1979 Corvette Intake manifold
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6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2022
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1979 Corvette Intake manifold
Hello all I have a 79 vette and I want to upgrade the intake manifold from stock. I have a Holley street performer 600cfm on the stock manifold now. My issue is Edelbrock says nothing will fit unless I buy a new hood, not happening. I was told an Edelbrock 2101 will fit fine. I just want a square bore dual plane intake without EGR that will fit without buying another hood. I am not looking to build a track car just a nice performing reliable car, maybe tweak out about 3-5 more horses. Any help would be appreciated.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 12,399
Likes: 247
From: San Jose CA
Unless there’s a functional reason (cracks, leaky gasket, etc) there’s not going to be a huge value in changing your intake. I am not sure you’ll get the 3-5 horsepower you’re looking for, let alone feel it.
At any rate, a 2101 or 3701 will fit. Neither are square bore, persay. They have a spread bore pattern with dual mounting provisions.
At any rate, a 2101 or 3701 will fit. Neither are square bore, persay. They have a spread bore pattern with dual mounting provisions.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 8,336
Likes: 2,810
From: Cool Northern Michigan
Edelbrock makes that disclaimer to cover their ***. If that footnote about Corvette was not published, there would be a lot of disgruntled customers returning their products.
Here is the deal. A Drop-Base-Air Cleaner will allow more options from Edelbrock. They will not tell you that. It's not their job to alter air flow.
So, looking at Summit, click on AIR / Fuel, air cleaners. Look for an inch & a half drop base.
If you are running a Holley with center hung bowls, you will need the base with provisions to fit the float adj screws.
Another option is a shorter air filter element. In the 14" dia category, there are, but tough to find, 2.750 tall. 2.5" tall and 2" tall. But use caution here.
If a 1 & 1/2 drop base is good, more must be better right? Well, not quite. Holley says you must have 3/4" clearance between fuel bowl vent & the lid of air cleaner.
Too much drop base could block the vents.
Some YouTube vids show dyno test of Eddys. Some Intakes were worth 20-25 horse. A little better air flow than stock, and a lot lighter makes an Eddy a good choce.
And if the Intake design blocks off the hot air cross-over between the heads, all the better.
And they are purdy too.
Here is the deal. A Drop-Base-Air Cleaner will allow more options from Edelbrock. They will not tell you that. It's not their job to alter air flow.
So, looking at Summit, click on AIR / Fuel, air cleaners. Look for an inch & a half drop base.
If you are running a Holley with center hung bowls, you will need the base with provisions to fit the float adj screws.
Another option is a shorter air filter element. In the 14" dia category, there are, but tough to find, 2.750 tall. 2.5" tall and 2" tall. But use caution here.
If a 1 & 1/2 drop base is good, more must be better right? Well, not quite. Holley says you must have 3/4" clearance between fuel bowl vent & the lid of air cleaner.
Too much drop base could block the vents.
Some YouTube vids show dyno test of Eddys. Some Intakes were worth 20-25 horse. A little better air flow than stock, and a lot lighter makes an Eddy a good choce.
And if the Intake design blocks off the hot air cross-over between the heads, all the better.
And they are purdy too.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 9,063
Likes: 2,736
2022 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
The other thing Edelbrock does not address, or maybe understand, about C3 Corvettes is that from 69-82 there are DIFFFERENT HOODS on factory cars. The small block hook on the 69-72 will not tolerate much increase in carb height due to the almost zero rise in the hood.....they got that pointed thing going on. From 73-79, the center section of the hood has a serious raised portion....that will certainly tolerate more intake height. I have an Edelbrock RPM AIr Gap on my 77, with a 1/4 inch thick carb base gasket, and a ONE inch drop, 3" filter ....and it fits, no problem. Its close. Then of course, the L88 hood will handle lots of rise. I cannot speak for the 69-72 big block hoods, they are somewhere in the middle.
SO bottom line.....to the OP, you can install an 7501 Performer RPM Air Gap or 7101 NON-Air Gap Performer RPM square bore manifold with the Holley, if your car is a 79 with stock hood. You can buy a 1 inch drop 14 inch round air cleaner, with 3 inch filter......and this combo will work. It works on my 77. This is based on the assumption that the Holley carb you have is a square bore....not spread bore. However, Edelbrock makes RPM manifolds for the spread bore as well.....which will also fit as detailed above.
