Pi intake on non pi heads

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Hi,
The PI intake differs than the stock replacement (NPI) intake, may look the same- closer inspection will reveal its differences. Unless you have a PI motor (99’-04’,) or have installed the PI
head swap you should run the stock NPI intake.
If installed on a (96’-98) motor without PI heads, it will likely cause leakage issues.. Not worth the risk. A stock NPI replacement intake can be found cheap at Rock auto, a local junkyard, etc.
If you do the full PI install, Heads/Cam/Intake, you’ll gain near 50hp with no tuning required. New PI parts are not ridiculously expensive, relative to gains. If you’re interested in that route, I can offer some lower cost alternatives.
There’s also adapters that Livernois makes allowing a PI intake install on a non PI motor.
Good luck!
John
 
Hi,
The PI intake differs than the stock replacement (NPI) intake, may look the same- closer inspection will reveal its differences. Unless you have a PI motor (99’-04’,) or have installed the PI
head swap you should run the stock NPI intake.
If installed on a (96’-98) motor without PI heads, it will likely cause leakage issues.. Not worth the risk. A stock NPI replacement intake can be found cheap at Rock auto, a local junkyard, etc.
If you do the full PI install, Heads/Cam/Intake, you’ll gain near 50hp with no tuning required. New PI parts are not ridiculously expensive, relative to gains. If you’re interested in that route, I can offer some lower cost alternatives.
There’s also adapters that Livernois makes allowing a PI intake install on a non PI motor.
Good luck!
John
What kinda lower cost alternatives?
 
What kinda lower cost alternatives?
Hi,
Hope the information will lower your cost(s). Whether you’re simply seeking to replace your OE intake with a cracked Coolant passage with a stock intake (96’-98’ stock , revised (NPI Intake) & leave it “as is”, or move on to yield the gains from a full PI swap.
You bought the PI intake, you’re now stuck with it-on a non PI motor.. correct?
96’-98’ Mustang GT 4.6’s were not the only motors that were PI upgraded. Crown Vic’s, F-150’s, Lincoln town cars with the 4.6l received the same PI mods, since you should stick with Windsor parts on a Windsor motor, Romeo on a Romeo, you can either take an NPI intake from an auto recycler off a 96’-98’ 4.6l to get it running right, without repurchasing another, or buy PI parts you’ll need that are already installed from the factory on a 99’-04’ 4.6l.
And there’s the 4.6L PI adapter plate that allows you to run the non PI heads, it’s thickness is very close to pushing the intake height into the hood, That’s at Livernois Motorsport
This link should help:
If you post what you’d like to do, don’t mind helping helping high
-Good luck!
-John
 
Hi,
Hope the information will lower your cost(s). Whether you’re simply seeking to replace your OE intake with a cracked Coolant passage with a stock intake (96’-98’ stock , revised (NPI Intake) & leave it “as is”, or move on to yield the gains from a full PI swap.
You bought the PI intake, you’re now stuck with it-on a non PI motor.. correct?
96’-98’ Mustang GT 4.6’s were not the only motors that were PI upgraded. Crown Vic’s, F-150’s, Lincoln town cars with the 4.6l received the same PI mods, since you should stick with Windsor parts on a Windsor motor, Romeo on a Romeo, you can either take an NPI intake from an auto recycler off a 96’-98’ 4.6l to get it running right, without repurchasing another, or buy PI parts you’ll need that are already installed from the factory on a 99’-04’ 4.6l.
And there’s the 4.6L PI adapter plate that allows you to run the non PI heads, it’s thickness is very close to pushing the intake height into the hood, That’s at Livernois Motorsport
This link should help:
If you post what you’d like to do, don’t mind helping helping high
-Good luck!
-John
Well the thing is i dont have alot of money, and my current non pi intake has been leaking into my spark plug holes, and also the bolts that bolt the aluminum crossover to the intake have backed themselves out and of course they bolt on from underneath,.. and i just happen to have a pi intake, so figured if i had to pull the intake to fix the leak anyway i figured with all ive read about just adding the silicone to make the pi intake work and everyone saying they have no problems with it
 
I read the same thing too, and gave it a shot about 3 years ago. I spent the next 2+ fighting coolant leaks until I finally gave up and bought a cheap knock off NPI intake. If your budget is a concern, do keep in mind that a PI intake swap requires a PI water pump nipple and heater tube, as well as a set of PI gaskets (over $90 new). The NPI intake I have was $135 (w/ a warranty).

