Intake option for PI head swap

CanadianBacon

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Hey all, after some reading I've decided on doing a PI head swap/cams for my 96 GT, but have a question regarding the intake manifold.

Now I don't know if I'm not being specific enough or too specific but my searched have come back with way too much to dig through without finding my answer.

If I did the PI head swap, and wanted to run an aftermarket intake, would I have to get one from the same year/PI intake or would I be good searching for one for a 96?
Thanks in advance!
 

lwarrior1016

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You’re going to be looking for a pi intake. That being said, what intakes are you looking at? Your best bet for a daily driven car is going to be the Ford pi intake. If you like spending money, you can get a bullitt or trick flow but bang for buck, the stock pi is king. Edelbrock intakes are cool but you’ll lose torque and have to rev way higher to make power.
 
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CanadianBacon

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You’re going to be looking for a pi intake. That being said, what intakes are you looking at? Your best bet for a daily driven car is going to be the Ford pi intake. If you like spending money, you can get a bullitt or trick flow but bang for buck, the stock pi is king. Edelbrock intakes are cool but you’ll lose torque and have to rev way higher to make power.
Really? Well assuming you know what you're talking about id probably just go with the factory PI then lol is that including upper intake as well? Thank
 

lwarrior1016

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Really? Well assuming you know what you're talking about id probably just go with the factory PI then lol is that including upper intake as well? Thank
I don’t claim to know everything lol. The plenum could net you a little gain. Your best bet is the accufab plenum and 75mm throttle body.
 

96blak54

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Cant go wrong with the pi intake! Its the choice for street performance. If you want more n/a power, youll need rpm and the edelbrock uncorks the potential, but dont assume swapping to this intake will provide that hp. Youll need cams, gears, and head work helps to make that intake shine
 

tsemmett

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+1 for the PI intake. Personally, I recommend looking for a 99-04 Mustang intake from Ford (a dealer or one of the resellers) as it tends to be a bit cheaper than the Ford Performance part (even though they're the same part).
 

Notthenow

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Oh scratch that, those bastards want $77 to ship it... I was trying to find the place I got mine for about $190.
 

96blak54

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I would suggest anyone who will keep their modular based car for many years to over look a plastic intake in favor for an aluminum one. Age alone deteriotes the plastic. Add in constant heat/cold cycles accelerates a shorter life span. Most times the intake gaskets fail before the intakes, but the intakes do fail.
 

Notthenow

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Good point Blak, I replaced mine after 7 years because the gasket surfaces around the cooling passages were eroded and crumbling. I could have added some sealer, but it was kess hassle to get a new one and not have irritating seepage again. I was surprised that coolant eroded the plastic, but it did.
 

96blak54

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And it was roughly around the late 90's when we discovered how engine coolant turns into a battery. The coolant would actually produce voltage! Supposedly the coolant type, the mix of metals within the coolant system such as aluminum, copper, iron, steel and always having voltage on the ground side.....would change the coolant into a low volt battery.
 

RAU03MACH

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I would suggest anyone who will keep their modular based car for many years to over look a plastic intake in favor for an aluminum one. Age alone deteriotes the plastic. Add in constant heat/cold cycles accelerates a shorter life span. Most times the intake gaskets fail before the intakes, but the intakes do fail.
i do agree with that , i have replaced a bunch of them do to leaks warping cracks ,
plastic always fails
 

Notthenow

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Make sense, at least in what I saw. Good to know. In the past (look at me talking as if 2v 4.6 tech is new) it didn't matter as much because the gasket material and sealer could handle some pitting, and aluminum/cast iron don't crumble. The plastic/silicone gaskets now don't really have that capacity. Basically plastic is shit in an engine compartment IMO. I understand that they don't heat sink, but otherwise, not my preference.
 

Notthenow

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The 5.4 block deck is taller so the manifold is wider. Truck manifolds in general are taller and won't fit under the Mustang hood. Last, they are designed more for torque versus higher rpm flow.
 

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