SO bottom line.....to the OP, you can install an 7501 Performer RPM Air Gap or 7101 NON-Air Gap Performer RPM square bore manifold with the Holley, if your car is a 79 with stock hood. You can buy a 1 inch drop 14 inch round air cleaner, with 3 inch filter......and this combo will work. It works on my 77. This is based on the assumption that the Holley carb you have is a square bore....not spread bore. However, Edelbrock makes RPM manifolds for the spread bore as well.....which will also fit as detailed above.
Last edited by Shovels and Vettes; Jul 19, 2022 at 01:39 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 6,937
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From: melbourne florida
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
The L-82 intake is the same garbage it's just made out of aluminum instead of cast iron .
And to the op. You don't say if your car is an L-82 or the base engine but an L-82 needs more than a 600 cfm carb.
And to the op. You don't say if your car is an L-82 or the base engine but an L-82 needs more than a 600 cfm carb.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 8,336
Likes: 2,810
From: Cool Northern Michigan
If you can figure out how to navigate around Holley's web site, somewhere on there is a chart showing "Carb Pad Height".
The 2101 is pretty much stock HT. The Air Gap 7501 I believe is 5/8 inches taller.
You can use a Holley heat shield and thermo spacer on top of the 2101 and still clear the hood. They add about 3/8 inch.
You can not use these wonderful accessories on the 7501 though unless using a drop base air cleaner.
Get some Silly Putty or modeling clay to check clearance between air cleaner and hood. Never slam a hood on a new Intake set-up too soon.
Be careful the air cleaner wing nut or stud does not strike a "glass" hood.
And for what it's worth, there are dozens of used Eddy 2101s on EBay. People want to up-grade and sell them off.
Some have oil stains, some are cracked, but the majority are decent at half the cost of new.
The 2101 is pretty much stock HT. The Air Gap 7501 I believe is 5/8 inches taller.
You can use a Holley heat shield and thermo spacer on top of the 2101 and still clear the hood. They add about 3/8 inch.
You can not use these wonderful accessories on the 7501 though unless using a drop base air cleaner.
Get some Silly Putty or modeling clay to check clearance between air cleaner and hood. Never slam a hood on a new Intake set-up too soon.
Be careful the air cleaner wing nut or stud does not strike a "glass" hood.
And for what it's worth, there are dozens of used Eddy 2101s on EBay. People want to up-grade and sell them off.
Some have oil stains, some are cracked, but the majority are decent at half the cost of new.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,948
Likes: 72
From: Oxford MA-----You just lost the game!!!!
As you can see in the Summit Racing link that I have provided below, an Edelbrock 2101 has an "Intake Manifold Height" of 4.05". If an Edelbrock 2101 will fit under your hood, then pretty much any intake manifold that has an "Intake Manifold Height" of 4.05" or less will also fit.
CHEVROLET Edelbrock 2101 Edelbrock Performer Intake Manifolds | Summit Racing
The intake manifold in the link below is a squarebore, has an "Intake Manifold Height" of 4.00", is quite a bit cheaper than a 2101, and should be superior to your stock intake manifold. I believe the Summit Racing house brand intake manifolds are made by Weiand, so it's probably a quality piece (This one looks an AWFUL LOT like a Weiand Street Warrior). I'm looking pretty hard at this manifold myself.
CHEVROLET Summit Racing SUM-226012 Summit Racing™ Stage 1 Intake Manifolds | Summit Racing
If you think you can get away with an intake manifold 3/8" taller, then find one you like at Summit Racing, and shop around and try to find a better deal on it somewhere else.
Scotty
CHEVROLET Edelbrock 2101 Edelbrock Performer Intake Manifolds | Summit Racing
The intake manifold in the link below is a squarebore, has an "Intake Manifold Height" of 4.00", is quite a bit cheaper than a 2101, and should be superior to your stock intake manifold. I believe the Summit Racing house brand intake manifolds are made by Weiand, so it's probably a quality piece (This one looks an AWFUL LOT like a Weiand Street Warrior). I'm looking pretty hard at this manifold myself.
CHEVROLET Summit Racing SUM-226012 Summit Racing™ Stage 1 Intake Manifolds | Summit Racing
If you think you can get away with an intake manifold 3/8" taller, then find one you like at Summit Racing, and shop around and try to find a better deal on it somewhere else.
Scotty