FE Intake Adapter

[Boyes64]

I know projects like these take time however, just curious about when the adapters are expected to be ready for sale? 

[jayb]

Right now it looks like the adapters will be available for sale in the June-July time frame.  At this time the patterns are expected to be finished in less than a week, by April 18, and I hope to have the first prototype castings by the end of April.  I will post photos of this stuff when I have them.  We are getting much, much closer now...

[jayb]

Tooling for the manifolds is now complete and at the foundry.  They are saying 2-3 weeks from today (Monday, 4/22) for the first castings.  Here's a couple of photos of the match plate, which is used to make the major impressions in the core box, and the water jacket core.  Sorry for the poor photo quality, these are off my cell phone:

[mmason]

Wow! I guess this means you are really committed to finishing this project! Are you ahead of schedule and will be selling them sooner than you had said? Looks nice. Can't wait.

[jayb]

I still think it will be the July timeframe before I start delivering products.  I will need a month at least to get the CNC programs written and tested before I can go to production status.  And I am only starting out with five castings, because if it turns out the tooling needs some modifications I don't want to cast up a bunch of scrap parts. 

So, let's say the first five castings by May 10, and first articles machined by June 10.  Assuming we are a "go" at that point, I'll order the first production run of 50 castings from the foundry, and start delivering completed intake adapters in July.  Wonder what will go wrong with that schedule...

[BruceS]

Jay, thanks for the update!  Two questions: what are the match plates made of?  Looks like they are cast from possibly aluminum?  The water jacket cores are obviously machined from billets... And when you say articles machined, do you mean the real production pieces (not prototypes) for sale "in anger"?

Thanks, Bruce

[jayb]

The match plate is cast aluminum, Bruce.  By the way, there is only one; the photo shows two different sides of the same match plate.  The master pattern was machined from some kind of plastic, and from that a mold is made for the match plate, and the match plate is cast from that mold.   For the first five manifolds, I will be keeping a couple of them for reference (so that I can measure them and compare them with future castings), and I figure I'll screw a couple of them up doing the machining as I'm developing the programs.  I also have to cut one apart to look at the water jacket, and make sure that area has a lot of integrity and that I don't have any porosity or leakage issues.  So the first five intakes won't be for sale; the manifolds for sale will come from the production batch of 50 that I hope to order in mid-June.

[fe66comet]

How about a TPI style intake? Is it a prospect as I am not in love with the victor. Also a big bore two plate body would be a nicer package all around..........Jon

[jayb]

I've actually been thinking about manifold tops for this base, and a TPI style is a possibility. But that kind of thing is a ways off; I need to get the base finished and in production first....

[fe66comet]

I am also a long way off myself, I would say this fall would be the soonest maybe?.....Jon

[fe66comet]

Do you think this trick flow 351 Cleveland intake  would work for my 445? Thanks .....Jon

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/tfs-516b0116

[jayb]

It's a good bet that intake would fit, but I'd have to fit one up to be sure.  Most of the 351C intakes will fit with some minor modifications.

[Heo]

Interesting to see how the"big boys" do it
i do some castings my self when i need
But not anything that complex
And my way is more .....old style

[fe66comet]

I would actually prefer a Chevy ram jet style but the port configuration is completely off.  A Cleveland intake was as close as I could get. I wonder what the flow numbers are and would it feed a 445 stroker at 1000  CFM?.......

[machoneman]

CHI has a ton of modern 351C based intakes.  Just be careful as I think only the 9.5" deck intakes will work with Jay's new adapter. The 8.2 (302), 9.2 (Cleveland and Ford race blocks) and the Ford 400 tall deck intakes can't work IIRC. One might also Goggle "AFD Cleveland cylinder heads" for more.

http://www.chiheads.com.au/3v_manifolds.php