That said, there is a noticeable performance improvement with the PI intake, especially over about 4k RPMs. But, the leaking wasn't worth the benefit. If I had to do it again, I'd have gotten a set of PI heads while I was at it and done the whole swap (I might still).
 
I read the same thing too, and gave it a shot about 3 years ago. I spent the next 2+ fighting coolant leaks until I finally gave up and bought a cheap knock off NPI intake. If your budget is a concern, do keep in mind that a PI intake swap requires a PI water pump nipple and heater tube, as well as a set of PI gaskets (over $90 new). The NPI intake I have was $135 (w/ a warranty).

That said, there is a noticeable performance improvement with the PI intake, especially over about 4k RMs. But, the leaking wasn't worth the benefit. If I had to do it again, I'd have gotten a set of PI heads while I was at it and done the whole swap (I might still).
Yeah i know, im just not sure what route to go and with a low budget, it sucks money is a issue with me, but i have read soo much about that there is more gain with the pi intake and npi heads as opposed to pi intake and pi heads, but now i worry about the risk of more leaks
 
Yeah i know, im just not sure what route to go and with a low budget, it sucks money is a issue with me, but i have read soo much about that there is more gain with the pi intake and npi heads as opposed to pi intake and pi heads, but now i worry about the risk of more leaks
My car is a stick so low end is not a problem, but seems like i need more top end, like halfway through 3rd
 
A full PI swap is actually better overall, but the bulk of the improvement is in the cams and intake, which is why the cam/intake only swap is popular. The PI heads will give you a compression bump (around 10:1) which is worth 5hp or so. That may also mean higher octane fuel though. In my opinion, having matched ports (and not having to silicone them) is worth the extra cost/trouble.

Mine's a 5spd too; I know exactly what you mean.
 
Well the thing is i dont have alot of money, and my current non pi intake has been leaking into my spark plug holes, and also the bolts that bolt the aluminum crossover to the intake have backed themselves out and of course they bolt on from underneath,.. and i just happen to have a pi intake, so figured if i had to pull the intake to fix the leak anyway i figured with all ive read about just adding the silicone to make the pi intake work and everyone saying they have no problems with it
Hi,
Little confused...So you’ve got the aluminum crossover on the Intake that’s now installed? That’s the NPI repair from Ford, if there’s a coolant leak it’d be highly unusual to be coming from there. Sounds like you just need to verify if the leak is coming from the head gasket surface(s), or thermostat housing, etc, repair that- then plan any upgrades after its functionally correct.
Can you see where the leak is, exactly..?
-John
 
A full PI swap is actually better overall, but the bulk of the improvement is in the cams and intake, which is why the cam/intake only swap is popular. The PI heads will give you a compression bump (around 10:1) which is worth 5hp or so. That may also mean higher octane fuel though. In my opinion, having matched ports (and not having to silicone them) is worth the extra cost/trouble.

Mine's a 5spd too; I know exactly what you mean.
I guess i could head to junk yard at some point and look for maybe a wrecked 2001 mustang 4.6 and pull the heads, coolant tube and nipple that might be the cheapest route, do i use my timing chain? Or are they different also...i at first tried to find the gasket that whent between the aluminum crossover and plastic intake on my npi intake and was just gonna pull it off and replace the crosssover gasket but had no luck being able to find just that gasket....dumbe that they bolt those crossovers on from underneith and no way to get to most the bolts to re tighten without pulling entire intake
 
If you get parts from an 01-04 Romeo engine, you should be fine; the 99-00 Windsor engines have a few differences that add to this. You shouldn't need a timing chain (assuming yours is good), but a lot of people do replace them while they have that apart. The nipple might be difficult to salvage: I had to beat my old one out with a small sledgehammer.

