Manifold performance gain?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 945
Likes: 10
From: Winston Salem NC
Manifold performance gain?
I was wondering if there is much performance gain to be had with a intake manifold switch on my stock 76 L-48. I was thinking an edelbrock performer intake under my stock q-jet.
I already have long tube headers, true duals and an x-pipe. I would be using the stock heads and cam.
From reading the edelbrock site it seems like there may only be a 5hp/5tq gain, which would not be noticeable or worth it.
Let me know your thoughts,
John
I already have long tube headers, true duals and an x-pipe. I would be using the stock heads and cam.
From reading the edelbrock site it seems like there may only be a 5hp/5tq gain, which would not be noticeable or worth it.
Let me know your thoughts,
John
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 12,399
Likes: 247
From: San Jose CA
If the intake is coming off, it may be worthwhile, especially if you have one laying around. You can find them on ebay pretty cheap too.
The weight savings are worth more than the power difference.
The weight savings are worth more than the power difference.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,231
Likes: 65
From: Seattle WA
St. Jude Donor '14
An engine, simplified, is an air pump. The more F/A mixture we can move in - and out - of the engine, the more power it will make.
Headers and exhaust are usually the best first improvement on a GEN I SBC because of the inherently poor exhaust flow - and they provide the foundation for everything else. An intake on it's own will add negligible power...but combined with headers/exhaust - even on a relatively mild engine - will show reasonable power gains.
Add a cam, and you're getting everything the heads are capable of delivering.
Headers and exhaust are usually the best first improvement on a GEN I SBC because of the inherently poor exhaust flow - and they provide the foundation for everything else. An intake on it's own will add negligible power...but combined with headers/exhaust - even on a relatively mild engine - will show reasonable power gains.
Add a cam, and you're getting everything the heads are capable of delivering.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,716
Likes: 121
From: Sulphur LA
St. Jude Donor '05-'06,'11,'13-'14,'16,'18,'19,'24, '25
had a buddy with a Jeep Comanche truck once that was working me over with his truck. I had an 80 model chevy truck with a 305 and he would take me by 20 plus truck lengths in the 1/4 mile.
I changed the rear from a 2.72 to a 3.42 and put a small RV cam in and he still beat me by around 6 or 8 truck lengths.
I than did nothing more than change the intake form a Weind to a performer and I beat him by 6 or 8 truck lengths.
The intake can make a pretty good improvement if that's where the restriction is.
Neal
I changed the rear from a 2.72 to a 3.42 and put a small RV cam in and he still beat me by around 6 or 8 truck lengths.
I than did nothing more than change the intake form a Weind to a performer and I beat him by 6 or 8 truck lengths.
The intake can make a pretty good improvement if that's where the restriction is.
Neal