It was much easier to remove the distributor when making this manifold swap, and you might as well plan on doing the same at home. Bryan bumped the engine onto TDC on cylinder 1 before pulling the distributor, and he marked the edge where the rotor was pointing, so reinstallation was a breeze. A quick shot with the timing light was the only other thing required.
While high, wide, and handsome, the BBK SSI manifold actually clears both valve covers, so either cover may be removed without disturbing the intake. While tall, the intake does clear a stock hood, although it may be close around the "BBK" script on the driver-side plenum. Ultimately, this could depend on your car's engine mounts, the hood's sound-deadening pad, and other variables.
For testing, the only thing changed from the baseline GT setup was the intake manifold and throttle body. Because the throttle body remains in its stock location, no monkey motion is required when fitting the induction.
Our Test Car
Getting paid to work on his own '93 Cobra hatchback was Bryan Rogers, the Brother's tech seen swinging the wrenches in our bolt-on photos. Of course, Bryan had been swinging the same wrenches over the same intake for weeks by the time we got to him. Prototyping can be such a pain.BBK said it designed the SSI to work with the typical bolt-on 5.0, and Bryan's car fits the bill. Running a stock cam, computer, and 24-lb/hr injectors on a stock-spec 306 short-block, the combination benefits from a Pro-M mass airflow meter, Edelbrock Performer RPM heads with 2.02x1.60-inch valves, BBK 151/48-inch full-length headers, an H-pipe, and a smog-pump eliminator kit. Also helping are electric fans and a deleted engine-driven fan. A daily driver, this early Cobra retains its stock pulleys and sports BBK's relatively new 5.0 valve covers.