What is a good intake for a stock speed density setup
I was thinking of getting a new intake. What type of performance gains could I expect? Would it be worth my money? Using a stock speed density setup with some random bolt-ons. What about a Ford Racing Cobra R Upper & Lower Intake?
If you look around a little, you can find an early explorer
which has the necessary internal EGR passage quite reasonable,
and they're for all practical purposes the same as the Cobra
or GT-40, in fact the lower is the same.
You may want to consider converting to mass air.
I used an Interactive Systems Techologies kit I got
on ebay for I think ~ $30. Good complete kit and
complete instructions. An afternoon's tinkering.
Also you need a mass air computer, usually
around $100 used. A9P for auto works good.
A9L for stick. Others work too.
I went from 22 to 24 mpg in a 4000 lb Lincoln
Mark VII LSC, and better throttle response.
Then you have room to do some more mods.
If not, the explorer intake and heads (GT40's)
would probly be OK w/the sd setup.
One caution - your stock heads are real big
bottlenecks, a better intake won't help a whole
lot, and you certainly won't get the max benefit
a better intake could give you. The early
Explorers you'd get an intake off of would also
have GT40 (not P) heads - you could maybe get
a package pretty reasonable from a junkyard etc.
Then you'd get full benefit on an intake, plus
the bonus of better heads.
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89 Linc Mk VII LSC mass air w/A9P; 95 351 Lightning shortblock, 1.9 Ebrock heads, GT40-351 lower w/match Explorer top, 70mm mass air w/30 lb inj's, TF Stage 1 w/1.72 Crane rockers, 1-5/8 ceramic shorties, 2-1/2" Dynomax catback, 3 row rad, Ford blue hoses & wires, remote trans filter & plate cooler, 2500 lockup stall, beefed AOD, shift kit, 3:55's, 96 Cobra 17x8's, 99 Stang bolt on scoop. 4R70W, 2600 stall, Baumann TCS soon.
I have a speed density H.O. in my '88 T-Bird.I'm using the early Explorer intake and the car is running great.There were a couple of slight modifications to make,but worth it.My throttle response is great,and I could tell a difference after I bolted it on.I got mine for free,but you can get them cheap at a salvage yard.I've seen them on E-Bay a lot.For the upper and lower,they run around $250,give or take a little.Good luck with your car.
I just did a swap using a Cobra upper and lower from a 93 Cobra. I bought it complete on Ebay..around 260. Now from reading .. you can't go to radical on mods for a speed density car, mine still is but I just bought a Ford kit and want to do a conversion.. The Cobra intake uses a 70 mm Throttle body and Mass air meter, I'm still running the stock one..
It is very important that you do not change the the lobe center angle on your cam. the stock one is 113 deg. (eg.112, 110) anything lower will throw the computer off and give you idle and drivability issues. I phoned up Comp Cam once to price out a cam for a speed density car.. about 450 dollars. just because of the lobe angle. for the two hundred buck I spent on the kit and now I'm buying a E303 cam. well worth the conversion.
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88 Coupe, 5spd, Mac underdrive pulley, Flowtech headers and X pipe, Mac after cat exhaust, 3.55, Cobra upper & lower intake, Granatelli upper & lower control arms, 155 lph fuel pump, BBK fuel pressure regulator
Best time 13.791 at 98.68 on slicks 1.60 60 ft
Terrace Bay, Ontario
Dragfest Aug 4, 2002
Aug 13, 2006 Just put in new motor, E303 cam and mass air conversion
Thanks for all the input. I am going to look into the Explorer intake setup. Any other input would be great!
Before you buy an Explorer intake do some research.. if I'm not mistaken.. there are difference on earlier Explorers.. before 98.. I can't recall where I read it but I think the one you should be looking for is off a 98 or newer.. and
also you won't be able to use the Explorer throttle body. where the throttle cable connects to is approx 180 deg difference.. I down load a file on how to modify an Explorer TB.
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88 Coupe, 5spd, Mac underdrive pulley, Flowtech headers and X pipe, Mac after cat exhaust, 3.55, Cobra upper & lower intake, Granatelli upper & lower control arms, 155 lph fuel pump, BBK fuel pressure regulator
Best time 13.791 at 98.68 on slicks 1.60 60 ft
Terrace Bay, Ontario
Dragfest Aug 4, 2002
Aug 13, 2006 Just put in new motor, E303 cam and mass air conversion
You need a 96-early 97 Explorer to get the internal EGR passages like the stock intake if you need to keep emissions stuff. If you have stock heads, a cheap alternative can also be porting the stock lower intake - see the link in my signature....
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Tom Moss
88 GT 5spd Vert 3:73s, Flowmaster catbacks, stock cam +4°, GT40P heads & 1.7 rockers, Jet-Hot coated MAC P headers, 97 Explorer intake, 65mm TB and 19# Explorer injectors. 277RWHP/330RWTQ
I installed one of the early Explorer intakes about 2 1/2 weeks ago on my speed density H.O. '88 Thunderbird.Outstanding intake.Mine has the EGR provision.I changed the water pipe running down the passenger side of the intake with my original one,and a few other minor details like vaccuum lines and the water through the EGR spacer,and I had a hole drilled and tapped for the air temperature sensor abobe the #5 cylender.On the early manifolds there is an area there to do that mod.I wanted my sensor where it belonged just so there would be no problems after I got the intake on. but it wasn't any big deal.I could feel the difference immediately.Good luck.I saw one of hese intakes (actually 3) on E-Bay for $250 complete.
What is a good intake for a stock speed density setup 
