[454cutlass86]

hey as some of you know im building a street 496 with oval port heads every agree to go with a air gap intake but I found a weiand tunnel ram intake for 150 should I go with the tunnel ram ?? what the pros and cons ?

[racecar100]

Tunnel Ram won't have the low end torque compare to RPM Gap.

[454cutlass86]

how much of a differnce ? i looked up the spec on the to tunnrl rams range is from 2500-7500 if i remember right and the air gap is 1500-6500

the cam im thinking about using is the xr274 solid roller and its ranger is 2200-6200

[327NUT]

You just answered your own question.......the cam you are planning to use will max at 6200 rpm, you are using oval port heads which in themselves won't allow you to go anywhere near 7500 rpm. Is the rest of your valve train suited for 7500?

Keep the Air Gap, much easier to tune, drivability will be better and a properly set up 496 with the right combination of parts anywhere near 6200 will be putting out plenty of power.

[lg1969]

Tunnel Ram will work on the street. Who said they do not have low end torque, because that is BU** SH**. It depend how large the carburetors are.
For a 496 two 465cfm P/N# 0-1848-1 VS Holleys will give you all the torque you can get. I have been running my tunnel ram with a pair of 390 VS Holleys for over 25 years from 307 to my 406 sbc and will rip the asphalt off the ground and go sideways from a dead idle. Don't tell me about torque. People do not know the true power a of tunnel ram with it's set up right.

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by 454cutlass86

how much of a differnce ? i looked up the spec on the to tunnrl rams range is from 2500-7500 if i remember right and the air gap is 1500-6500

the cam im thinking about using is the xr274 solid roller and its ranger is 2200-6200

Unless you are looking for the "WOW" factor of having your carbs sticking up out of the hood, the RPM intake will work well with your engine. BTW, I have no prob. with the wow factor- as long as the shortcomings are considered to be "doable"

A tunnel ram, by it's design, has less "signal strength" to the carbs- this is due to the open plenum and large plenum volume, as well as a possibly large port cross sectional area.

Because of this, a large accelerator pump shot is needed to overcome the lag between the idle circuit and main circuit activation. Often, large main jetting is also needed. Forget about economy.

Depending on what exact intake you have, it can be a relatively tame set-up w/less plenum and port cross section area, to a radical 8000 RPM plus set-up that you will have a miserable time tuning for decent response on the street.

A lot also depends on the carbs' CFM and just as much depends on proper tuning- both for a tunnel ram AND as a dual-4 bbl. set-up.

Given the size of your engine, this is less of a problem than it would be on, say, a 350 SBC.

[454cutlass86]

thanks alot guy for the info, reason i ask is cuase I havent bought an intake yet and found a nice weiand tunnel ram for I think I can get it for $100

and yet I have to say apart of me want that WOW affect when people see the thing sticking up but if it would be a perfromance issue id pass , I think I might

is it real hard to get the carbs just right ?

[lg1969]

Like I wrote before. Get a pair 465cfm vacuum secondary Holley
P/N#0-1848-1 and you will get the wow and good performance both low end and top end. Good luck

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by 454cutlass86

is it real hard to get the carbs just right?

It requires tuning- whether or not it would be "hard" or not, depends on your experience and/or willingness to follow directions over the web LOL, and how well equipped your tuning parts "stash" is.

The bigger the carb, the less "drivable" the combo will be, all else being the same- so smaller carbs rather than bigger carbs is a move in the right direction. The carbs will be the biggest cost in this deal, IMHO.

Do you know, or can you ask what the p/n of the intake is? IIRC, there were more than one Weiand TR.

[cranky1]

My first experience with a TR was in the early 80's and on a race car with less cubes you will have. Yes, fuel consumption was high (hey, it was a race car) but the car surprised me with it's good manners in the pits. The car ran a 10.68 stalled up or a 10.69 leaving at an idle. I'm not a carb guru but they are not hard to tune imo. My next street car will have one but I have two friends that both have 440's with TR's on them. One is a carb idiot while the other guy is keen on them but both run really nice. Somehow, the idiot got his sweet. I like it when people say they are junk on the street because it helps keep the prices low

[1BAD78TA]

You will have to tune for it but the tr's make good power all the way thru the rev range. There have been numerous tests that show that they can run with and most of the time beat a duel or single plane intake from idle on up. I like the wow factor but I'm not patient enough for it.

Mark.

[454cutlass86]

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...1&autoview=sku

here is the same part on summit, i just talk to the guy he says he is going with a air gap lol

i need to go there and pick it up but tis an hr away

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by 454cutlass86

i just talk to the guy he says he is going with a air gap lol

Uh huh. lol

[454cutlass86]

BUT he said he never used this one but used TRS i nthe past and kinda sounded like ... i guess lazy when adjusting the carbs and tuning , he says he buldign a 396 and got the TR from a friend so maybe ho doent know as much between the to like me

[cobalt327]

From Weiand:

"They're designed primarily for drag racing, truck/tractor pulls, and performance marine applications where high rpm is required but bottom-end torque isn't.

With their patented D-shaped port runners and large plenum chamber, they provide optimum thrust of the air/fuel mixture to the intake ports.

They mount either single or dual square-mount carbs and, depending on the application, have power bands that run from 2,500 rpm to as high as 9,000 rpm."
Bold mine.

(your p/n 1981 is 2500-7900 RPM)