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Ford fe intakes

13K views 36 replies 9 participants last post by  timothale 
#1 ·
I have a fe engine that was in a 63 galaxie I got a few months ago. It had been sitting in a shop for years when I got it. It ran but not that well. Since I have got it I have done alot of work to it and have learned quite a bit about the engine. It is a new engine. Cam/lifters are new, double roller timing chain, bored, new pistons and very clean on the inside. Question is I am looking at swapping intakes because the old one seems to leaking at the gaskets. What is a good intake to run? It has a weiand on it now.
 
#4 · (Edited)
blueovalforever said:
How does the weiand compare with the software?
Weiand makes a multitude of intake manifolds and I don't know which one you have or intend to get. What I'm saying here is that a dual-plane, high-rise 4-bbl intake will make more power than any other manifold from idle to 6000.

For you small block Chevy guys,
The original Weiand Stealth, which they don't make any more, was an equal to the RPM, part number 8016. Here is an ad on Amazon for it and one on ebay. They must have found a stash of old stock somewhere. Any of you SBC guys wanting an original Stealth to fit '55 to '86 heads should jump on this....
http://www.amazon.com/Weiand-8016-Classic-Stealth-Manifold/dp/B000CQDJ8C
http://compare.ebay.com/like/200591...f99e89c&itemid=200591154430&ff4=263602_325002
Also, the original Holley 300-36 was possibly the best of breed and it isn't made any longer either. Don't be snookered into purchasing the 300-36S, it is NOT the same manifold.
The Edelbrock RPM 7101, Weiand Stealth 8016 and Holley Street Dominator 300-36 were all patterned after the dual-plane, high-rise used on the Z-28's and LT-1's of the late 60's and early 70's. Those original aluminum Chevy manifolds were cast by the Winters Foundry and will have the Winters "snowflake" cast into the aluminum. If you can find one of these, you have the original "good guy" small block intake.

Professional Products makes a knock-off of this design also, called the Typhoon and sold under part numbers 52021 for satin, 52020 for polished and 52022 for chromed.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Watch ebay for an Edelbrock Streetmaster intake they are probably the best ever all around intake for an FE :thumbup: The standard Performer I give a thumbs down.The WEIAND is also a great intake a close check of the mating surfaces should be in order to find out why it leaks if a minor resurfacing would repair it I would use it unless it has already been resurfaced,check the old gasket imprint closely.
 
#13 ·
The Streetmaster came out at the time of the Jimmy Carter "Gas Crisis" by it's long narrow runners it increased low end torque and mid-range power and in most cases was a key to increasing MPG usually 2-3 MPG on the 70's smogger 360 & 390 FE's and the tried and true Holley 1850 600 CFM was the carb of choice in that era.For an FE street machine I don't think you could ask for a better choice now that $4 a gallon gas is back.
 
#18 ·
blueovalforever said:
Why is the perfomer 390 so hated?
I'm not sure that anyone hates them, but I'll give you my take on it.
Most any motor out there, street or street/strip, will make more power with a dual-plane, high-rise intake manifold from idle to 6000 than with any other manifold, as I have said before. The standard Performer manifold is a low-rise intake and in my opinion is only good for relieving some weight off the front axle over a production cast iron intake.

The Streetmaster is a good manifold, for what it was designed for. I have used them, so I speak from experience. Fantastic throttle response and good bottom end, petering out above 4000. It works really well for what it was designed to do, make power down low and conserve fuel.
 
#20 ·
Ford had a couple good stock intakes if you can find them. I'm trying to remember but I think the good one has an "S" on it, came in some police cars.
I have ran a few of the old stock cast iron Ford units and was basically happy but they weigh 77 pounds, about 60 of which you can eliminate with an aluminum one.
 
#22 · (Edited)
blueovalforever said:
I am considering the performer 390 due to not building a rpm monster or aggressive camshaft.
Let me put this another way for you.....
A Performer RPM will make more hp and torque from idle to 4000 than any other manifold. It's all about letting the motor breathe. A good manifold and a good set of headers will go a long way toward making a sow's ear into a silk purse.
 
#24 ·
If you study fluid dynamics, you'll find out that there is little flow of any gas or liquid around the perimeter of the vessel. Most of it is right down the middle, same as a river. Look at the banks, is the water flowing as quickly next to the bank as it is out in the middle of the river?

I have never worried about port matching for another reason, too. Reminds me of looking at an Anaconda that swallowed a pig. When you have a material flowing through a vessel and the diameter opens up, like when you port match, the material slows down at that point. In this case, we're dealing with an air/fuel mixture and when it slows down, the fuel drops out of suspension. Who knows what happens to the puddle of fuel on the floor of the vessel at that point. Maybe it's picked back up when the r's go up and enters the cylinder as a big hunk of rich mixture. Whatever, it can't be good. Leave the passages alone and enjoy your time doing something constructive.
 
#26 ·
You'll never feel it in the seat of your pants. Probably wouldn't see it on a dragstrip time slip either. I built a 455 Olds one time to do an engine swap into my son's '72 LUV pickup. Bone stock motor, the truck went 102 mph. I took the heads off and spent over 20 hours blending bowls and port matching. Bolted 'em back on and the truck went 103 mph.
 
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