[Skip Fix]

I wanted a repop RAIV intake since I have some RAIV heads in case I really wanted all the numbers to look correct. Usually it had the HO intake on them.
The first repop was so crappy I sent it back WAY off ports. Tops. bottoms ,port divider wall The second one was better but not great

I sent the better one to Dave at SD for his CNC and he had to add weld. The top so on one side it needed a little more for more sealing room so I added extra then milled it flat.

[Will]

I remember seeing the discussions here about the repro aluminum intakes and hearing the stories about people having to weld them to get things right. I also know from Dave's website and from talking to him that he has found the repro intakes to just be too much work. I think he would probably do a factory unit, but I don't want to put words in his mouth.

I've held quite a few iron intakes of various vintages in my hands over the years, from '67 to late '70s. The worst ones wouldn't have needed more than just a little epoxy to get things back in line with where they need to be though would also have needed significant grinding to open them up to a standard fel-pro gasket. I've never seen an iron intake that looks as bad as the pictures I posted above, and if that's better than the repro intakes then those don't sound like a very good deal.

I'd love to have a factory aluminum intake on my car and I've been talking with Dave about getting a set of heads and an intake done for it, but I have a very nice '72 iron unit to send him so guess I'll just stick with that.

[Steve C.]

Steps needed to "doctor up" an Edelbrock Performer intake to look like a factory Pontiac steel intake...

http://www.classicalpontiac.com/restoration/2.html


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[lust4speed]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

...The one brought to me however, was so horribly shifted out of position, there would be no roof left for a gasket seal without welding up the roof, regrinding the flange and shaping it from there...

Exactly! Just spent way too much time band-aiding a reproduction manifold. Owner purchased it over two years ago in anticipation of the build so it couldn't go back. Ports were acceptable and driver's side of the casting had enough meat, but passenger side top of the casting is 3/16" lower than the other side and actually had a port exposed over the top of the casting.

Here is a photo with a FelPro 1233 gasket set in place on the as-purchased manifold. There simply isn't any material at the top of the port. Bottom of port is too low but at least it isn't sucking in atmosphere.

[PAUL K]

Originally Posted by Steve C.

Steps needed to "doctor up" an Edelbrock Performer intake to look like a factory Pontiac steel intake...

http://www.classicalpontiac.com/restoration/2.html


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Folks complained about the Edelbrock performer

Oh yeah and the Performer RPM

Oh and the hydraulic roller cams when they were first introduced

[JSchmitz]

I used to have a 455HO intake. One of the ports was off 1/4"! That's why I don't have it anymore. I think I sold it for $150 decades ago. I was told that late production run manifolds were the worst.

[78w72]

Originally Posted by Will

I also know from Dave's website and from talking to him that he has found the repro intakes to just be too much work. I think he would probably do a factory unit, but I don't want to put words in his mouth.

the note on SD's website used to say they wont do the repro RA/HO intakes anymore.... but i just checked & now it also says he wont do OEM RA/HO intakes either due to too many problems with castings. must not be worth the price for the time involved to add weld when needed.

he did a 1968 iron intake for me about 6 years ago that had pretty bad ports but it turned out great, i now have a 71 455 HO intake SD ported about the same time & it also looks great with no added welds. must be too many OEM intakes out there with bad castings.

"NOTE: SD Performance is no longer offering this service on the reproduction or OEM RAIV and 455HO intakes because of too many casting issues"


http://www.sdperformance.com/listPro...?categoryID=11

[Tom Vaught]

I have sold a couple of the original 1971 aluminum intakes.
In both cases the port match was not perfect due to the ports being slightly smaller vs the intake gasket.
In one manifold the port looked skeewed but that was because of the extra aluminum in the wall casting.
Both cleaned up very nice with a gasket match.
The gasket used was the basic GM gasket for the 455 HO engine. No race stuff.

Tom V.

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by PAUL K

Folks complained about the Edelbrock performer

Oh yeah and the Performer RPM

Oh and the hydraulic roller cams when they were first introduced

LOL

[Steve C.]

Not only complaints regarding the Performer intake, but many in the community suggest it's unworthy of one's consideration !

SD Performance offers CNC machined and porting for factory Q-jet intakes. This is patterned after Cliff Ruggles personal modified OEM intake. Consider their general modifications for an OEM intake for testing purposes, not their 600 hp version ! Now despite the minor difference in the runner design (routing) of the Edelbrock Performer intake, what if it were properly port matched to the cylinder heads in use, then the runners enlarged to match this modified factory intake from SD Performance. And include any plenum work if necessary.

I suspect no extreme difference in back-to-back dyno testing. Or extreme difference with back-to-back track testing. This with a vehicle capable of proven consistent track performance within .01-.02 seconds in ET.

Now take that Performer and make it look like a factory intake as in post 23, and save the weight


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[Skip Fix]

Here is a Performer I cut around the water crossover and heat crossover to look like factory. Sorry the pictures not the best and it has had a Qjet on it for years now.

[1oldgoat]

To answer the original question, the easiest way to identify a reproduction intake is the boss for the throttle cable bracket on the repro is about an inch long and somewhat squared off. The boss on the originals is about half that size and is squared off on the valve cover side and rounded on the carburetor side. I have owned a number of originals over the years and had a reproduction intake side by side with an original HO intake. Hope this helps.