Looking for first hand advice, replacing intake manifold (no cam/heads)

[RICE ETR]

Before I start, yes I searched this on sn95 & google. I've read lots of topics on allfordmustangs as well. Consensus is do the manifold with a cam and a set of heads which makes sense.

I'm not ready to put that amount of money into the top end until next spring. However, I found a ported lower '94/'95 Cobra manifold & stock upper for a reasonable cost. I hear guys saying "You'll gain 15whp" other guys say it won't be noticeable until you add heads and a cam. should I even bother with this now? Stock TB, MAF, SR Intake, shorties, H Pipe, Catback.

My ultimate set up is going to be E303 Cam, Cobra Intake (70mm TB), GT40X swirl heads.

 

[rz5.0]

Intake swap is not worth in my opinion. . I would do cam first then heads . . If I was going to do it in steps..

 

[RICE ETR]

Intake swap is not worth in my opinion. . I would do cam first then heads . . If I was going to do it in steps..

Thanks for the reply!

 

[rz5.0]

Or even skip cam..
The bad thing about doing it in steps is all the gasket adds up.. before you know you spend 300+ in gaskets

 

[CC'S95GT]

^^^ that's what I was thinking too.
If you can get the intake at a good price then get it now and sit on it till you get the parts for the rest. (It's not like it's going to go bad)

 

[ScottyDsntKnow]

Intake swap is not worth in my opinion. . I would do cam first then heads . . If I was going to do it in steps..

Nope, other way around. Cam will do nothing with the stock heads except move the power band, possibly lose power. There are actually a decent number of cars out there with the stock cam and aftermarket heads/intake and they'll make a solid 280-290 to the wheels in a HCI car while maintaining bone stock street manners/driveability.

To the OP, you most certainly will see a gain by doing the intake manifold but it won't be the drastic gain some may claim. I've done it, you can tell by the SOTP-o-meter that the car is faster but again, not drastic and not worth it with the stock heads IMO. Now... I would be very VERY wary of any ported intake manifold if you don't know exactly who did the portwork and have the receipts to back it up. Most people who get these GT40 intakes ported have Tom Moss (tmoss) do the lower and he is the #1 porter you want to be doing it. The GT40/Cobra/Explorer upper does not need to be ported btw, it already flows 250cfm. The lowers flow 200cfm in stock form and tmoss takes them out to 240-250 cfm.

As for the rest of the OP's proposed combo... I'd think twice about a few things.

1 - The E cam is not the best cam in the world for driveability or power. 110 LSA can cause some issues with the computer and even if you are getting one for $100 used, you can also get a TFS1 cam for $100 used and that is a much better cheap cam.

2 - GT40X heads are overpriced and underpowered. Unless you are getting them new for $700-$800, don't bother. Buying new I'd recommend the Trick Flow Twisted Wedge 170s.

3 - You'll spend the same or less money supercharging what you have vs doing a HCI, and be ahead 100+rwhp. Been there and done this, if I ever get another 5.0 pushrod car it will get a supercharger and I'll call it a day. If you are really feeling froggy you can pick up a set of GT40 irons from the JY and a GT40 intake. Have the heads cleaned/valve job/new seals/new springs and clean up the intake as well. You can do the GT40 irons and not spend more than $500 total, the intake you can get for $100-$150 all day if you look. Do not port anything and just bolt them on with ARP hardware and the stock GT cam. Then supercharge. That's a 425-450rwhp combination right there and will also get you bone stock street manners and 25mpg too. Even if you stick with the stock GT heads/intake you'll hit 400rwhp no problem.

 

[rz5.0]

I was not thinking of power. Saving time doing the next process. .get the cam out way of the first then you can do the heads less stuff comes apart.. Intake later even less stuff comes apart

 

[ScottyDsntKnow]

IMO, its a complete waste to do the cam with the stock heads. Why tear it apart twice to do a mod that will gain nothing? If buying piecemeal, put the cam on the shelf until ready to do it right.

