Intake Question

[boostmaster]

Ported stock or gutted intake, advantages and disadvantages. Anyone have personal experiance with the two and can give feedback?

 

[BRAD_PADGETT]

I do not understand your question. Ported heads? Ported intake manifold? What are you looking for? Brad

 

[boostmaster]

The question is about intake manifolds. Which intake flows best for hot airs. No intent to flame anyone but only real time tested experience on this one. IE test and tune, none of the infamous butt dyno.

 

[cool 84]

I've done both. Started with a ported intake and later gutted the insides. I'd say 90% of the gain is in the porting. I noticed a slight difference in the mid/upper rpm range with the gutting but I was pretty modded at that point. At no point did I lose any low end.

 

[racemybuick]

a very good ported intake is the key.....no need to gut it out if the runners are done up nice....As far as I can tell, the best intake I have seen on the boards and my personal intake have this in common....

1. Blocked EGR
2. Grounded egr hump to a smooth point /\
3. MAX ports...open them up!!!
4. Smooth runners as far as you can go in...the more smooth and even, the better the flow...and we all know what the better flow means!!!
5. Alky ports....Best to have at least two, one on each side of the turbo inlet in the back of the intake for even spray I think.

That is exactly what I have, and what I have sold in the past. The intake I sold came off a 12/11 sec car from Lee Thompson, with the exact same set-up I will be running in the fall.

Good luck!

If you want a spare intake to experiment with....shoot me an email to racemybuick@yahoo.com, and we can work out any details!!!

John

 

[BRAD_PADGETT]

John is right on with the info. The only thing I did was have the heads done at the same time as the intake so they match. I am not a mechanic and it cost me $1600 to have them done professional by a local guy who builds Buick big block as well as other big block racing motors. I had to wait from Dec until March for the work to be done because that is the time racing rebuilders are really busy. The heads flow rate are not 37 % higher than stock both in the intake as well as the exhaust. My last mod. was getting rid of the stock downpipe. I found a 2 1/5 inch one and it works great. Brad

 

[HOTSIX]

My personal favourite - having tried both - is the gutted JS Manufacturing type. It is gutted with the 'zip tubes' removed and has a doghouse just like the 87 plenum.

Although I have no access to a flow bench - it doesnt take numbers to show you how much the flow is opened up here. I had a modded 85 intake - much the same as Racemybuick's. Sans the Alky - didnt have it back then. It worked well but you still have the restrictions of the zip tubes to deal with. Plus you can only access part of the runners and the turbo input for porting. The insides are still rough due to the factory casting.

I will say that after the JS intake was installed - heads were also port matched - the car really woke up. You have to switch to the 87 TB etc as well - but I was flipping to the IC side anyway at the same time.

Once my oil leak is fixed - im headed to the dyno and maybe the track for some numbers. I will be posting them then.