Edelbrock Performer 5.0 Manifold: Air Apparent

The Edelbrock lower manifold features 1.02x1.85-inch ports (at the cylinder head) and CNC-matched port openings (at the upper plenum). The lower intake is physically taller than the stock manifold, but overall height difference is minimal. The lower manifold has all the stock provisions for the EEC IV system--just reinstall the parts listed in the previous caption and you're ready to go.

One new item to install on the Edelbrock intake is this oil baffle situated under the PCV valve opening at the rear of the intake. Position the steel baffle and tap the twist rivets into place to secure the baffle. If you don't install this baffle, excessive oil will be sucked into the engine via the PCV valve and hose of the upper intake plenum.

Flipping over the manifold reveals the location of the PCV valve. If you haven't already done so, remove the PCV valve breather screen from the old manifold and slide it into place. Clean and dry the PCV valve grommet. Apply a light layer of silicone to the grommet and then slide it into place over the PCV breather screen. The silicone will prevent the rubber grommet from pulling out during PCV valve servicing.

After cleaning the items removed from the old intake, reposition and install said items onto the new Edelbrock lower intake. Leave the coolant transfer tube off for now, as it will be installed in the car after the intake manifold hardware has been tightened. Install the studs in the lower manifold and place the gasket over the studs. Adding the injector harness at this time is also up to personal choice. We put ours back on the manifold once it was installed on the engine.

Gasket brand is your choice--just make sure the port openings match those of the manifold. A gasket sticking out into the airflow of the port robs power. Use a small bead of nonhardening Permatex No. 2 or silicone around the coolant ports of the cylinder head before laying the gasket into place. For the end seals, some people use strictly silicone, but I've had good luck with the cork and rubber end seals when secured by Permatex No. 2 on the bottom and a thin layer of silicone on the top. Bolt down the intake manifold using a torque sequence from the center out.

The upper plenum is less complicated than the lower. Simply swap the vacuum tree and other fittings to their identical places on the new Edelbrock manifold. On this 14-year-old car, most every hose under the intake was crumbling. We stocked up on 3/8-inch hose and various sizes of vacuum line, replacing everything with new hoses for a trouble-free start. Don't forget to plug unused ports and holes.

With the upper manifold ready to go, all that's left is the throttle body and EGR spacer assembly. You can install them onto the upper plenum first (as we did) or after the manifold is secured to the lower plenum. Carefully line up the mounting holes with the studs and lower the upper plenum into place. The A/C line from the dryer will undoubtedly be in the way, so lift it up to clear the upper plenum.

The nuts and lock washers can be slid over the studs and snugged down finger tight, but not before installing the center intake bolt through the open side of the upper plenum. Using two fingers or needle-nose pliers, drop the bolt into the bolt hole and start the bolt before tightening any of the retaining hardware. Once all the retaining hard-ware is snug, tighten the upper manifold, working from the center outward.

Finish the installation by securing the upper plenum cover using the provided gasket and Allen-head retaining hardware. Reconnect the throttle cable, the wiring, the vacuum hoses, and the induction tubing. Reinstall the distributor, and you're all set.