Construction and Gains of Ported Intake Manifolds

Due to some concerns raised over these various aftermarket intake manifolds, I wanted to get a fresh thread to discuss the various units on the market.

Here's the information I think we are all looking for:

-How are the units disassembled?
-How are the units are ported?
-How are the units are assembled?
-Flow and performance gains?
-Application of epoxy for airflow or construction?
-Offerings with EGR components removed, vs. EGR compliance?

I'd like to get as much information poured into this thread about any ported intake manifold, regardless of shop.

opcorn: Sub'd.... lets see what pops up.

So I guess the current manifolds are:

Soot Powered
Gogo
Elite
Apex

Let me know if I'm missing any.

I'll chime in with what I know:

Gogo Stage 1
Assembled / disassembled using button head socket cap screws. Each side of the intake plenum has a lid secured by these, and the manifold bolts to the engine from the plenum floor using the same style screws. Absolutely no restrictions to the ports from front to back.

Everything is welded, no epoxy.

Ports are all matched.

Not offered with an EGR valve or EGR cooler.

Showed a 55% increase in flow to the rear cylinders, and looking at the porting I don't question this. The stock manifold would flow 159 CFM to the rear most cylinder on the driver's side (Cylinder 8). Cylinder number 6 right in front of it would flow 170CFM. It was pulling air through the manifold at 28" of water. After cutting the tops off, machining the floors and adding the taper to the ports. Cylinder number 8 now flows 247CFM. And cylinder 6 now flows 244. This is a 55% increase of available air to the rear cylinder.


Personal experience -- after 40k miles of use, I pulled the Gogo manifold to repair blown head gaskets and a clogged oil cooler. The inside of the manfold looked almost exactly as it did the day it was installed, which is to say spotless. No build up. No residue. The only exception was behind the last runners where there was a little residue, but this was expected. Definite SOTP performance gains, but nothing I've backed up on the dyno.

GOGO had a EGR equipped version it just wasn't ported if I recall.

Stage 1 will allow mounting of the EGR valve or a cover plate (user choice). The lower EGR ports are welded shut or removed.

Running the Stage 1 here with Pmax on stock sticks with NO regrets!!

This is not a vendor only discussion, as some have been reluctant to post anything concrete. I'm looking for information to be shared by owners of these manifolds, and their creators/vendors.

I think the big 4 out there for the 6.0L have been listed.

Good or Bad, any feedback posted is appreciated.

GOGO EGR delete version:

I will repost my concern from the other thread about the alleged use of epoxy to rejoin the 2 halves of the runners in the Soot Powered High Velocity intakes. I have no problem with the use of epoxy in shaping the exhaust flow under the elbow but am skeptical about the long term reliability of the epoxy holding the runners together over time. This alone could send me in a different direction where I had been planning on one of Matt's stage3 intakes. I'm waiting to hear more before I pull the trigger.

I've gotten the soot stage3 with egr for smog purposes . The construction aspect of it was very strong however when I got it from ups half was sticking out the box and had a crack and didn't fit my year egr system. I sent it back to soot and Matt said he would get me takin care of with a newer style manifold welded not epoxyed. A local buddy of mine ordered one and it will be welded as well.

The porting looks great from what I saw.

Hope this helps

Let's let each manufacurerer post up internal pics as well for good measure.

JJ@Dozer's Diesel said:

Let's let each manufacurerer post up internal pics as well for good measure.

Click to expand...

Never gonna happen.....

Yea I don't think anyone would do that be to easy to copy

JJ@Dozer's Diesel said:

Let's let each manufacurerer post up internal pics as well for good measure.

Click to expand...

You brought out the big spoon to stir the big pot again, eh? LOL

My manifold was Cracked on the aluminum portion aswell the epoxy. Bottom line Matt at soot has payed for two way shipping and comped me for my troubles with the manifold and gots one coming as a welded unit. Hope this helps.

JJ@Dozer's Diesel said:

Let's let each manufacurerer post up internal pics as well for good measure.

Click to expand...

Craig@MPD said:

Yea I don't think anyone would do that be to easy to copy

Click to expand...

What is the issue with posting some internal pictures. There isn't that many things you can realistically do inside that manifold. This is part of what is going on in the aftermarket world that never makes sense to me. I fully understand the R&D investment or time and resources. What's the issue with showing the potential customers what the shops/vendors do?

FYI cast aluminum isnt all that strong, the marine, extreme grade epoxy used by matt is actually stronger than the cast aluminum manifold in it itself. So if the cast aluminum and the epoxy cracked, WTF did whomever was delivering the manifold do to it?

Its crazy to see how many people really care this deep into something. No this epoxy if used right, will NOT crack off from the heat and crumble into the engine, nor will it lose is shape/mold. Ive seen aluminum welds break too, so I wouldn't be all gung-ho about being quick to blame epoxy. Matt knows what he's doing and its a shame to see people who have no clue what is really going on put his name under the bus. These things are barely released

Needless to say, I like the idea of the thread, but honestly I dont see it going anywhere but another pissing match between manifold makers. If I'm wrong please delete my post, but I would like to be proved wrong.

ODAWG714 said:

I've gotten the soot stage3 with egr for smog purposes . The construction aspect of it was very strong however when I got it from ups half was sticking out the box and had a crack and didn't fit my year egr system. I sent it back to soot and Matt said he would get me takin care of with a newer style manifold welded not epoxyed. A local buddy of mine ordered one and it will be welded as well.

The porting looks great from what I saw.

Hope this helps

Click to expand...

pizza pig said:

FYI cast aluminum isnt all that strong, the marine, extreme grade epoxy used by matt is actually stronger than the cast aluminum manifold in it itself. So if the cast aluminum and the epoxy cracked, WTF did whomever was delivering the manifold do to it?

Its crazy to see how many people really care this deep into something. No this epoxy if used right, will NOT crack off from the heat and crumble into the engine, nor will it lose is shape/mold. Ive seen aluminum welds break too, so I wouldn't be all gung-ho about being quick to blame epoxy. Matt knows what he's doing and its a shame to see people who have no clue what is really going on put his name under the bus. These things are barely released

Needless to say, I like the idea of the thread, but honestly I dont see it going anywhere but another pissing match between manifold makers. If I'm wrong please delete my post, but I would like to be proved wrong.

Click to expand...

Aluminum was cracked that explains why half was out the container :doh: ups,FedEx these guys are wreck less

Right now, my mind isn't made up on weather the epoxy is the right answer or not. I simply don't have the data there. I wanted to open a forum for the discussion, including assembly, materials, porting, and test procedures.

If this thread turns into another bash between vendors, that's how they intend to represent their product, then the customer can decide their course of action based on that behavior.

colo_dually said:

Right now, my mind isn't made up on weather the epoxy is the right answer or not. I simply don't have the data there. I wanted to open a forum for the discussion, including assembly, materials, porting, and test procedures.

If this thread turns into another bash between vendors, that's how they intend to represent their product, then the customer can decide their course of action based on that behavior.

Click to expand...

Well said, and I wholeheartedly agree.

i have a gogo stage 1 and i love it and as you have to add a cover on the top u can see inside it and its looked well done and i have that with a pmax and stock injectors and am very pleased with it the turbo doestn really lag like alot of poeple wiht it say it does its been so long sence i had the stock turbo in it but i think it spools jsut as fast as stock did hope this helps some