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Pages: 1

Intake Manifold

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Posted by: Calabrio

The gasket beneath the intake manifold on my '93 is leaking. Hopefully, next week, I'll have the intake manifold off. I already ordered the gaskets from Max at 5 Star, but now I'm wondering- am I missing an opportunity to make an improvement to the car right now?

Posted by: BlntdEyez

What kind of improvement are you thinking about??

Posted by: Icarus

You could pick up a Cobra intake etc...?!

Posted by: Calabrio

What are those costing? And what's the advantage?

I have no intention of supercharging this engine, so are we talking about a 3hp gain on a good day?

Posted by: driller

It can be improved...

Make sure at the minimum you cleanup the IMRCs real good while they're out.

Posted by: Calabrio

Did you polish the intake manifold? By hand or is that a machined process? What's the outcome of doing that?

And is cleaning the IMRC self-explanatory?

Posted by: midwestbird

How long does it take to take that manifold off?? Driller??

Posted by: driller

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calabrio

Did you polish the intake manifold? By hand or is that a machined process? What's the outcome of doing that?

And is cleaning the IMRC self-explanatory?

I purchased this particular intake that had been done previously. It was radiused and hand polished and then ceramic coated. It is as smooth on the inside as the outside.

Yes, cleaning the IMRCs is self explanatory. Any good carbon cleaner and lubricant with a small wire brush and elbow grease will work. Make sure the mechanism is free. I cheated and ended up taking mine to work and hot-tanked them but they still needed hand cleaning to finish them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by midwestbird

How long does it take to take that manifold off?? Driller??

Me and a helper had mine off in a couple hours. We tried to remove it without pulling the cowl. Don't waste your time... get the cowl and windshield wipers out of there first. Someone later told me I should've removed the hood to make it easier. It may have been easier on my back, but that'd been it.

Posted by: Icarus

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calabrio

What are those costing? And what's the advantage?

I have no intention of supercharging this engine, so are we talking about a 3hp gain on a good day?

You would have to search around the forums for this info. I've not this first hand. I'd love to do it though if I had the cash...

Posted by: Frogman

I think the general consensus is the Cobra intake is good for around 15BHP.

Posted by: driller

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frogman

I think the general consensus is the Cobra intake is good for around 15BHP.

And you really need to add headers to get the full benefit of either.

Posted by: Scorpio1118_2000

I remember when scp had a special on the cobra intake manifolds a couple of years ago, they were like $300.00 plus shipping and it was a good deal and all but I was broke.

Posted by: Calabrio

Found the leak. Might have been a slight leak from the manifold gasket, but the real problem is the Intake manifold runners. Those ridiculous, uncovered bearings at the end which are there to open the secondary butterflies wear out and gradually leak.

talk about planned obsolescence.

We fabbed up some covers and sealed the air leak on the fronts, but the backs are starting to leak.

What are the after market, replacement options for the Intake manifold. If I opt to replace these parts, how much is this going to run for new replacements?

Posted by: Psychostang

Yup, I had to change an intake manifold on a 2003 Windstar minivan, for the same reason.

Posted by: Calabrio

Quote:

Originally Posted by AHD

Yup, I had to change an intake manifold on a 2003 Windstar minivan, for the same reason.

That's what I was told, that Ford V-6s do the same thing. Really pisses me off.
I didn't catch it until the car was apart. So after $100 in gaskets, and a ridiculous amount of labor, I basically had to put the car back together knowing it had bad parts. Very frustrating.

That kind of little stuff really pisses me regarding ford. It wouldn't have taken much effort to have sealed those bearings with a tiny freeze plug or something from the factory. Instead, knowing it would fail, they released it anyway...

I just don't think i have the patience to remove that intake again. That was a lot of work.

Posted by: Psychostang

When I did the minivan, ford had a TSB out on it. It stated, that a little bit of leakage from those bearings was normal, and not to change the manifold for it. Such bull

. I sprayed brake clean directly on one of them, and while the IDS was running, watched the short term fuel trim change dramatically. Replaced the intake, cleared the KAM and wammo, no more check engine light.

Posted by: 98LSC32V

There really are no aftermarket intake options for the B heads yet... get a Cobra intake manifold 96-98.

Posted by: Calabrio

Quote:

Originally Posted by 98LSC32V

There really are no aftermarket intake options for the B heads yet... get a Cobra intake manifold 96-98.

Know where they can be found for less than $1000?
I couldn't.

And just between us, ultimately, this may ultimately be the straw that breaks the camels back on my Mark ownership and using it as a daily driver. I'm not interested in putting a $1000 intake on a 200k mile lower. Frankly, I'm a bit reluctant to even bother with a $400 intake. I'm starting to imagine a Honda or the Mazdaspeed in the driveway again.

Posted by: 98LSC32V

No one said these cars were cheap to maintain. Good luck with whatever you decide. Gen 1 intake manifolds are cheap at the junkyard or on the forums.

Posted by: Calabrio

Quote:

Originally Posted by 98LSC32V

No one said these cars were cheap to maintain. Good luck with whatever you decide. Gen 1 intake manifolds are cheap at the junkyard or on the forums.

Cheap to maintain is not the same as poor design. I've had the car for years, I'm running out of parts to replace, short of the engine.

This manifold issue pisses me off. This is an issue related to poor design. And a used intake manifold is a gamble, unless it is extraordinarily low miles. Eventually those bearings are going to start leaking air on all of these cars.

Posted by: 98LSC32V

You are the first person that I have ever heard have this problem.

Posted by: Psychostang

All of the vehicles will have it eventually, it just depends upon how bad they become. If it stays very low, the computer will prolly just compensate and thats that. But if it gets too large, then the computer will illuminate the check engine light. I know on my 96, the brake booster has an internal leak. While on ids, it showed a fuel trim of 19 to 23 percent positive. If i plug the vacuum line, it still showed 11 to 13 percent positive. Obviously I have another vacuum leak somewhere. It could very well be the IRMC pivot bushings.

Posted by: Calabrio

Quote:

Originally Posted by 98LSC32V

You are the first person that I have ever heard have this problem.

No, I'm probably the first person you know of, on these message boards, to diagnose the problem and discuss it.

During my attempt to figure out this problem, I received numerous e-mails, on both MarkVIII message boards from people who were experience similar problems but couldn't identify the problem. They were like me, thinking the problem must be electric, not two big holes on the ends of each IMRC.

Take a look at your IMRCs. They WILL fail, fail enough for the computer to be unwilling to compensate. Whether it's at 100k miles or 175kmiles, but it will happen. And there's no reason for them to have designed it as such.

They could have just sealed those bearings.

And AHD knows exactly what we're talking about, because that Windstar has the same exact problem. Fortunately for us, the Windstars are even more inclined to display this problem.

Posted by: driller

Quote:

Originally Posted by AHD

All of the vehicles will have it eventually, it just depends upon how bad they become. If it stays very low, the computer will prolly just compensate and thats that.

Precisely. One of the benefits of the computer controlled drivetrain is the ability to automatically compensate for wear while maintaining emissions and driveability.

Posted by: Psychostang

One thing tho, even if the computer compensates, and no check engine light illuminates it is still a problem. This is a vacuum leak which will effect your gas mileage. So, anyone with IMRC's should check for leaks.

Posted by: Calabrio

What's involved with installing the intake manifold from another vehicle, like the Lincoln Aviator Intake Manifold?

Posted by: MediumD

Using a 99+ 32v intake would require swapping the 99+ heads (C heads) over as well.. Your choices for intake are Mark VIII (gen 1 or 2) and 96-98 Cobra, and that's about it short of fabricating a sheet metal intake or adapter plates.

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