In the next year or so I'm going to be rebuilding a spare 390 I have in my dads barn. I'm gonna start trying to gather some parts awhile.

questions:

1. I want to go with a 4 bbl intake. I have an intake from a '76 390 out of an F150 and one that's from a '66 390 Thunderbird. Which would you use and why? Does it even matter? The heads I'm using are D2TE, will those heads be compatible with the '66 intake? Or are the passages different?

2. Does an aluminum intake have any other benefit besides the reduced weight, or can they add a few horsepower with the better flow? Is it worth getting one over a stock iron intake?

3. What is the cheapest aluminum intake out there? And where can these things be bought? I'm not having any luck finding one on Craigslist, thats why I asked what the cheapest one was. I'll probably just us one of the intakes I have now unless I can find a cheap aluminum one.

4. Just say I got an Edelbrock intake, could a Holley (or any other brand) carb be used on it?

 

My F100 has an Edelbrock Performer 2105, one-inch spacer, and 600 cfm Edelbrock carb 1406 (electric choke). 600 cfm is about right sized at 80% volumetric efficiency. I would probably step up to a 750 cfm with aftermarket heads and a cam. My truck starts smoothly and idles great. The stock cast iron intake will break your back.. it's gotta be at least 70 pounds! The proverbial boat anchor. Any unnecessary weight you can remove is helpful for accelerating, handling, and braking. Think of it this way... how fast can run or stop carrying with a bag of concrete versus a jug of water?

I'm not sure what the cheapest intake is but I'd hit up the swap meets if you can. There are some deals be had if you are patient. I recently picked up a pair of 100-watt Eagle 6x9 lights for $15 and a grill guard/push bar for $20. Also, don't just hit up sellers who sell truck stuff since FEs were also installed in Mustangs and T-birds. In fact, I'd probably troll their forums to see what they have for sale.

Edelbrock on a Holley intake or vice versa will work. Just gotta make sure the carb or intake are matched square bore or spread bore. There are adapters but I think having a build plan and getting the right parts the first time makes more sense. Spend money once!

 

Cool- thanks for the reply. I'm gonna be patient to look for one. I'm in no hurry anyway- I'm in the earliest stages of planning this rebuild. I wish I could get aftermarket aluminum heads, but I don't have the dough for that! I'll just have my DT2E heads machined.

Good call on looking at Mustang and Tbird forums/groups. Didn't think of that, duh!

An FE intake weighs a TON! I weighed myself then with an FE intake, i think i was 77 pounds heavier! How much does an aluminum weight, roughly? 25-30 lbs?

 

Check out any aluminum intakes for damaged as the can be installed wrong and cracked easy. Look for striped out bolt holes and warpage from being torqued down wrong. Run it to get the engine at normal temp. ,then check the torque again ,aluminum expands a lot.

 

That's what I'm afraid of when getting a used one- the easily stripped threads, cracks, and how easily it can be warped. I'd very much rather buy a new one, but would get a used one if I can actually find one!