I have bad news. The intakes on these cars are loaded with epoxy from the factory. Epoxy holds the intake runners in and is also on the upper tabs of the runners. There are even blobs of epoxy on the intake floor where the epoxy dripped when getting applied at the factory. 11 years later and the epoxy looks like new. Short runner intakes for these cars are also loaded with epoxy as epoxy is used to fill in the power ledges. 90% of IMRC deletes are done even with cheap JB weld and there are no reported problems. Proper selection of the epoxy is key. For the 200 degrees these plates will see the epoxy isn’t going anywhere. I am not disagreeing with you saying epoxy is better but I am confident either method will work fine.

This is just the dripping of epoxy from the factory, This is just run off on an unprepped area! The expoxy is still kickin. I do not know why you guys have no faith is epoxy but it is harder than a preachers diick and bonds like crazy.

http://home.flash.net/~ivc1/cobra/runners_removed_1.JPG

Are you using the same Epoxy Ford is using? Or are you using stuff you get from CTC and other leading stores?

Again just because ford uses it, does it make it right? If Ford really cared that much, don't you think they would have made a better casting, or ground down all the restrictions from the heads and intakes? Just an example but........

It is your engine, you do what you want and if you think its safe carry on. I am not saying your wrong since you do have a pic to prove it, and I did warrens car aswell.....that epoxy is a friggin PITA to get off.

But IMO its wrong!

I hope everything works well for you in the end, I would really hate to see something bad happen to you since your doing this all on your own or at least trying, I respect that.

Anyways good luck and let me know how you make out.

Keith.

I am using an epoxy from GM that we use in similar applications. Remember the holes are welded and I just skimmed a bit of epoxy over them. If the epoxy came off it would be a flake and as soon as it hit the combustion chamber it would burn up immediately. There is no point arguing because it won’t do any good. The fact that most people use Epoxy on their deletes and there are no reported problem gives me a tad of reassurance! LOL. As stated before, yes a weld is better. Will an epoxy still work? I think it will.

Why do you have no faith in Epoxies in general? You would be surpirsed at how strong they are and what they are used for. I think many people place epoxies in the same boat as a glue or RTV. The things we have used epoxies on would blow your mind. We have never seen a proper epoxie repair fall off.