351 cobra jet intake manifold

[CHIEFER69]

Hey guys Chiefer again... So I have my mustang in the shop as you already know. Well I was going to put the Edelbrock performer 2665 intake manifold that supposedly is 4V 4B intake. Well my mechanic got it in and sent it back because the ports on the intake are significantly smaller then whats on my heads... Edelbrock says this would work. Do you guys know of any intake manifolds that fit good  on my heads? Im kind of bummed because he suggested just to put the stock intake back on and rebuild a spread bore carburetor for it.

 

[Don C]

Blue Thunder

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Blue-Thunder-Ford-351-Cleveland-4-Barrel-Intake-Manifold-With-Casting-Number/283913618115?hash=item421a9202c3:g:WKUAAOSwZCBeHRRf

 

[CHIEFER69]

I was looking into that.. Do you have that on your mustang Don?

 

[Don C]

Yes, sort of. Mine was branded and marketed by Shelby, manufactured by Buddy Bar, but the Blue Thunder is the same design. Buddy Bar is still in business, but I'm not sure if they manufacture the manifolds for Blue Thunder. They have always produced small runs of manifolds and heads for other companies, like Ford, Shelby, Edelbrock, and Holley, so my best guess is they also make manifolds for Blue Thunder.

 

[Hemikiller]

You can use the Edelbrock, it was designed to "increase low end response" in the 4V heads. 

 

[CHIEFER69]

That's what I thought but the mechanic saw the ports on my heads and saw the ports on that intake and decided to send it back.. He said it didn't make sense to restrict flow from the manifold to heads... I bought the blue thunder though just tonight.. Hopefully it will make that engine purr

 

[CHIEFER69]

I wanted to add more hp and putting the stock intake to me was not in the question... Ive heard good things about this blue thunder intake so hopefully it works well... There's not that many options for after market intakes on the 351C 4v lol

 

[jpaz]

I have a Blue Thunder intake on my 72 Q code and love it. 

 

[MeanMachine]

Looks like the topic of port size difference is addressed at Summit Racing, posted under the Q&A section of this manifold.

 

[CHIEFER69]

Yea I saw that on Summitt racing and showed the mechanic and He was like that doesnt make sense restricting the flow.. Oh well, he already sent it back and now Im waiting on my blue thunder intake which is supposedly better for this engine anyways

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

the reality is it doesn't restrict flow ans the bottom of the port doesn't flow well and creates a lot of turbulence.  Now if you put a huge cam and high compression slugs in the engine, then that extra space can be used above 3500 rpm, but on a stockis to 350-400 hp motor, it is just dead space

 

[CHIEFER69]

Well I pick up mu blue thunder intake tomorrow from UPS.. Hopefully I will be more pleased with this intake more than that edlebrock anyways since it cost twice as much Haha 

 

[jpaz]

You and your mechanic will say, yes now this is an intake! Lol  That performer intake is just basically a stock replacement to go with a square bore carb.
I’m sure you will be very happy with the BT.

 

[Spike Morelli]

It's hard to say, in this case, what you really need. That Edelbrock intake may have been just fine. At the shop, it has happened that intakes port matched to some heads, actually lost good flow numbers. The O.P. was correct, Clevelands have "dead floors" in their intakes ports ( and exhausts), and if you inspect the ports on the Nascar "Yates" head castings, you'll see the ports are smaller than the cast iron factory heads, and have raised floors. With factory 4V heads, a more efficient "smaller" port intake can offer improved performance and offersome control of "reversion". For a lot of enthusiasts, the purchase of a certain intake manifold is based on looks, or bragging rights.
What a stock engine wants, vs what a bored and stroked ( larger cubic inches than stock )wants, is two different things. Add cylinder head capability, camshaft events, realistic RPM attainable, rear end gearing, etc, one can see, that chosing an intake manifold for the intended purpose, is the LAST thing you should buy. Be very carefull as to you buy