Designed to bolt in place...
Designed to bolt in place of the stock plastic intake manifold, the Reichard intake accepts all the factory gear, including the EGR, the IAC, the fuel rails, the thermostat, and the throttle cable. The powdercoating was a little too thick on our first-off-the-line version, but Jim is already working on refining the fit and finish details to make this a drop-on piece.
After the 4.6 modular engine debuted in the Mustang in 1996, the demand for performance parts was already ramped up. Those weaned on the ample availability of 5.0 bolt-ons were ready to turn wrenches on modulars. Unfortunately, in the early days, the Mustang's '96-'98 Two-Valve 4.6s were so weak, most enthusiasts who tinkered with the 4.6 owned Cobras with the Four-Valves. Eventually the GTs picked up power and aftermarket steam in 1999, but the engine family had been around since 1991, and the aftermarket was still worried about demand for major hard parts.
Retailing for around $1,400...
Retailing for around $1,400 on the mail-order market, the Reichard Racing Two-Valve intake manifold is available at a price not too far off from the cost of doing a complete Bullitt intake conversion. And this intake has that boy-racer look you just can't get in a factory part.
So, here it is 2003, and we have nothing beyond blowers and bolt-ons for 4.6 modulars. Sure, Ford Racing Performance Parts now has GT and Cobra intakes and heads, but outside the Blue Oval, the aftermarket is dealing with the chicken-and-the-egg syndrome when it comes to parts availability and parts demand. Fortunately, there's always a pioneer to lead the way for the rest of us. In this case, said ground-breaker is Jim Reichard of Reichard Racing. Long known for whittling out billet bits-including some serious 5.0 intake manifolds-Jim decided to break the ice and produce his own intake manifold for the burgeoning modular market dominated by Two-Valve GTs.
If you're at all familiar...
If you're at all familiar with Reichard's billet upper intakes for Trick Flow and Holley lower intakes, you know they're designed with serious rpm and airflow in mind, and it looks as though the 4.6 manifold follows that tradition. It supplants the lengthy torque-producing runners of the factory basket of snakes with short, direct runners from a modest plenum. This spells big power at the top of the tach.
After sitting down at the drawing board for quite a long time, Jim decided to build a manifold that would directly replace Ford's plastic lower manifold. And, he'd offer a removable upper of his own. The removable upper allows for more aggressive applications to run an oval-bore Cobra throttle body, while milder setups can employ a traditional round throttle body. We were fortunate enough to receive one of the first production examples of the oval-bore version, which is ultimately destined to rumble atop our Livernois 5.0 stroker's ported heads and Stage 1 cams.
Of course, we couldn't resist bolting on our 3g GT right away, if for no other reason than to give you an early look at how this beauty goes on. So, check out the photos and captions, and remember it fondly-like the first time we saw an aftermarket intake for the 5.0. One day, we won't be able to count all the manifolds available for the modular, but there's always something special about the first.
The attention to detail on...
The attention to detail on this intake is nice. It was built to work with the standard alternator, and it readily accepts the standard fuel rails and thermostat housing. We did have to enlarge a couple intake-to-cylinder-head bolt holes to line them up, but it was no big deal. Jim should have this sorted out as produc-tion spools up. If you're moving from a Bullitt intake to the Reichard, you will have to dig up your old alternator and other plastic intake gear to make it work.
As we said, we received the...
As we said, we received the oval-bore version of the intake because it was the first available, and because this more aggressive application should be better suited to our upcoming Livernois 5.0 stroker engine. For pure bolt-on combinations, Reichard offers another upper intake designed to accept a round GT-style throttle body.
With the wiring harness unplugged...
With the wiring harness unplugged and the fuel rails disconnected, it was a relatively straightforward job to remove the remainder of the bolts and lift off the stock plastic lower intake. That's right-we said plastic. This intake is a great torque producer, but its construction has proven a liability on nitrous and big-boost applications. Heck, it's even failed in stock cars. That shouldn't be a problem for the robust Reichard piece.
For the installation of the...
For the installation of the Reichard manifold, we headed over to Coastal Chassis Dyno in Tampa, Florida, where owner Sam Lippencott and Johnny Moretti did the dirty work in their ultraclean shop. Using an electric impact, Johnny zipped off all the bolts while Sam disconnected the electrical connections.
We mentioned the Reichard...
We mentioned the Reichard manifolds are designed for highly evolved Two-Valves, and here's why. You can see the stock lower manifold's runners curve around to fill the engine's valley and could be measured in feet. By comparison, the Reichard manifold's runners are downright stubby-about 3 inches long. This is the difference between a torquey street car and a high-rpm race car.
Once the stock intake is removed...
Once the stock intake is removed , it's a simple matter of hoisting the Reichard intake onto the bench and swapping over all the stock sensors, valves, injectors, fuel rails, and the like. We found the powdercoat was slightly thick in the injector bungs, and we had to improvise a mounting spot for the EGR pressure valve, but these were minor concerns.