I'm in the process of installing a Mini Ram and was wondering how many of you who are running a MiniRam opted for braided, flexible lines and how many went the bent steel route.

Any downside to either way?

Thanks,

Jake

 

I had the steels lines at first, then changed over to braided last winter.

Dave

 

I shortened the fuel lines ( made my own) and used Braided. I did that this past winter.

up until then I used braided (from 2000)

 

I have the stainless version connected into the stock lines. The reason I would mod. it would be to get the lines away from the block, but I would then locate them coming up from the firewall and around. That way I could still get the v. cover off w/out removal.

 

, plus it moved the lines away from the headers.

Good luck,
Dave

 

Exact same setup here. I wanted the fuel lines moved away from the headers like "hookedup" said.

 

I can get better pictures if anyone is interested.

The lines are close to the heater box and not along the frame rail near the headers. No issues so far and I don't have to worry about the OEM rubber lines rupturing.

 

Thanks for all the responses.

I'm thinking of running braided lines as well, but I've never installed the end fittings on braided lines.

Is there some sort of special tool needed to install the braided lines into the fitting or do I cut back the braided material so that only the rubber hose slides into the fitting.

Hope someone can walk me through this.

Jake

 

JAKE,

Most of the outfits that make hose ends have a "how to" area on their website.

Good luck,
Dave

 

One other thing, you may need a metric to AN adapter at the fuel filter and on the return at the union near the filter.

 

Thanks for that tip.

I just visited the site that showed the installation procedure. Now I've just got to hit PepBoys to see if they carry the installation tool.

BTW I already installed the adapters on the stock lines.

I'll post how it works out.

Jake

 

I will be doing a Mini Ram update with L98 next weekend, 1990 Vert. Any tips on the kit from TPIS? Ease of install? "Get this stuff" before you do it????

 

Ease of install, not bad some fiddling was required on mine.
Buy the water neck and the fittings they sell that go to the stock fuel lines. You will have to do some bending on the stock lines to match up to the new ones. The intake lines may also may need a little tweak to clear IAC and v. cover. You will need to relocate MAP sensor, and rework brake boost line.
Do a mock up fit first to also check the oil sender ***. at the back of the block as it may cause the intake to come forward. It would be better to replace that stock aluminum piece w/a threaded (pipe thread) tube and a 90*. This will then allow the intake to go back as far as possible and will allow for removal of sender ***. (if necessary in the future) and better surface area for sealing.
I would also lightly rough up the mating surfaces to the block as the machining on mine was pretty smooth.
Once assembled you may have to slot or re drill the holes on the linkage bracket for the TV cable and cruise. You will know when you test fit it, as you may not be able to install the cruise control cable. I re drilled almost in the corner of the bracket and a little tweaking which then allowed the cruise cable to be attached and the TV cable to be adjusted properly.
Hope this helps

 

One more tip, if you go braided line and don't want to buy a metric adapter fitting just cut & reflare the hard line SAE to work with your AN fitting.

Dave

 

Although that ~may work, a flare tool has a 45 degree flare while the AN stuff has a 37 degree flare. This means that the flare interface between the AN fitting and the hard fuel line will a point contact instead of a surface contact. I actually had my car set-up that way for a few hundred miles with no problems, but do not recommend it.

I actually put one of my flaring tools on a lathe and turned the flare down to a 37 degree end so that the flare was correct.

I think the cleanest (and safest IMO) way to do it is to disconnect the fuel line at the filter area and use AN adapters. From there you can run braided hose to the fuel rails in the same fashion that the LT1 Vettes do (and also the routing -=Jeff=- did). I have the adapters (new in box) if anyone would like to buy them. ($30 shipped)

 

I'm just finishing up a MiniRam II installation on my 86. Fired the engine for the first time yesterday. I had Alvin at PCMFORLESS re-burn my daughterboard to address the increased airflow.

I haven't installed the new board yet, but will today. Engine fired and idled fine with my existing board, but I know it'll be programmed too lean for the new setup with the MiniRam.

I encountered most of the problems already mentioned, especially the mating of the stock fuel lines to the hard lines that TPIS sells. Slight bending of the stock lines at the front of the block solved that problem.

At first I thought of going with flexible, braided fuel lines, but installing the fittings into the braided hoses is a real nightmare without the proper tool which I don't have.