 

[RICE ETR]

3 - You'll spend the same or less money supercharging what you have vs doing a HCI, and be ahead 100+rwhp. Been there and done this, if I ever get another 5.0 pushrod car it will get a supercharger and I'll call it a day. If you are really feeling froggy you can pick up a set of GT40 irons from the JY and a GT40 intake. Have the heads cleaned/valve job/new seals/new springs and clean up the intake as well. You can do the GT40 irons and not spend more than $500 total, the intake you can get for $100-$150 all day if you look. Do not port anything and just bolt them on with ARP hardware and the stock GT cam. Then supercharge. That's a 425-450rwhp combination right there and will also get you bone stock street manners and 25mpg too. Even if you stick with the stock GT heads/intake you'll hit 400rwhp no problem.

Thanks for the reply, to specifically reply to this point. I debated this for a while, a vortec kit is in the neighborhood of $3500usd (i will probably never find a used one in my local area). I can piece together a HCI setup for maybe $2500, and change the headgasket while i'm at it.

Excellent point on the lower manifold porting, the seller does not have any confirmation of the port job so I will stay clear.

 

[5-oh-MUSTANG]

Aluminum heads and aftermarket intake manifold and tune can put similar numbers to a supercharger? Was considering doing the same thing as op and doing heads down the road, but might just go straight to supercharge as it seems cheaper.

 

[rz5.0]

IMO, its a complete waste to do the cam with the stock heads. Why tear it apart twice to do a mod that will gain nothing? If buying piecemeal, put the cam on the shelf until ready to do it right.

I think it's a waste to do it in steps. . But if that's the route he wants to go. Either heads or cam first..

 

[ttocs]

sooner or later if you do other upgrades you will want something better then the stock gt intake. I had my cobra intake for a while before I found a set of heads to go with it, and then later found a good deal on a cam and only then did I install it all. Make a list of the stuff you would like to do and keep your eyes open and I find its not too hard to find what you want at a fair price if you are not in a hurry to do it all at once.

 

[Mustanger]

I wanted the instant hit of torque with a positive displacement supercharger....kenne bell stopped making them for our cars so I don't want to go that route anymore...no support... a Vortech works better on the top end I have been told...not as interesting to me...I have never built an engine so it appeals to me strongly...HCI might be fun!

 

[ReplicaR]

When I did my intake manifold swap, everyone said that I would either see no power gains, or lose bottom end power. The baseline was Catback, Xpipe with high flow cats, and CAI. Car dynoed 192 rwhp. When I installed intake manifold (Edelbrock Performer, ported to use 75mm throttle body), I also installed 1.7 roller rockers and a 75mm throttle body. The car dynoed after 220 rwhp, which is a solid 28 rwhp gain. And the best part was, I had more range slightly, and lost nothing on the bottom end. I'll upload the dynosheet later to prove it.

 

[rz5.0]

Anything is an improvement over stock. . But why tear everything apart three times. .

 

[RichV]

First hand experience with dyno #s ...

GT40 intake, e7 heads, exhaust with stock headers, pulleys made 230 rwhp.

Same as above combo with E303 cam made 245 rwhp.

Same as 1 with E303 and GT40 heads made 260 rwhp.

With tho fuel pressure bumped up to 42# made 272.

edit** last 2 were with BBK shortys

 

[ReplicaR]

Dynosheet as promised. No tuning other than fuel pressure adjustment.

 

[ttocs]

Anything is an improvement over stock. . But why tear everything apart three times. .

THAT is exactly why I waited. Save yourself time and money, do a little planning and some searching and you will not be disappointed.

 

[russ8825]

Like everyone else said, if you're on a budget why do everything over and spend more money on redoing gaskets. If the price is right buy the intakes. I would just wait to put them on until everything else is ready to go.

 

[tshaec]

Do what Scottydsntknow said - Unless your just after Dyno numbers. IMO unless your gonna make 75 plus rwhp you probably wont even feel it in the seat. atleast I never could.