Intake Manifolds
 

What I want to know is what you guys (and girls) out there think the best intake manifold is. This is for a Street/Strip mustang, '92 GT, I am putting in GT-40 P heads, headers, cobra rockers, and a few other minor things. Right now I have a pretty good idea of what I want to buy, but before I put in my order, I wanted to get everyone's opinions on their favorites and why. I'm not going to say what I am leaning towards, but you can PM me and I'll tell you. The reason why is I want an unbiased opinion.

Thanks in advance!

Amanda

amanda from what i hear the holley intake is the intake to beat for street cars. But the edelbrock rpm is also suppose to be a pretty stout piece. but i guess for your application i would say holley

I've always had really good success with a plain old Cobra intake in my AOD cars. It maintains alot or torque throughout the rpm band and the cost is hard to beat. I'm pretty sure I'm going to add it to my car now, unless I find a deal on a box upper.

Like whiterod said, the holley also seems to be a very good intake as well. I have yet to read anything bad about. Sorry I don't have real world experience with it.

I say the Cobra intake if you won;t be exceeding 400-450 HP. Good price and looks really nice :rolleyes:.

If you are gonna go over that then I like the TrickFlow stuff or the Holley/Eidelbrock stuff also.

Thanks,
DoranW

Well i did some reading and the Trickflow intakes out flowed most of the intakes out there. But the real test was at the track. I was pulling 14.2 @98mph with the auto trans consistantly. No heads just stock ones and stock intake. Then i put on the street heat Trickflow upper/lower (flows 230cfm each intake port) went to the track and pulled 13.9 @101mph, just with the intake. Wow i finally hit the 13's. There are lots of different intakes now, so one thing u should do is match the intake with the heads your going to get, because there would be no point in getting a intake which flows more than your heads can push out.


Ian

If you plan on staying N/A then I would say that the cobra/GT40/Explorer will work nicely with the heads you have chosen. They will help keep your lowend torque.

But if you plan on a blower, or want to really rev it, then look elsewhere. Trickflow trackheat, performer RPM.....

I can tell you from personal experience that the explorer makes pretty good power, especially for the price.

good luck with your decision,
-Drew

Results of having a Trick Flow street intake:

Background:
I just installed recently a trick flow street intake/shorty headers, 2 1/2" offroad h-pipe and cat-back, a few other things (intake stuff, 3.55 gears, full MSD ignition system) on my GT which already had Cobra roller rockers and i also ported the exhuast on the stock heads. It also has a 70mm TB, 73MM MAF and cold air induction.

Results: The intake manifold/porting/exhaust that i did to my car DRAMATICALLY increased how fun my car was to drive. I can smoke the tires up to 45mph now easily (i need to do something to the stock suspension) and it's almost scary to drive in the rain. The intake is cool because it whistles at idle and the engine sounds like a winston cup engine :D the powerband jumped up from wheezing at 4500 rpm to coming alive at 4,000 and pulling all the way to 5500. The powerband is really wide and it sounds great. I think the quality of the Trick Flow intake manifold is top notch, the casting quality is great and i think it looks good too. I had to choose between the cobra and the trick flow street and i chose trick flow because i've never heard any bad comments about how it performs. The Cobra was my original choice but i heard people tell me i'd want to port it if i supercharged my engine, etc. So that is what basically pushed me to the Trick Flow manifold.
The edelbrock manifold i've heard mixed reviews about although it's supposed to be great and i've heard the GT40 intake flow only a little better than the Cobra and costs$200 more.

Holley's the best.
 

If you look at the combo its P heads on a 3.55 geared AOD. You need lowend torque. The P heads are going to create that. Sure other intakes flow better than others, but if you look at dynos on a heads/cam/intake stang, the explorer, gt40, edelbrock, and RPM all make almost identical HP, w/ the explorer and edelbrock making slightly more lowend torque. The street heat TFS is a good intake making about 8more hp than the others. The holley making much more, but lacking lowend and making it in the upper rpms. Its a stock cammed car w/ 1.7's, going to put the flow #'s of the holley out of reach, as its not going to rev high enough to take advantage of it.

Everyone can say how much their intake helped, and how great it was, but have you compared it to anything else? Most every aftermarket intake out there is good, it needs to be matched to your application and desired results.

Btw a intake isn't going to add ~3mph to your 1/4 mile time on stock heads, that was definatly driving/weather/tune.

Skyler

Skyler
 

Skyler said it best

Just becuz a intake outflows all the others that happen to be on the market at this particular time,that DOES NOT mean,it's the best intake manifold for every application.