Then I had to enlongate the two bolt holes of throttle cable bracket where it mounts to the MiniRam. Without elongating the bolt holes, the throttle cable wouldn't quite reach the TB mounting pin. Elongating the holes allowed me to move the bracket slightly forward just enough for the cable to attach and NOT keep the TB butterflies slightly open as was the case before elongating them.

I also had to grind down a small section of the A.I.R. pump mounting bracket so that the throttle cable wouldn't hit and bind against it.

The throttle cable pulls relatively straight now, but not as straight as I would like it. In doing some reading I saw that TPIS sells an extension which, when installed, should cause the throttle cable to pull as straight as stock. I'll probably order one today.

TV cable fit fine, but the cruise control cable is another matter. Because of the way the BBK TB is made, the cruise cable would end up at a rather acute angle when attached to the TB. I still have to figure out a fix for that problem.

My 86 stock cable bracket postions the cruise and throttle cables side by side (horizonally), BUT the TPIS bracket positions them one on top of the other (vertrically).

Cutting a hole for the relocated MAT sensor was quick and easy. Although the instructions say use a 23/32 bit to drill the hole, I couldn't find one that size, so I used a 3/4" hole saw chucked in my electric drill. The grommet fits nice and tight even with using a bit that's 1/32" larger than called for.

Be sure to mount it on the side of the air cleaner housing NOT THE TOP, or you'll have hood clearance problems.

TPIS' adjustable fuel pressure regulator is a dream to adjust, compared to the one I had installed on my TPI intake setup. I temporarily installed my Accel fuel pressure gauge to check and adjust the fuel pressure setting as it came from TPIS. Installing it was a tight fit, but it worked. I removed the schrader valve from the FPR first.

I had to use a 'T' fitting in the coolant openings at the front of the MiniRam to accomodate the three connections I needed. One for the coolant temp sensor the ECM uses, one for an in-dash Autometer coolant temp gauge I installed earlier this year and one for a hose barb for the car's heater. I had to install a short extension on the 'T' so the heater hose and dash gauge sender would clear the fuel lines, TPS and IAC.

Coming off the FPR with a 45* fitting allowed the fuel line to clear the distributor. A straight fitting didn't allow enough clearance for the distributor to drop all the way down and index with the oil pump drive.

I dimpled, with a punch and hammer, the underside of the MiniRam at the China Wall areas and used Hi-Temp, Sensor Safe silicone sealant on both China Walls. 50 or so dimples on each end did the trick. I spaced the dimples about 3/16" apart. I had already dimpled the block years ago.

With the MiniRam the TB sits slightly more forward than with the TPI, so I ended up with a slight bow to the accordian which connects the TB to the MAF. I intend to replace the accordian with one of the smooth type.

The MiniRam doesn't have a provision for the small diameter coolant hose that the 86 has which runs to the back of the stock TPI manifold. I just capped it off.

Hope some of this helps.

Jake

 

hi jake,
so how is the mini ram?
has it got plenty of grunt?
are you happy with the performance gain so far?
cheers
glen

 

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! GRUNT? YOU "AIN'T" SAID NOTIN!

I took the car out on interstate I35E a short while ago, about 40 miles round trip. The performance improvement was absolutely amazing!

Absolutely NO LOSS in off idle throttle response, in fact the throttle response has improved noticably over the extensively ported big tube runners, ported plenum and base that I had been running.
Who's have thunk it?!

Part of the performance improvements have to go to Alvin Anderson at PCMFORLESS for re-burning my PROM to accomodate the new MiniRam's abilities.

Using the same pedal pressure I had become accustomed to using on the ported stuff, the car simply flies away from a stand still. Once the R's hit 2000 and above it's like an entirely different engine. Engine pulls so hard that, at first, it's scary until I got use to it.

The engine and exhaust sounds are entirely different too. I could actually HEAR the increased airflow.
I can't comment on those with installed a MiniRam on a 350, but on a 415, like mine, it's a match made in heaven.

I only wish I'd made the swap sooner!.

Jake

 

I'm glad the install went well for you. It read like the memories I have of installing mine, all the same tweaks.

 

hi jake,
so you would say a big yes to the mini ram hey?
more grunt/revs than the ported large runners,plenum,intake?
does it still have good low/mid range rpm as well as top?
thanks
glen