Does anyone out there have any experience with the xram intake manifold replacement for the cross-fire? http://www.x-ram.com

 

I had a customer with an 84 x-fire. He wanted the x-ram. But I tried my best to explain to him why I thought it was a bad design. He installed it himself anyway. The results were good, but when you look at what you start with anything is better i guess. The stock x-fire intake ports are about half of the size of the intake ports in the heads. I think it was to try and keep velocity of the air fuel charge as it entered the heads due to a poor design that was more for a pleasing look than for functionality. The other big problem is that the x-fire was designed for a 305 not a 350 which it was put on in the vettes.

As for the X-ram. Look at the construction of it. The two throttle bodies are attached to a very thin plenum type two piece box (sealing of this box is an issue and many people end up with huge vacuum leaks because of it). The box is very thin. The fuel and air has to make an abrupt 90deg trun to head towards the middle of the intake where it enters the wiend single plane intake plenum. Then the air and fuel has to make a 180 turn to head down towards the head depending on which direction your looking at it. that's a lot of direction changes and non of the areas of direction change are radiused to even help out the flow.

I have always wanted to see what would happen if I put an edelbrock TBI manifold and a larger Holley two barrel GM TBI replacement on a x-fire engine. I would imagine that you could gain more power and better fuel milage with this setup than the X-Ram. The wiring isn't to bad to change around. The second idle air control motor can just be left distconnected and the injecter wires would connect to the two injectors on the two barrle tbi.

But if your looking for a little more power and still keep the look of the X-fire setup, then by all means get the x-ram, and be sure you have a lot of silicon to seal up that aluminum box.

Another place to get more information on this is the crossfire message board. I don't have the link here but you should be able to find it doing a search on google.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for you input. Al of the extreme angles does make the xram design seem choked. I wonder if it would be easier to jettison the crossfire completely for a different induction setup completely.

 

Retrofit a C4 TPI setup. It's been done many times before :cheers:

 

Before you do any buying, go do a lot of reading and ask some questions on the Crossfire forum. http://www.crossfire.homeip.net:81/
If the site is still down, check back tomorrow.

There are plenty of ways to increase the output of your L83. :seeya

 

I couldn't agree more, I don't like the X-ram either for the aboe mentioned reasons, and I'd like to add that when the flow from the 2 TBs has to go down the single carb bore of the performer lower manifold, you will have opposing flows trying to go down the same hole. We all know that spells restrictive. I've taken a lot of heat for pointing that out (on the crossfire forum) but it is how I feel about and and clearly I am not the only one. In fact, the design is rediculous and a joke. The site is full of claims which are based largely on the lower performer manifold, nowhere do they mention flow numbers for the restrictive little adapter box on top. IMO the only design parameter they used wasL shave down performer manifold to the max, then drop on tiny top plenum so TB's bolt on and it will sit under stock hood. This results in the pathetic design.

I've also mentioned the radiusing and the use of a spacer on the above mentioned site. But, the problem is that with a spacer to help out the upper plenum (more volume, makes for easier path for flow to bend aroudn the corners) means it won't fit under a stock hood.

As for CFI designed for a 305, so was TPI :-)

 

I ditched mine and went with a totally aftermarket TPI setup that has worked great for me.

 

(TT - not trying to re-open old topics)

I put a 3/8 " spacer under my TBI's and bumped up the filter height to 2-3/4" and the setup just fits under my hood. Have the slightest wear mark after 3 years of this setup on the underside hood - but no marks on the air cleaner lid.

This spacers did alot to avoid the dreaded fuel puddling in colder weather and increased the plenum volume as described. I have a very smooth idle and am happy with the spacers. Someone on the Crossfire Forum had two sets of CNC milled aluminum spacers for the crossfire tbi's - a 3/8" set and a 1/2" set. Glad I got the 3/8"ers. Don't think the 1/2"s would have fit.

 

Checkout my thread in the C4 Tech section :

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=772265

There are 2 guys running it with good results. Although 'porting' your stock intake can work just as well. :chevy