Howdy all-
J35 Intake manifold question-

Came across a relatively clean J35A7 intake manifold in an '07 Odyssey EX-L at a junkyard, and I picked it up for $52.

Now, I have two TL's: a '04 base 5at + a '08 base w/ Nav.
I am curious, would this be an upgrade over the OEM 2pc magnesium manifold in my '08? or would be it basically equivalent?
Since its the 2pcs magnesium IM, I'd be inclined to believe its an upgrade at minimum for the '04 (OEM cast IM).

At minimum, I can delete the IMRC & throw it on my '05 Pilot

 

RKB mani is same as 05-08 RL. Not an upgrade. esp if its the heavy aluminum material.

I've got several dbw j35/early j37a1 magnesium manfolds. Pretty mich identical except for whether or not they are tapped for Intake air temp sensor. Which the earliest ones like that were. I also don't see Mg stamped on the bottom. Not worth $50+

 

I replaced the valve covers & spark plug tubes seals on my '04 TL yesterday. I installed the J35A7 onto my '04 TL yesterday. Powerband has definitely changed, its less responsive off-idle, which was one thing I noticed driving my '04 & '08 back to back.
Today, on the other hand, I did the valve covers/spark plug seals on my '08 TL- I was not aware that the factory 2pcs I/M on my '08 TL J32A3 was magnesium.

I added a P2R 1/2" plenum spacer to my '08, seems to make marginal difference between 2500-4500 RPM. Quite pleased with both cars at this stage!

 

I hadn't heard of plenum spacers before I read your post and you have me intrigued. When I replaced the valve cover gaskets on my 2005 RL, the middle valve cover bolt broke and I had to improvise and make a stud (see image below). Since the intake manifold is so low against the valve cover, I can't keep an eye on the stud to make sure it's not coming loose. I wonder if I put a 1/2" spacer would it allow me to at least feel that stud I made to make sure it's not coming loose. I'm not really trying to change the car's performance, but a little more clearance would be nice.

 

New to the TL-S/ J series Platform (3 weeks). Is a manifold swap worth swapping out on them? If someone could link me to some good reading material about this, or provide some input i would greatly appreciate it. Thanks

 

I have not found any definitive write-ups about the intake manifolds are the ones you want for a J-series, everyone seems to want the J37 & those go for $$$. Not sure if there is documentation/dyno on the J35 IM on a J32 like I did on my '04. If there is a thread out there, I can't find it.

My personal experience is going from a 1pcs cast aluminum to a 2pcs alum there is a difference, and it seemed to broaden the powerband slightly. Less off-idle throttle response, but it just pulls smoother throughout.
I have driven my '08 w/ the 1/2" spacer, and after driving both cars back to back, I do feel the increase in torque (albeit not night/day) in mid-range. Doesn't feel like I gave much top end either, so a win-win in my book. My ATLP J-pipe should be here this week hopefully

I do know that J-series within the mid-2000's have a few different manifolds:
-04-06 TL's had the single piece aluminum intake manifold, which appears to be sand-cast. My '05 Pilot has the same/similar manifold.
-07-08 TL's had magnesium 2pcs I/M
-J35A7's had a 2pcs aluminum I/M, and the J35A8's in the RL had the same thing (same P/N as mentioned above). These might be die-cast, as it felt lighter than the single-piece I/M I took off.
-J37 I/M's seem to be well known to make an improvement in power. There are certain years that have a 68mm throttle body (same as stock 3G TL's) and others that have a larger 80mm dia.

This is about how much I can see of the middle inner bolt on my front cylinder bank. The spacer definitely adds some visibility if thats what you're looking for:

 

andrewtl96 Thank you. yea i cant find a really good writeup either. i just been watching videos and reading whatever i can find.