Sky was right..Altougth I would say the Holley is #1, it's not for your application the P heads would kill the flow of the Holley and not be able to take advantage of it's HUGE ports.

I saw get a RPM or even a Cobra and you will be very happy. They will flow alot better then the stock and still have great low end but decent mid-top range as well.

i have a edelbrock performer intake, and i think it makes great power, thats true about trying to flow too much with the huge ports, thats why i went with the performer, i wanted to keep my low end torque and that intake gave me just that, personally i would suggest something mild like the~edelbrock performer-trick flow street- sorry guys/gals but i think the cobra intake is junk. just my personal opinion though.

I think an Edelbrock Performer RPM would compliment your plans nicely, and would be my first choice if I was in your shoes. Honestly, though, the differences between the majority of your choices will be minimal, which leaves cost and personal preference as two of your biggest factors.

Take care,
-Chris

I ran the Cobra for a few years on a stock motor and was VERY pleased with how it ran.
Then used it with the S-trim, and still was pleased.
Finally got some TFS heads and now needed to upgrade, so I sold the Cobra and went with the TFS intake:
http://www.dariusrudis.com/mustang/n...e/dsc01429.jpg
(showing off again!) :D

well i'm glad to see that some of you guys seem to think my driving skills got better even though i already stated that i would run consistantly 14.2 then i hit 13.9 when i bolted on the intake. But ya your right my driving skills must have changed. Come on.

Well, I run the Edelbrock RPM and I am very pleased. Great power, and with the setup, it will get good results for you.

Unfortunately, due to mainly to my cam along with the rest of my combo, my powerband hits STRONG at 3000 rpm, and my PI 2800 converter just isn't getting me there quick enough. It actually flashes around 2500 and those first 500 rpm kinda wreck havock on my 60' times. It sure hits nice from a first gear roll, though. :)

I need more stall or steeper gears!

--nathan

Well no offence but that was your car not mine. Maybe u didn't tune your car like i did. Not my problem you didn't feel any gain from yours. Man it's only three tenths of a second, so whats your problem. lots of people add intakes to increase more air flow to the stock heads. And i not saying that you'll get the full potential out of the intake since the intake ports are smaller on the stock heads compared to the new intake. if you still don't believe look at the mph i had before compared to with the trickflow intake.
stock 98mph 1/4
trickflow 100-101mph 1/4

say what you want but my numbers from the track don't lie. so stop saying i'm lying

1bad89, you always cotradict what people say, im not saying you should agree, and give false information, but just because something didnt work for you, or you "ben there done that" doesnt mean it wont for someone else, didnt you sell your car? why do you linger around? to offer your knowledge? great :rolleyes: I know of a guy that traps over 100 mph with just an edelbrock intake, and pullies, gears, nothing else done, he could barely hit 97 mph at 14.4's before, so the extra air the engine takes in can be good for a couple mph, maybe not 3, but some kind of gain dont you think?:rolleyes:

now on another note, a guy with an aod lx, told me the tfs intake slowed him down, maybe it did,

so people can try what they want, i will, or or it wont work, i for sure am not going to, not mod my car with something, just because someone said it didnt work for them, the longtubes im purchasing tommorrow will sure be a wake up mod for my car im sure, some people say its a waste, well guess what? those people hate to see anyone faster than them.

I lost 4 tenths with cam, headers, and upper and lower intake. I don't think that was all lost from the cam and header. And same track with same conditions...and I still have an Auto, so it wasn't my driving :)

Thanks,
DoranW

I didn't tune my car like you did? LMFAO! Yeah all that tuning with swapping an intake must have REALLY helped. I didn't say it was your problem, now did I? ONLY 3 TENTHS OF A SECOND? LMFAO! You must not be a hardcore drag-racer? Or even an avid one if you say that? You don't pick up 3 tenths with an intake on a stock motor, I'm sorry.

No just stupid people. And I said been there done that, no ben there done that, so ******* get it right if your going to quote me. Yes I sold one of my cars, wtf is it to you? You have no idea what cars I have or work on, you only think you know by what is in my sig., and even if I didn't have a car at all, I'd still hang around, so your statement is lame. I also don't give a rat's *** if you wonder why I linger around or not, I'm here rather you like it or not. There are many people that don't have a stang on this board that are on here, so I don't see what you deal is, and by the way assfuck, I do have a stang.;) Kinda bent yourself over on that one by yourself. All I said is a aftermarket intake on stock heads, YOU WILL NOT GAIN 3 TENTHS. That's all I said. I could really give a **** less about your lil buddy running 14.4's also. Good luck on your longtubes.:)

Yea *** suck, i didnt think the typo error was worth me even wasting my time with an edit, BFD, please man! i knew you would have some kind of stupid comeback about the typo error, you are an ******, so go ahead and type another autopbiography about all the cars you own, I still wont care?