As for the o-rings that seal the coolant crossover; I'm not aware of any place to purchase them either. The only thing Ford sells for that anymore is the entire PI intake.
 
If you get parts from an 01-04 Romeo engine, you should be fine; the 99-00 Windsor engines have a few differences that add to this. You shouldn't need a timing chain (assuming yours is good), but a lot of people do replace them while they have that apart. The nipple might be difficult to salvage: I had to beat my old one out with a small sledgehammer.

As for the o-rings that seal the coolant crossover; I'm not aware of any place to purchase them either. The only thing Ford sells for that anymore is the entire PI intake.
So it is better to get ones from a 01-04 correct? And i did find a kit for like $119 that has the nipple, tube and i think the alternator bracket, so thats not too bad, only other problem is the extra sensor on the aluminum crossover, it would have to be drilled in and tapped or i would have to swap my old npi crossover onto the pi intake, but then comes the problem again of not having a new gasket for the crossover
 
Right, 96-98 and 01-04 are Romeo, and compatible in general.
I didn't need to use a different alternator bracket (ours does have the plug wire loom on it), but if you're getting heads from a parts yard, I'd grab it too. The nipple and hose are under $60 new at LMR; probably less at Rock Auto.

Yeah, you do definitely need to drill out another spot for the second coolant sensor. Without the gasket, I wouldn't swap the crossover either.
 
Hi,
You don’t need to look far & wide for a Mustang, specifically- as stated above & previous. You’ll be hard pressed to find a 4.6l Mustang vs a Crown Vic. or F-150, etc.
Stick Romeo to Romeo (article posted earlier explains) for parts & you’ll have no issues. Dorman sells the O-rings as well as gaskets at various typical locations online, as well as locally in the usual part stores.
You can also purchase a PI intake from Livernois that’s been redesigned to fit the NPI heads, if you want to go that route.
Good luck!
-John
 
Hi,
You don’t need to look far & wide for a Mustang, specifically- as stated above & previous. You’ll be hard pressed to find a 4.6l Mustang vs a Crown Vic. or F-150, etc.
Stick Romeo to Romeo (article posted earlier explains) for parts & you’ll have no issues. Dorman sells the O-rings as well as gaskets at various typical locations online, as well as locally in the usual part stores.
You can also purchase a PI intake from Livernois that’s been redesigned to fit the NPI heads, if you want to go that route.
Good luck!
-John

John, do you have a source for that Livernois kit? I've not seen it for sale in the last few years myself (I definitely don't find it on their site). I'd love to know if that's still a readily accessible option.
 
Hi,
I have to apologize, they are officially “no longer stocking this part”. I usually give links to parts for people to locate easier..one time I don’t-Grrr..I’d actually just called Livernois to get the bottom line on the intakes, as many of their products have, historically been easier to locate with a phone call- (Site really..sucks) which I’d also done years ago and bought 3 of them due to demand.
I dug a bit further & they’d informed me the line has, indeed- been indefinitely discontinued, due to inability to “get the intakes”. They wanted near 550$ for it, which makes it effectively ridiculous.
Sorry for the lackluster lead, i’ll look around & see if I can locate something, they sold a lot to other vendors.
 
No worries. I was hoping I had missed something; that might have been an ideal solution to my scenario too. Thanks!
Yeah, I regret that isn’t still an option, tell you what- I am an engineer, can draw them up exactly as needed in solidworks/Autocad360 & send quotes out to injection molding & 3D printing Companies all over the world, just start manufacturing them for a reasonable cost & make millions of dollars & make SO many Ponylover’s ecstatically happy at the same time?