy a second time. Chris
Chris, that's some pretty good info, I really appreciate the help. I'm actually NOT looking for a high rpm application, as my maverick handles as well at top speeds as a donkey with roller skates. I'm looking for more of a lower powerband for now (which will bring all kinds of rear end and traction issues ) Maybe I will call one of the companies. I am very mechanically inclined, However, don't know the first thing about intake/carb comboes yet. I am looking for something on a very tight budget. I actually already have the carburator I plan on using, it is either a Holley 4 bbl, or 4 bbl carter competion carburator. Both I have had for years, and I know didley about neither, and I will be posting pics on this site tomorrow of both of them to see what people think. If I can get a good running combo for the price of a used intake ($100) or so, that would be killer!! and that is what I am after. I have entwined myself in 5 simultaneous fox body mustang projects (Huge projects) this Maverick project---which I HAVE to complete by may, or my mother will be very upset , and Julia, my first kid is due in 6 weeks!!! I am just blabbering, but thought I would kinda show what's on my plate. I have everything I need to get this mav going, and want to see how much performance I can get on a tight budget. I Love to see how resourceful I can get!!
Jeremy if the motor pulled good in the mustang I would nto change the cam. I also have an 86 5.0. I have to get my flat top pistions fly cut or replaced so I saw the cam. I also have some E7 heads to put on it. I have heard that with the E7 head swap you can gain some hp but you have bigger valves in your E6 heads so I dont think you will gain anything. The 86 5.0's are the only year with flat top pistons. This makes it so you have to flycut pistons or change them when you change the cam. Chad
Chad, you are right about the lousy flat top pistons. In a stock 86 mustang, even with the flat top pistons, so long as a higher lift cam is not run, you can directly still bolt on e7 heads. In fact, if you are going that route, pick up the 87+ upper intake too, as it flows more than the 86 upper, + the 87 up throttle body is 60mm vs 86's 58mm. Those two should be good for 25-30 horses. In my situation, the previous owner states that he rebuilt the engine himself, putting in forged new keith black pistons, which he believes were cut for valve reliefs. On top of that, he port and polished the e6's and put bigger valves in them (why he wasted his time with the e6's I'll never know.) Anyhow, in theory, I have the notched pistons which should accept a cam. HOWEVER, nothing is provable. Is there really any way to tell what pistons I have besides pulling the head?? I am very curious.
Great thread guys, I have studied it and learned. I am still running a Edelbrock f4b that I have been running since 1975. Charlie has got me thinking of the Stealth now. Dan
I've heard about the intake swaps also. I'm going carbed. I have a weild (sp) 8011 intake that came with my motor. You could remove a spark plug and then look in the hole with a bore scope. I looked in mine and thought I saw reliefs. It was hard to see in there with the carbon build up. but what I saw was the places on the pistons where there wasnt carbon from the valves running so close to the pistons. Ive got 2 set of E7 one set stock one set milled. Sometime this week I will see how much I need to notch the pistons for the 546 lift cam.
