Why You Need To Upgrade Your Mustang Intake Manifold

What Changed With The 2018 Mustang Intake Manifold?

In a word: Innovation. Ford went back to the drawing board after the success of its previous generation of Coyote engines and sought to boost top-end performance gains for the 2018 Mustang GT. With enlarged intake valves combined with port-and-direct injection into its 5.0-liter V8, the 2018 pony car came with one of the highest horsepower counts in nearly sixty years of Mustangs.

Competition has fostered innovation, and Ford has responded by producing one of the most powerful factory cars on the market. Enthusiasts, gearheads and speed junkies alike have latched onto the 2018 Mustang GT and the innovations that have made it so successful. The Mustang's intake manifold is one of the shining stars due to its status as a performance intake upgrade, price tag and aftermarket compatibility with previous model years.

Does Your Intake Manifold Increase Horsepower?

Dyno testing consistently shows that a simple swap of the 2014 Mustang's intake manifold with the 2018 version could provide as much as fifteen to twenty additional horsepower. Given that the 2018 Mustang GT comes stock with 460 horsepower at 6,500 RPM, while the 2014 Mustang GT came off the factory floor with 420, the high-performance community gives a lot of credit to the intake manifold upgrade for this overall increase.

Think of it this way. Your intake manifold is like the lungs of your car. The size of your intake and its volumetric efficiency directly affect the air supply to your engine. More air equals more power.

The intake manifold is the part of your engine that regulates the fuel/air mixture to the combustion chambers where the cylinders are. The manifold gasket creates a seal between the intake and the cylinders. The main function is to evenly distribute air to each cylinder head through the intake ports. Even air distribution is important for combustion efficiency and to maximize performance. Gentle contours and smooth transitions are typical features of many high-performance intake manifolds, as abrupt changes and high contours can reduce the volumetric efficiency of your engine.

Why Upgrade My Mustang Intake Manifold?

With the increased level of performance for the 2018 model year and the Mustang's high-performance intake manifold being a leading contributor, it has become an obvious choice for custom Mustang enthusiasts to kit out their previous-gen cars. By itself, the Mustang's intake manifold can provide good performance gains by efficiently and evenly distributing air to your engine's combustion chambers. Combined with a cold air intake, you will see an even higher power increase.

Additionally, an intake upgrade is a good first step toward future upgrades and tuning. If you are thinking about putting some custom headers or an aftermarket exhaust system in your Mustang, intake mods will maximize your performance. Upgrading your Mustang's intake manifold can also provide an ample amount of air supply to the rest of your engine for further customizations.

How Difficult Is The Intake Manifold Installation Process?

As far as replacing parts of your engine with upgrades to help boost performance, installing a new Mustang intake manifold is relatively straightforward. The intake manifold sits on top of the engine block, making it accessible and a relatively easy part to replace. One of the key considerations for you is going to be clearance. Small or tight engine bays can complicate the installation process. Additionally, clearance of your car's hood above your intake manifold is a consideration, and in certain instances, it may require additional customization.

However, all of the Coyote engines are built along similar powertrains and chassis from Gen. I to Gen. III, so the installation of a 2018 Mustang intake manifold should not run into many complications with recent model year Mustangs.