Big Block Intake Manifolds
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,871
Likes: 6
From: Sault Ste. Marie Ontario
Big Block Intake Manifolds
Hi Guys,
I contacted Edelbrock the other day asking for their recommendations on a 454 head, cam and intake set up for my 73. The criteria I set was for low to mid power improvements, EGR connection and stock hood clearances.
They came back to me recommending performer heads with a torker intake and no cam recomendation. I looked up the torker intake to find it does not have an EGR connection so I wrote them back to ask if they had an alternative.
Today they tell me they do not have an emissions legal intake thay will clear the stock hood and could not recommend any cam combo.
This may explain why I keep seeing 73 big blocks running the stock intake.
If any of you have run into this before, please drop me a line. I'll continue to search for a performance top end package and post any findings to share with others.
I contacted Edelbrock the other day asking for their recommendations on a 454 head, cam and intake set up for my 73. The criteria I set was for low to mid power improvements, EGR connection and stock hood clearances.
They came back to me recommending performer heads with a torker intake and no cam recomendation. I looked up the torker intake to find it does not have an EGR connection so I wrote them back to ask if they had an alternative.
Today they tell me they do not have an emissions legal intake thay will clear the stock hood and could not recommend any cam combo.
This may explain why I keep seeing 73 big blocks running the stock intake.
If any of you have run into this before, please drop me a line. I'll continue to search for a performance top end package and post any findings to share with others.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,997
Likes: 1
From: WAY DEEP INSIDE AMERICO,YES YOU LIVE HERE TO!! TX
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,838
Likes: 10
From: Austin TX
I've measured. If you wish to keep the original hood, air cleaner and cowl induction set-up you're stuck with a factory 0-port intake. The L-36 intake (no EGR, etc) is at least aluminum and perhaps could be ported a bit. Even the Edel. Performer sits 1.25" taller than your current intake.
With this mind, use the GM intake and build her for torque instead of RPM,..maybe use these heads (the oval ports on this page,..about $900 ea)...
http://www.brodix.com/heads/raceritebb.html
Then either a hyd or hyd-roller cam in the 225* @ .50 and rear gears in the 3.50 neighborhood,..and you'd have a combo that would be a blast on the street up to 5500-5700 RPM and you've removed about 125 lbs off the front of the car (with the L-36 intake,..or about 100 lbs if you keep your iron intake).
Another option and good luck!
With this mind, use the GM intake and build her for torque instead of RPM,..maybe use these heads (the oval ports on this page,..about $900 ea)...
http://www.brodix.com/heads/raceritebb.html
Then either a hyd or hyd-roller cam in the 225* @ .50 and rear gears in the 3.50 neighborhood,..and you'd have a combo that would be a blast on the street up to 5500-5700 RPM and you've removed about 125 lbs off the front of the car (with the L-36 intake,..or about 100 lbs if you keep your iron intake).
Another option and good luck!
Last edited by 73, Dark Blue 454; Jan 17, 2007 at 05:28 PM.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,871
Likes: 6
From: Sault Ste. Marie Ontario
Thanks Dark Blue,
You've confirmed my thoughts. There are emissions inspectors roaming the streets in this area looking for emissions illegal cars so, I would like to keep the EGR system. I do not have the factory smog pump or the original exhaust manifolds so better at least keep the EGR.
I'll look into the heads/cam combo you suggested.
Thanks again.
Ian
You've confirmed my thoughts. There are emissions inspectors roaming the streets in this area looking for emissions illegal cars so, I would like to keep the EGR system. I do not have the factory smog pump or the original exhaust manifolds so better at least keep the EGR.
I'll look into the heads/cam combo you suggested.
Thanks again.
Ian
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,909
Likes: 26
From: Clymer PA
What kind of transmission and rear gears do you have? If it's in your budget I would shoot for aluminum heads (weight savings is around 80lbs and repairability is a breeze). The GM R/Oval port heads are a nice street strip head that will give you decent bottom end performance (they are made by Edelbrock). As far as a camshaft I would shoot for something in the range of 240-250 duration @ .050" and .550"-.600" lift. A 454 has enough cubes to make a camshaft this size seem moderate. My intake recommendation would be to go with a single plane. Single planes get a bad rep but they still provide a nice bottom end grunt. Don't go with a Performer intake, they are junk and should be reserved for truck applications in my opinion. Unless you have emissions testing I wouldn't worry too much about the emissions connections.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,871
Likes: 6
From: Sault Ste. Marie Ontario
What kind of transmission and rear gears do you have? If it's in your budget I would shoot for aluminum heads (weight savings is around 80lbs and repairability is a breeze). The GM R/Oval port heads are a nice street strip head that will give you decent bottom end performance (they are made by Edelbrock). As far as a camshaft I would shoot for something in the range of 240-250 duration @ .050" and .550"-.600" lift. A 454 has enough cubes to make a camshaft this size seem moderate. My intake recommendation would be to go with a single plane. Single planes get a bad rep but they still provide a nice bottom end grunt. Don't go with a Performer intake, they are junk and should be reserved for truck applications in my opinion. Unless you have emissions testing I wouldn't worry too much about the emissions connections.
I'm going to be running a factory 4 speed with 3.36 rear gears. I'm told the emissions police in this area will be out this summer looking for non-complient cars. Not necessarily performing sniff tests but checking under the hood for missing or disconnected equipment. Apparently they fine you heavily and pull your plates until the components are installed. In my case the car came equipped with the A.I.R and EGR systems. I thought as a minimum I would use the EGR. My original budget was to include aluminum heads, intake and side exhaust. It looks like I'll have to rethink this.
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