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HowtoFabricateanIntakeManifold
05/22/99
Thisarticledetailsthecompletefabricationprocessonacustomintakemanifoldforadevelopmental
MazdaRX7.Thebasicdesigncanbeeasilyadaptedforalmostanyenginedesign.Toolsneededto
fabricatethispartwouldincludeadrillpress,lathe,bandsaw,holesaws,filesandaTIGwelder.This
manifoldwasconstructedfrommildsteelforeaseofassemblybutitcouldalsohavebeenmadefrom
aluminum.
BasicDesign
Thisplenumtypedesignusesasinglethrottlebodyattachedtoaplenumwithseparateintakerunnersfor
eachport.Porttypeinjectorsaremountedineachrunner.

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HeadFlange
Themainflangewhichwouldbeboltedtothecylinderheadinthecaseofapistonengine,ismadefrom
1/4inchsteelplatetoreducewarpageduringwelding.Anintakemanifoldgasketcanbeusedasaguide
totracetheflangeoutlineandmarktheportandboltholes.Theflangeplatecanbecutoutusinga
bandsaworplamaarctorch.Boltholescanbedrilledonadrillpress.Intakerunnertubeholescanbe
donewithaholesaworplasmaarciftheyarenotround.TrytodesigntheportholessothattheIDofthe
tubingusedfortherunnersisthesameofthatforthefinishedportsizeinyourhead.Therunnersshould
bespigottedinsidetheflangeholeforeaseofjigging.
IntakeRunners
Runnersaremadefrom.050to.065tubing.Runnerlengthscanbeadjustedwithinthespaceconstraints
tohelpboosttorquewithinthedesiredrange.Shortrunnersaregoodforhighrpmtorqueasinaracing
situation.Longrunnersaremoreapplicableforstreetuseatlowerrpms.Formoststreetengines,tryto
keepthelengthfromtheendoftherunnertothevalveatleast9incheslongandpreferablylonger.
Availablespaceusuallylimitsthisdimensionwhenusingstraightrunnerssocurvedrunnersusing90
degreemandrelbenttubingcansometimesbeusedtoincreasetherunnerlength.Asappliedtoengines
withovalorsquareports,youwillhavetoformthetubingintotheportshapewhichisconsiderably
morecomplicated.Tubingshouldbecutoffatpreciselengthswithatubingcutterandcarefully
deburred.Formaximumairflow,taperedrunnerswithvelocitystacksinsidetheplenumcanbemadeif
youarecapableofthistypeofwork.Thisisverytimeconsumingbutthisdesignshowsa2025%
increaseinflowoverstraighttubingrunners.
Plenum,EndPlates
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Dependingonenginedisplacementandthethrottlebodyused,theintakeplenumisusuallyconstructed
from.065wallexhausttubingineither3inchforenginesunder1600ccor4inchformostotherengines.
Holesmustbecutintheplenumtubingwithholesawsfortheintakerunnertubesandinthecaseofa
sidemountedthrottlebody,forthethrottlebodytubealso.Thethrottlebodymayalsobeplacedonone
endoftheplenuminplaceofanendplate,dependingoncomponentlayout.OurRX7manifoldused4
inchtubing.Theplenumshouldbemadeatleast2incheslongerthanthedimensionofthefronttorear
outsideintakeportstoallowbetterairflowintotheouterports.Alsoplanforanyvacuumtapsforbrake
boostersorMAPsensorsetc.atthispoint.
EndPlates,ThrottleBodyPlate
Endplatescaptheplenumendsandaremadefrom.050to.065platestock.Cutthemoutwithabandsaw
orplasmaarc.MakethemaboutthesamesizeasyourplenumtubingOD.Ifyouplantoputthethrottle
bodyononeendoftheplenum,thisendcapwillneedtobemadefrom3/16to1/4inchplatetoallowfor
tappingofthreadstoholdtheTBaswellashaveaholecutthesizeoftheoutletTBbore.Ifthethrottle
bodyistobemountedasinourRX7manifold,use1/4platefortheTBflange.Weliketotaprightinto
theplatewithfinethreadsformaximumstrength.
ThrottleBody
Throttlebodychoicesarenumerous.Oneshouldbeselectedwhichcanflowthedesiredamountofair
andfitswithinthespacelimitations.Thoughtshouldbeputintotheeaseofconnectingeitheranairfilter
orturboplumbingtoit.Toolargeofathrottlebodyforstreetusewilloftenmeanverysensitive"tipin"
throttleresponsewhichcouldbeannoying.Thereisalsononeedofa3.5inchTBwhenyourturbo
plumbingisonly2.25inches.GettingathrottlebodywithapotentiometertypeTPSalreadyinstalledwill
savetimeandtrouble.Formanyapplications,theFord5LV8and4.6LDOHCthrottlebodiesworkwell.
Theyarecheap,availableandrelativelycompact.FordMotorsportandEdelbrockmakelargersizesin
5mmincrements.The4.6LTBsareverycompactandhaveaminimalamountofextragarbageonthem.
AllFordTBshavepotentiometertypeTPSsalso.FordExplorer4Lthrottlebodiescanbeorderedfrom
yourdealer.Thesearerelativelyinexpensiveandare65mmwithminimalgarbageontheoutside.Put
somethoughtintoathrottlelinkageatthispointalso.

