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Last Updated: 10/2/2010
Resources
Hughes FI Airgap Manifold
Hughes Engines, Inc.
Address: 23334 Wiegand Lane,
Washington, Il 61571
Phone: (309) 745-9558
Hours: Mo thru Fri
8AM - 5PM (CST)
Click here to visit their website.
Summit Racing Equipment
Address: P.O. Box 909
Akron, OH 44398-6177
Phone: 800-230-3030
Fax: 330-630-5333
The Order Line is open 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week.
Click here to visit their website.
Edelbrock Corp. Headquarters
Address: 2700 California Street,
Torrance, CA 90503
Phone: 310-781-2222
Fax: 310-320-1187
Tech Line Only: 800-416-8628
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 am-12:30, 1:30-5:00 pm PST, weekdays
Click here to visit their website.
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Disclaimer
| The fabrication, modifications and designs you see on this web site are completed by myself. If you duplicate these modifications you do so at your own risk. I do not endorse or make any claims to their safety, performance, On-road or off-road worthiness. Any "Product Reviews" are my sole and personal opinion. These reviews are on items purchased from or provided by reputable aftermarket suppliers. All registered trademarks belong to their respective owners. |
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Hughes Engines Inc. was formed in 1969 as Hughes Engineering, to build stock and super /stock cylinder heads for AHRA and NHRA class racing. Since then we have grown into a complete custom engine building facility. We were one of the first ASE certified engine machine shops in the nation. Dave Hughes has a long history of drag racing as well as writing tech colums and doing Q&A for several national magazines.
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Edelbrock Corporation has six locations: four in Torrance and two in San Jacinto, California, totaling over 600,000 square feet. Headquarters include: R&D; manufacturing; tech support and more. Less than a mile away the Exhaust and Suspension Division design and manufacture high quality components using custom built equipment and state-of-the-art testing facilities.
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After much research on the web, I have decided to exchange my already runner modified barrel or keg style OEM intake on the Durango for a considerable better unit, thus I purchased the Hughes Engines FI Airgap Intake Manifold kit.. This will also eliminate any possibility of problems resulting from a failing plenum cover gasket in the future.
The increase in horsepower is what sold me on the intake, though. Many enthusiasts before me who have purchased this kit have noticed increased performance and claiming to have gained an additional 15-20 hp on a stock engine after the install.
My truck is an all-time AWD with a highly modified engine, thus I don't expect getting better milage from this intake as most people on the web have reported using the manifold with the stock engine.
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Hughes Engines
FI Airgap Manifold Kit
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I usually buy only Mopar Performance parts, but the Hughes Intake is a far better solution then the M1 Mopar Intake (which I also in detail researched) for the RPM range I want the power to be in.
This intake has been designed by Hughes Engines specifically for the Dodge Magnum engine and manufactured by Edelbrock for them. I really like this kit as it contains everything needed for the swap.
Getting Started
The basic procedure of this project is to remove the old intake manifold from my vehicles Magnum engine and replace it with this new high performance manifold. Hughes Engines has provided a helpful set of colored instructions to assist me in the process.
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Everything needed for the install comes along including a full gasket set, a throttle body adapter, and a bag with an assortment of bolts & brackets. Also included are all fittings and a bunch ofn pvc caps for those unused fittings.
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The UPS guy brought me a box just one day before Christmas!
The intake manifold from Hughes Engines arrived well packed and without any damage. It looks great!
Here is a quick shot of the engine bay
before I started to rip it apart.
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I am setting up my propane heater, getting my air compressor charged, tools cleaned, and yes, you bet, I am about as ready as I can be!
Let's get started!
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Disassembly:
There is nothing quite as exiting as starting a new project. I am ready to tackle it although this project has a lengthy to-do list
1. Removing my Mopar Performance aluminum cast air cleaner.
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2. Disconnecting the negative battery cable.
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3. Draining the coolant from the radiator.
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4. Loosening the fan belt.
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5. Removing the throttle linkage. |
6. Disconnecting all vacuum lines and wiring to the injectors, sensors, and throttle body.I then proceed with moving the throttle body out of harms way to the left side of the engine bay. I am paying especially close attention to the Cruise Control lines and wiring as I don't want to damage them.
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7. Removing the A/C compressor and the brackets that attach them to the intake manifold / Cylinder Heads / Block.(I do not remove the A/C lines since this will allow the A/C charge to escape into the atmosphere and that wouldn't be good). I then move the A/C compressor off to the side with A/C lines still attached.
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8. I then proceed with removing the idler pulley, the alternator and the entire accessory bracket from the block. I remove the the heater hose, and loosen the bypass hose.
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9. I removed the entire fuel rail with the injectors still attached. (I do not remove the injectors from the fuel rail or disconnect the fuel lines since they are under high pressure). I'll make sure that I didn't lose any o-rings from the injectors as they could get stuck in the old intake manifold. After replacing any damaged or worn o-rings I moved the whole assembly out of the way so that I can remove the intake manifold while leaving the lines still attached.