So tell everyone how they are wasting money on mods, because you "been there done that" I posted about how its cool you offer your knowledge, but you have to get smart and quote them like a prickkk, like "come on" ever since I been here you have been like that, so go on with yourself boy please...im threw with a cheesy intake thread.

here we go again :rolleyes:

guys, do us a favor and either grow up, or stop filling these threads with your "I'm right and you're not" crap

Please
 

Hey, thanks to all the helpful information guys. Could you stop arguing though? Its really really unattractive. You haven't driven each others cars and really have no right to smash each other. Everyone has a different experience.

I agree, the arguing needs to stop. This site is set up for mustang owners talk to other mustang owners, learn and help each other out with problems, just look at the top of the computer screen, above you see "The Mustang Message Board > Ford Tech > Windsor Power ......." I personaly think this is pathetic. I dont visit this site too often anymore, but it seems most everytime I do, all people want to do is argue about what other people have or dont have, or what times they ran or didnt run, then that turns into, you cant even spell, or didnt use correct punctuation. SkadonyaCA started this thread to get peoples OPINION, and on intakes, not each other, maybe we need to go back and read the very first post again and get back on topic. I also am intrested in peoples opinions on different intakes. Im in the same boat as SkadonyaCA in a way, also looking for an intake for my car. Different people are going to have different expirences, the point is to get a basic idea and form your own opinion. Now go ahead and flame me all you want, but seriously, what is the point? do you get any self-satisfaction out of it? and by the way, this is not directed at any one person, Im not taking sides.

On another note, I also am looking for an intake for my combo. Its a carb set up right now but I will be swapping to EFI soon. Ive been leaning tward the Trick Flow, probably the street intake. I havent heard anything bad about it yet, Ive heard alot of positive expriences with it, but im not at the point of purchase yet so I have some time to think about it and gather other peoples opinions and experiences

TrickFlow is one of the best intakes out there, but some people think they are ugly. I don't think they look that bad, but that's just about the only bad thing I have heard about them. :)

Thanks,
DoranW

Here is some more food for thought:

This thread prompted me to dig out some old mag issues looking for the old Edelbrock ad that claimed 37 additional hp from their Performer intake. (Well, I found it. Next problem is getting this cleaned up before my wife gets home. I've got enough old magazines on the floor for a foot tall stack for every crapper between LA and New York)

In the 8/96 MM&FF page 59 Edelbrocks advertisement reads that they gained 37 hp on a stock engine with a Performer Intake 70mm TB, an EGR plate and exhaust. That was on stock heads.

Will that make 3 tenths and 3 MPH difference? I think so. I know the intake was not an Edelbrock, the example just serves as a reference. Congrats on the 13.9.

As for which intake to run, I like the Holley II.

Ricer math....ahhhh.
 

No hard feelings or anything, but you shouldn't believe what mag's quote. There is no way anyone would pick up 37hp by just bolting on an intake to a stock headed, stock motor. If it were true, my bolt on stang would of had 710hp. :)

no prob believing
 

i agree with 1bad89 when he states that the edelbrock intake by itself will not give you 37 hp by itself. Maybe with heads, exhaust, tb, and so on...... it will net out 37 hp. but i don't have a problem believing that a intake will drop 3 tenths of a sec. I have no problem believing because i experienced it myself. Before i put my heads on i knew i was going to change the intake so i went ahead and purchased the cobra intake and put it on with the stock heads. I did have the exhaust already done, and gears and so on. So i thougt well since i have air going out pretty good, it couldn't hurt. So i put it on and went from a 14.80 to a 14.50. My mph went from i think from 95 to 97. I don't believe the hp from the intake did it by itself. I believe it was super ford who did a test on all intakes and found that the cobra, edelbrock performer and maybe the gt-40 gave more cfm's per inch which made it a more efficient intake and it flowed more air. So i believe that not only the added flow but the more cfm i got at lower rpm made the difference. Its kind of like extrude honing a stock intake. the bores don't increase much but effiency of the intake is increased to give more performance. maybe this sounds like a bunch of bull krap but i know it did help my car.

I too will be looking for an intake soon. I think the most important thing to consider is the total package, "where do you want to be in the end."

I have heard many good things about the Cobra/GT40/Explorer intakes. I've also heard that most people who change to the TFS or Holley intakes AFTER the Cobra intake are very impressed with the TFS and Holley in comparision.

So, I'd first pick an intake with characteristics that meet your needs, then pick the right intake.

Also, the bickering that has been going on lately is getting real old, real fast.