How to I.D. a PI Intake

delling3 · Sep 11, 2018

I have a 96 GT, which I recently purchased. My understanding was that the NPI intake had a plastic crossover, while the PI intake was a aluminum crossover. My intake has an aluminum cross-over. Does this mean the intake has already been swapped with a PI one? Were NPI intakes made with an aluminum crossover? I know the PI intake has much longer intake runners, but I don't think you can see that with the intake installed on the engine. Are there other visual clues that I can look for? Don't want to buy a PI intake if I already have one . . .

lwarrior1016 · Sep 11, 2018

delling3 said:
I have a 96 GT, which I recently purchased. My understanding was that the NPI intake had a plastic crossover, while the PI intake was a aluminum crossover. My intake has an aluminum cross-over. Does this mean the intake has already been swapped with a PI one? Were NPI intakes made with an aluminum crossover? I know the PI intake has much longer intake runners, but I don't think you can see that with the intake installed on the engine. Are there other visual clues that I can look for? Don't want to buy a PI intake if I already have one . . .

Some npi intakes have aluminum crossovers. Grab a picture of the top of the intake and post it here. Look at the first runner behind the aluminum crossover, if it goes to the drive side it PI, if it goes to the passenger side then its NPI.

Defiant · Sep 11, 2018

Look at the first intake runner (closest to the front), if it goes toward the driverâ€™s side itâ€™s a PI intake, if it goes to the passenger side itâ€™s NPI.

PinkieT · Sep 11, 2018

Also see if you can find Ford markings. Dorman makes replacement intakes for PI heads but don't flow like the Ford intakes. If there is a PI Dorman on there, just swapping for a Ford piece will give you some added power.

delling3 · Sep 11, 2018

Tough to see without taking a lot of stuff off to tell for sure. I guess it will have to wait for a while.

Thanks.

07GtS197 · Sep 11, 2018

Simple way of telling if its a Ford intake or not is looking for holes on both sides of where the plenum bolts to the intake. Its solid plastic on Ford intakes but in every replacement intake Ive seen there is no plastic there between the runners for cylinders 2 and 3 and 6 and 7.