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InjectorBosses

Weusuallymaketheseoutof1inchbarstock.Weliketosealthevacuumsideoftheinjectorwitha5/8
ID3/4ODOringslidoverthenoseoftheinjectorbody.Thiswillworkonanystandardinjector.You
canpulloffthestockOringandpintlecap.Borethebarstockto.640.650,straightthrough.Thisallows
aslightairgapbetweenthebossandinjectortoreduceheattransferandfuelboiling.A.740counterbore,
.040deepismachinedattheendforOringretentionandsealing.Weusuallycutoffthebossesat45
degreessothattheyareabout1.35to1.5incheslong.Thisisagoodentryangleformanyinjectorsinto
therunnerandisaneasyangletosawat.

FuelRail
Thefuelrailisusuallymadefrom3/4squaretubingwitha.050to.065wall.Thisshapeallowsmuch
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easierdrillingandjigging.1/4inchholescanbedrilledattheportspacinginterval.Overtopofthese
holeswillbeweldedtheupperOringbossesmachinedfrom3/4barstock.Thesewillusuallybeabout
1/2aninchlongandhavea.540to.545holedrilledfortheOringtosealon.Carefullychamferthe
entrysideforeasierOringfitment.Endcapsfortherailaremadefrom1/4plateandtappedfor1/8NPT
fittings.Foramoredetaileddescriptiononbuildingafuelrail,gotothearticleonourtechpage.
Assembly
Onceallofthepiecesarecutoutanddeburred,clamptheheadflangetoascrapheadifpossibleto
reducewarpage.Carefullyjigtheplenumandrunnerstotheflangeandmeasureforstraightness.Tack
weldthepieceslightlyandrecheckforstraightness.Youshouldstillbeabletomovethingsaroundabit
atthisstage.Tacktheoppositesideofeachjointandrecheckagain.Onceyouaresatisfied,TIGweldall
ofthejoints.WeldonyourendcapsandTBflange.Leteverythingaircool.
Nowyoumustcutholesintherunnersfortheinjectorstopokethrough.Scribealineacrosstherunners
whereyouwantthecenteroftheinjectorstobe.Nowintersecteachmarkontherunnerwithanotherline
downthecenterofeachtube.Punchmarkanddrilla1/4hole.Nowdrillstraightthroughwitha1/2inch
drill.Onceyoupiercethetubing,slowlyleanthedrilloverat45degreestoovalthehole.Theinjector
bosseswillbepositionedovertheseovalholessomakesurebeforestartingthatyouhaveenoughroom
aroundthebosstotheflangethatyouwillbeabletogetthewelderinthere.Assembletheinjectorsinto
therailandslidethebossesovertheinjectors.Carefullyaligntheassemblysothattheinjectorsaredead
centerthrougheachinjectorholeintherunners.Clampinpositionandrecheck.Lightlyandquicklytack
eachbossinposition.Assoonasthisiscompleted,eitherpulltheinjectorsoutorwaterquencheachtack
toavoidheatdamagetotheinjectors.Onceyouaresatisfiedthateverythingisstraight,finishweldingthe
bosseswithouttheinjectorsinplace.Beawarethatthebossesmustbeweldedinverystraightandatthe
samedepthforpropersealing.
Finishing
Youcanweldonboltdowntabsonthefuelrailandattachmentpointsfortheboltsonthemanifold.A
coupleoflong,1/4inchboltsusuallysufficehere.Themanifoldcannowbethoroughlycleanedwith
soapandhotwater,thenlacquerthinner.Agoodqualityengineenamelcanbeusedtofinishorbetteryet,
getitpowdercoated.

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HerearesomephotosofanintakemanifoldforaToyota20Rformoreideas:

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Noteinternalvelocitystacks
11/15/00update
HereareacoupleofmanifoldsmodifiedtoacceptEFItypeinjectorsthroughtheuseofweldinbosses:

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Update01/21/05
ForinfoonaSubaruEJ22intakemanifoldproject:EJ22IntakeManifold
ForinfoonaSubaruEG33intakemanifoldproject:EG33IntakeManifold
Newinjectorbossesavailablewithsteeloraluminumbases,accepts1/8NPTfuelfitting

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