Dragon Performance Throttle Body & Intake Adapter
Breath-ability is your car's performance best friend. When you start to modify your Mustang, you want to be able to get as much air in, and allow it to escape just as easily. Installing a high performance straight shot filter and intake tube is the best place to start followed by a freer breathing exhaust. An X-pipe/Catback combination really rounds out the mods from front to back.
With these enhancements in place, there is one thing left to do that will significantly improve the performance of the 4.6L GT motor. A larger Intake Adapter Chamber and a larger throttle body. This article will deal with the installation of both.
The stock intake chamber for the 4.6L is really an inefficient design with how sharp a 90 degree corner the air takes before entering the intake manifold. There are several options on the market for the 4.6L and most of them are very close on the hp improvements they provide. You choice will come down to your price consideration and looks. Some of these choices are painted, some are a satin finish right up to polished and chromed items.
We have been fortunate to work with Dragon Performance and will be installing a Permastar coated Intake Adapter and a Dragon 75mm throttle body. The quality of these products is absolutely incredible. CNC machining, fit and finish, all as good as it gets.
Let start by demonstrating the stock arrangement and indicating what the various components are that you will be dealing with.
To begin, we won't remove anything until we have ported the opening properly to match. Air is affected by several factors such as Parasitic Drag and turbulent flow. There is not much you can do about Parasitic Drag except scrap the stock rubber intake tube for a high flow intake. Turbulent flow however, can be minimized and Dragon Performance has accomplished this by adding a curved blade in the center of their design.
We are going to start removing the stock intake to make room for the new install. Start by loosening the intake tube clamp at the MAF as well as the one right at the stock throttle body. There should be enough movement and room to back it off, out of the tube adapter that mates it to the throttle body.
On the drivers side of the intake is the EGR valve assembly (refer to the first photo for identification). Loosen off the pipe fitting and remove the tube from the EGR valve. There are 2 bolts that mount the EGR to the intake as well as a pipe fitting from the exhaust. Loosen the pipe fitting and remove the tube, the remove the 2 bolts and the EGR valve should be free. If the graphite gasket is partially stuck to the intake and the rest came with the EGR valve, you don't need to worry about the gaskets, your Dragon Performance adapter will arrive with all the necessary gaskets. Go to the opposite side and remove the 4 bolts that hold the throttle body to the intake chamber.