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10. The manifold has been removed and set aside with the bypass hose still attached. I remove the thermostat and the bypass hose for later use on the new Hughes FI Airgap intake manifold.
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11. I plug all holes in the cylinder heads and cover the entire valley with shop towels to prevent any debree to enter any openings in the cylinder heads while I clean all of the mating surfaces to remove old gasket material and all grease and oil.I am using a standard gasket scraper I purchased at a local Auto Parts store to do this job.
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All cleaned up and ready for new gaskets.
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I spent close to 3 hours just on cleaning!
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The cleaning and the prep work for the new gaskets was defenetly the most time consuming task this afternoon and without the vacuum cleaner and the compressed air pistol, this job would have been impossible to do. I am glad this is done!
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I am now quite exhausted which is likely a result of having not yet fully recovered from my last chemo treatment. I am also a bit cold as it is in my garage only 20 degrees fahrenheit despite the propane fed little Mr. Heater I had running. Thus, that's enough for me for today and I am looking foward to a hot cup of coffee and some fresh baked chocolate cake my wife has made. I will continue tomorrow with the assembly and install of the new Hughes FI Airgap Intake Manifold.
Assembly:
1. I have transferred the following components over from the old intake manifold to the new one (by-pass nipple, heater hose nipple, and the coolant temperature sensor). I have used LocTite thread sealant on any threads of the fittings and on the sensor. |
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2. I have installed the new intake onto the engine. I did not use the gaskets that where supplied for the front or rear because it would have made the intake sit to high, so I applied a generous amount of Black High Temp Silicone instead.  |
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3. I use on all bolts anti-seize to prevent them from seizing up in the engine block. I purchased this at my local auto parts store quite some time ago and still have plenty left.This stuff is a must have!  |
4. I then installed the throttle body adapter (which I have painted black last night) with a new gasket and the brackets for both of the fuel rails which all came with the kit.  |
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5. I then installed the plug for a secondary temperature sensor. Next was the 180 thermostat and the thermostat housing with a new gasket. The housing received a new coat of black paint the day before. It was a real pain to get the bypass radiator hose back on. I had to shorten it almost a 1/2" until it finally did fit.  |
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6. I applied a small amount of motor oil onto the O-rings on the fuel injectors and installed the fuel rails with the injectors still attached using the supplied bolts, washers, and nuts from the kit. The rear bracket on the right side (in the picture left) did not align perfect and I plan on correcting it at a later point by machining special mounts for all four corners. I then pluged the connectors for the injectors back in.  |
You may have noticed that I didn't mention the Intake Air Temperature sensor (IAT). This is because the new intake does not provide a location for it. This is actually great for me because it will make for some free power! Here is the story about it.
7. I am spending an hour to clean the accessory bracket before re-installing it. |
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8. I have installed the accessory bracket, the A/C pump and the Goodyear Gator belt. |
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9. All connections to the alternator have been made. The upper radiator hose and heater hose have been reconnected and the trottle body mounted to the intake adapter! |
10. I have reconnected the throttle linkage and checked the linkage for smooth operation and made sure it does not bind or interfere with any wiring or vacuum lines. I have installed my Mopar Performance air cleaner, reconnected the IAT sensor, the battery cable, and refilled the cooling system with anti-freeze. 
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Finishing up!
All what's left do do is starting the Durango back up, checking for any leaks and if everything checks out, then this project has been successful completed. Installing the Hughes Airgap Intake was overall an easy task, however I wouldn't recommend it for the beginner.
I now have a bunch of unused vacuum fittings which are currently covered with included pvc caps from the kit, this solution looks a lot like it came from the local hardware stores plumbing isle.Very Ugly!
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 Summit Pipe Plug Kit
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I am planing on replacing them with the Summit Racing Pipe Plug Kit (Part# SUM-G1484N) available for under five bucks.
The plugs from this kit are made from aluminum, and come in a natural finish, and includes three 3/8 in. NPT, and three 1/2 in. NPT fittings.
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This project was completed on 01-04-2010
Follow up February 2010
Sound: I noticed a more beastly tone which makes my Durango sound even better than it already did with the Borla muffler after installing the Hughes Airgap Intake Manifold.
Performance: Holy Cow!!! This kit has made a significant change in the performance department! I certainly can feel a strong power gain from 2500 RPM's all the way up to my sealing @ 6000RPM. The truck feels a lot more responsive, meaning it seems to react to the pedal without any lag and pulls strong throughout the entire powerband. It revs now well, like a Muscle Car, I like it!
I am extremely happy with the outcome and I would do it again as it is now one of my most favorable mods I have done to this day, just awesome!
...oh, about mpg's... Did I gain any fuel milage? Probably, but it's hard to tell because I have a hard time keeping my foot out of it, it is just so much fun putting das pedal to das metal :-)
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