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Intake manifold options

5K views 25 replies 13 participants last post by  Woodchuck 
#1 ·
HI
Situation : 66 HT 289 2100v stock. I have a 68 302 4BBL intake and newer 600 cfm Holley carb. Do I purchase an aluminum intake or use the old one? If I replace the intake which do you recommend.

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#2 ·
Nothing wrong with the factory, iron intake. But and Edelbrock Performer RPM will work a little better and save weight as well. Lots of people like the Weiand Stealth. It's a good intake, but a recent episode of "Engine Masters" showed the Weiand didn't perform quite as well as the Edelbrock at lower RPMs.
 
#3 ·
i used a 68 302 four barrel intake many years ago because at the time i couldnt afford the edelbrock intake. it works just fine on a stock or mildly built engine. i do agree that the performer rpm is the better intake though, but if money is tight, run the stock one until you can afford the other.

remember that stock parts do just fine regardless of what the hot rodders claim.
 
#6 ·
why buy a new intake, for what sounds like a stock engine? that is a waste of money since he already has the four barrel intake. if his future plans are to build the engine, then when the time comes he can buy the new intake that works with the engine build. in the mean time he gets to learn to work with a four barrel carb, IE tuning etc. andhe gets a small gain in power and throttle response, and that means more driving fun.
 
#5 ·
Personal preference.

On my 65 I put a black powercoat Summit intake and a 500 cfm Summit carb. Under the stock aircleaner with the stock valve covers you cant tell its not oem unless you look close. I have stock exhaust manifolds and a GT valance with trumpets. Performs well, sounds great for a 289 with stock internals. Im sure it made a significant hp increase over my wore out 2100. One pump on the gas and it fires right up vs having to baby it to get it to start with the wore out 2100.

On my 67 Im keeping the iron 4V and 4100. Its a cruiser not a performance car and I dont see a benefit of swapping the manifold and carb out.

Im also always looking to move weight off the front end for ease of steering and weight distribution. One of the reasons I tend to go with skinnier tires than most on here.
 
#11 ·
Thanks for the info, I will mostly like use the old intake now. LSG; the 600 Holley is not one intend for Ford use only. However, I am a little at loss with 1ofAMillion+ "just turn the timing up to 11" this is just about doubling the timing. Wouldn't this stress things causing damage to something?
 
#14 · (Edited)
The best way to set timing is first, have the distributor advance curves reset professionally. I guarantee they are wrong now, harming your performance.

Once that is done, put it back in the engine, set to 6°BTDC, and test drive the car. On a manual trans, you will need to "lug" the engine, that is, accelerate in a gear too high. You can probably achieve the same effect on an auto trans by disconnecting (and plugging) the modulator line.

Continue test-driving, advancing an additional 2° on each drive, until the engine pings under load. Then back off 2°. You will then have set the ideal power and mileage timing.

Even identical engines can vary slightly in timing. The 289HP calls for 12°BTDC initial timing. Mine likes 14°. Running a standard 289 2V or 289 4V at 10° is not at all unusual.

If you are running the standard C3AZ-V camshaft, the 600 is too big. You'll get all-around better performance with a 500.

The intake is also not a problem. Your iron intake is the same on used on the 289 High Performance. Upgrading the intake manifold is pointless unless you also upgrade the cam.

To sum up- Leave the iron intake on it, carefully set the timing using a well-adjusted distributor, and swap out the 600 carb for a 500. Use an Autolite 4100 or Summit.

Or:

Leave the 600 on, upgrade to a C9OZ-C or equivalent cam, and install a Performer RPM or Cobra intake.

Compatibility of the parts is the name of the game.
 
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#13 ·
On my 65 I went with the Summit black powdercoat manifold and 500 cfm carb, since I was changing from 2v to 4V I needed the manifold. I wasnt worried about peak performance, I wanted the engine to look good and the Summit was the lowest cost black powdercoat. My 2100 was running so bad, the 4V swap was a huge improvement. Im very happy with the swap. I kept an iron WP, saw a few threads about the aluminum pumps snout breaking off. Since I have and ALT, PS and AC I thought that was a lot of tension on the WP pulley.

On my 67 with a D-code 289 and cast 4V intake I am keeping my eyes open for a used aluminum 4V intake, if one pops up at the right price I will snag it for the weight savings. My WP is aluminum but I am only running the alternator off the WP pulley, AC later but that doesnt run off the WP pulley. I have an Opentracker roller idler for the 67 and EPAS to install. Im trying to keep the weight off the front end on the 67.
 
#15 ·
This article is pretty old but might be a good one to review. It has a stock Ford cast iron manifold vs other aftermarket aluminum manifolds.

Thanks,
 
#17 ·
I've had the chart from that article in my files for years. Amusing to think the stock Ford iron manifold is superior to the Edelbrock Performer. Do not confuse this with the Edelbrock Performer RPM, which is comparable to (and perhaps a few points better than) the Cobra.
 
#21 ·
If you're leaving everything stock, including the "log" exhaust manifolds, heads, etc., then by all means use the factory 4V intake... it's as good as an entry-level aluminum intake and without any improvements to the air flow potential of the heads will be perfectly fine. The only thing I WOULD do is consider selling off the Holley 600 and getting Summit M2008VS500 which will much better suit your stock configuration. Their "refurbs" can be purchased quite reasonably.
 
#24 ·
In the weeds, but this is what I did about a year ago.



My $0.02 = Went from an Edelbrock 750 CFM to the Summitt 500 CFM refurbished mentioned. Difference was night and day on a basically stock engine. Fires every time and seemingly reliable

My $0.05 = Regarding intake manifold, I figured at the time that if I replaced it, I'd likely create more problems from my DIY skills for a benefit that wouldn't exist.
 
#22 ·
I looked tonight at the Summit 500, they have jacked the price $40 and had no refurbs.

I was going to pick one up and save the 1.08 4100 off my D-code 289.
 
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#26 ·
Do some Googling on intake manifold replacement. There are a couple helpful hints, like cutting down 4 long bolts into "guide studs" to locate your gaskets and make it easier to simply drop the manifold in place. Also various perspectives on using RTV for end seals vs. original cork and the choices in intake gaskets. I, myself, like Victor-Reinz gaskets, cork end seals and sealant on the bolts. Everybody has their preference. Also, if you don't mind the cost of an extra set of gaskets and some Prussian blue, it won't hurt to check the port match between the intake and the cylinder heads and, if desired, to do a little gentle head work at the same time. You can stuff some Vaseline-impregnated paper towels in the ports and work a small magnet around after grinding to keep the filings to a minimum.
 
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