Engine Making It All Fit Together...

[Calypso Cruiser]

so ive got a bbk air intake on my stock 5.0L. im planning a few upgrades this spring. MM strut tower brace, MM caster/camber plates, 3/8" phenolic intake manifold spacer. now, if anyone has done this please post up about how you made it fit. I've already got the parts so no going back now.
what ive found from basic test fitting is with the intake spacer and the strut tower brace installed the bbk air intake tube at the throttle body hits the brace, actually they share the same space, its one or the other. but I don't like that so my thoughts are to delete the egr spacer (its plugged off anyways) which will move the throttle body in towards the intake manifold and hopefully give me the room I need for the intake tube to fit onto throttle body. and like dominos im thinking I may as well get a 70mm egr delete plate for a future intake manifold ill be using, now should I upgrade to a bbk 70mm TB as well?
Ive heard it can be a pain to get the air intake to fit with the egr deletes as well.
anyways maybe im way out in left field over thinking this....?

 

[2000xp8]

What is your full list of mods, engine and suspension?
Is this a stock intake with a bbk cold air intake, or the real bbk intake? If this is a stock intake, don't waste your time or energy on the spacer.

A spacer is not worth all this trouble unless you really need it for some reason. You may land up spend more money to make it work and get nothing for it.

Just because you have some parts, doesn't mean you should use them. I think we have all purchased things that we shouldn't or didn't use at some point.

 

[Calypso Cruiser]

What is your full list of mods, engine and suspension?
Is this a stock intake with a bbk cold air intake, or the real bbk intake? If this is a stock intake, don't waste your time or energy on the spacer.

A spacer is not worth all this trouble unless you really need it for some reason. You may land up spend more money to make it work and get nothing for it.

Just because you have some parts, doesn't mean you should use them. I think we have all purchased things that we shouldn't or didn't use at some point.

my engine is stock from throttle body to oil pan, just bolt on pulleys, full exhaust and the bbk cold air intake. Ill give this a shot and see if I can make it happen. if it doesn't work then ill try something else.

 

[2000xp8]

What are you trying to accomplish? A spacer isn't going to make a stock intake any better or suck any less.
At this point in the game the only time they are used is to get taller valve covers to fit.
A 70mm tb is too big for a stock intake too. You will have to port the inlet, again not worth the effort especially when you can get gt40 style explorer intakes for $150.
Nothing is worth messing with on a stock intake.

For the most part on these cars, if you don't change the heads, there isn't much power to be had. So don't unbolt the intake unless you are going all the way to the cam. You can get a few more hp from an actual intake swap on a stock engine, I've done it, still don't think it's worth the trouble.

Edit: Read your other post. Said you have a lightning intake, buy an explorer gt40 (302) lower and mount your real gt40 tubular intake if you want to mess with it.

 

[Mustang5L5]

I had a similar setup. The BBK intake will hit something and rattle. I've since ditched it and gone back to stock intake setup.

Spacer is not worth the trouble either. 5-10 ftlbs of torque perhaps. If you have it, and it doesn't cause any issues with mounting then go ahead and run it. But if my intake spacer ever gave me any trouble in terms of fitament i'd just leave it off completely. Not a very necessary mod and it does a POOR job of keeping the upper cool as everything heat soaks anyway after a decent drive.

I know you said you had all the parts, but with a stock intake manifold in place, the only mod I would do is change out the 55mm MAF to an aftermarket MAF. Other than that, the next restriction in the intake system would be the lower intake manifold.

I'd just wait until you chose a manifold and then pick the parts to match it. For example, a Cobra/Explorer intake, 65 or 70mm TB, 70 MM MAF and an air intake tube of your choice.

 

[mikestang63]

Sorry, I gave up after the first 50 word sentence.

Bottom line.

Stoclk motor, don't waste your time or money until you swap the heads

 

[A5literMan]

Sorry, I gave up after the first 50 word sentence.

Bottom line.

Stoclk motor, don't waste your time or money until you swap the heads

You're getting cranky in your golden years

 

[7991LXnSHO]

So is a strut tower brace worth using on a Fox body? I know they help on a first generation, but the suspension is a little different.

 

[2000xp8]

So is a strut tower brace worth using on a Fox body? I know they help on a first generation, but the suspension is a little different.

This is a little bit of a controversial topic. My take is that if you are a hardcore road racer every ounce of chassis stiffness helps, but for the average guy with a street car they are just something that is in the way when you working on the car.
Although I hear they are good for hanging the engine on for a k member swap. (attempt on your own risk, I've never tried it).

 

[mikestang63]

You're getting cranky in your golden years

Meh. must be the booze.lol

 

[2000xp8]

Meh. must be the booze.lol

Keep drinking, you are making me seem like the nice guy around here. lol

 

[89oem]

I understand the simple shock tower bolt or two would slip in the brace hole before they provided high twist / stress support,

 

[Mustang5L5]

The way some of the cheaper ones are installed makes me question how good they are. Plus install methods are questionable as well when someone takes an oversized drill to their fender and uses undersized hardware. Prob a lot of shifting in those holes.

SOme of the better braces do mount VERY well, like the MM one which locates the pinch weld to the shock towers. Other ones i see just have you drill anywhere

 

[Farrell5.0]

To add to the echo, don't waste your time with an intake spacer. You wouldn't feel the slightest difference from it. I wouldn't bother with a cold air intake or under drive pulleys (I know you didn't list those, just thought I'd throw it in there) either. Save up for heads and supporting mods rather than the gimicky stuff.