Intake comparison Weiand Action Plus vs. Edelbrock RPM Air Gap

[Scooter]

Been doing some work on the Challenger and eyeballing the Air Gap intake that came with the car when I bought it. The 360 currently has a Weiand Action Plus installed. Only issue I've had with the Weiand is there seems to be an air bubble that gets caught where I installed the aftermarket temp sensor probe. I don't always get a reading.. not a show stopper by any means. On paper the Air Gap is a better intake, guy never did tell me why he took it off. Judging by all the goop baked onto the once nice finish:



And across the rest of the intake to head surfaces even past the water jacket:



He was having issues getting it to seal. Shame about the finish, it's ruined. I'd probably scuff it up and paint it aluminum. Is it worth the effort or should I follow the advise of the little voice in my head that keeps saying.. "ain't broke don't fix it dummy!"?

What say ye?

[Chryco Psycho]

The RPM is a better intake sort of but it is taller so the air flow gained using the RPM can be lost in a restrictive air cleaner .
I know for a fact Eddy uses a lower grade alum because when I port them the cutter plugs up more , if the alum was a better alloy the cutter would not plug up , so maybe that is part of the sealing problem .
You may just open a can of worms swapping the intake but mostly it is time lost , the intake gaskets are not expensive , clearly the last owner tried it & had enough trouble to switch it out , you may or may not have more success , your call 

[RUNCHARGER]

The mess that butcher made could most likely have  been solved by flat filing the thermostat housing and possibly the intake to thermostast surface flat.

[Chryco Psycho]

or it could be a hairline crack or porous alum causing the leak , I have seen eddy carbs cast so poorly the fuel bowl wall was missing & fuel filled the pocket where the counter weight for the secondary air door was full of fuel , never underestimate the complete lack of quality control Eddy has !

[Scooter]

^^ I hear ya all. I've been mulling the swap for literally months.

On one side it's an intake manifold.. how wrong could I go? <== That's rhetorical, we all know how the "easy job" is the one that costs you a trip to the machine shop.  But seriously, if I can't get the Air Gap to work I slap the Weiand back on. Cost = my time a few intake gaskets and some Right Stuff. On my Ford FE removing the intake requires the removal of the valvetrain and pushrods. By comparison this one is a cake walk.

On the other side the engine is a pretty mild build and it's not going to make a world of difference. The Weiand is not a horrible intake by any means, is on the car and not giving any issues.

The lockdown had me left with a little too much time on my hands and I eyeball that intake every time I hit the garage. Maybe I should just toss a towel over it and be done. 

[Chryco Psycho]

I hear you on the too much time to think & Squat to do