I have a bone stock 88 convertible w/automatic. Have been looking for some performance mods & have been looking at Tpis mini ram. TPIS states that a 95+ horse power gain can be expected with no other mods. (only mini ram manifold, their fuel rail, & 52mm throttle body) Does anyone have any experience with their manifold system. 95 hp would be great, & worth the investment, but it is very expensive about $1500. Although it would not be to great if it didn't have major gains for the cost of one item.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Tom

 

To make that set up work you will have to get the rest of the package, Heads cam headers.


[Modified by corvette0096, 9:25 AM 6/2/2003]

 

You don't want a miniram on an otherwise stock auto equipped car. You will give up major torque off idle

 

That is HP gained while you area at @ 6000RPM, so it is less HP when you are at 300RPM etc.

 

First off, dont trust a claim TPiS makes. They have a habit of grossly exaggerating numbers or not telling you everything.

You will need a much bigger cam and some head portwork to get that 95+hp, and it will be at a high rpm as well.

I dont think the MR is suited for automatics, you will need lower rear gears and a high stall TC to make it fast out of the hole. Because cams that make their power over 3000rpm can be like a dog at low rpms of normal driving.

If you want something that requires no transmission or rear gear mods, get the Superram and the Accel 74219 cam, lingenfelter.com. It will still be expensive, but youll get straight info from LPE

 

Thank you all for the fast feedback. Although I am very disapointed. The TPIS web site is very misleading. Here is a qoute from the TPIS on line cataloge discribing the mini ram intake.

This fabulous new one-piece casting is ideal for the serious car nut. If used as a replacement over a stock Tuned Port intake, on a mild 350ci motor, you will see a 95+ HP gain. If you build the motor on the mild side, i.e. small cam and some porting, 125+ HP is very possible.

I am looking for a place to start were I can build on but not have to buy all at once.

Thanks again

Tom

 

If your looking for a place to start, you should look at exhaust. It's kind of like a catch 22. Neither intake or exhaust mods will see their full potential without the other. Exhaust will be a little cheaper and easier, plus you'll have the benefit of the rumble until you get around to intake.

 

I would call TPIS and talk with them about their product as they know it better than anyone. They will tell you that you will need some bigger gears like 3.73's to give you some low end auto or stick.

I will say that having just bolted one on my new engine, that this intake from 45-MPH up, will carry you to 100++ so fast its scary! This thing can breathe BIG TIME!

If you dont want to go to 6000-7000RPM then get a Super Ram. You get more low end torque but less top end, like say above 5750RPM.

But intake, heads and cam is the ticket for sure!

 

Im with LD on that one,talk to TPIS about your needs but do expect to pay alot of money.The manager there was honest enough to tell me if I used it on my engine,he said to use a 3.73 gears and a 2800 stall for best operation for driving w/automatics.With LPE mods and others,try and develop a combo and match the engine to the exhaust,drivetrain etc.
Also,before you buy anything,even a chip or a magical add on HP part you see in catalogs,ASK THE FORUM first.It will save you alot of $$$$!!!
Someone will know if it works or not.
:cheers: :cheers:

 

All of above is true but one thing that will change it is forced induction. When I changed from a TPI intake to a Mini-Ramll I could not tell any differnce in low end torque. On the dyno my engine with the mini Ram made 554 RWT at 2700 rpm that is where they started the readings. :hurray:

 

IMO, TPiS is reasonable about horsepower claims, and they offer PROVEN combinations. Understand that a "mild motor" to TPiS means a smooth-idle aftermarket cam, mild head work, headers, exhaust, etc. So 95HP is very do-able under those conditions. But on an automatic you'll need a high-stall converter, 3.73 gears, cam, and a different tachometer to map your new-found entertainment. I knew all this "going in" because I asked TPiS what they recommended.

If you are planning to race A LOT, get the MR. If not, get the SR.

PS: I LOVE MY MINIRAM!

 

I have been reading some of the replies, and I have to disagree about TPIS. I have always been very impressed by their products and their staff. My personal experience is that they are CONSERVATIVE about their horsepower claims. And their techs are the best I have evey talked to. I have several of their products and I am about to install a miniram and ZZ9 myself. These guys not only use a dyno - but THEY RACE!!!!!! AND WITH THEIR OWN STUFF!!!! That 95 horsepower gain is at 5200 rpm, you need to open up the exhaust to see that benefit - but otherwise, I believe it. They have always been dead on with everything I have ever gotten from them, and I trust them. Having said that, I will say that I have a manual trans (soon to be a ROD 6 speed) and a 3.07 rear gear. An auto with the 2.xx gear probably needs to stay with longer runners and low rpm.

 

:iagree:
I have a TPIS 700-135 cam in my '86 and it does exactly what Terry at TPIS said it would. I spent over half an hour on the phone with him when I first got it back because it wasn't performing right. He helped me troubleshoot until I figured it out. (plugged up cat) I have complete confidence in them.

Jet Mech, one of the things you'll discover about this forum is that you want to take advice from the people who have actually used and tried these products. Seek them out and you will be pointed in the right direction.

 

:iagree: :iagree: :hurray: :hurray: :party:

 

"Mild" I wanted to ask them what they meant by that. I dynoed at 230RWHP with my 85. Rated 230 at the crank from the factory, obviously some work was done before I got it, all signs lead to a mild cam.

After the Mini Ram install, I dynoed 234RWHP :mad :confused: , all that $ and work for 4HP :banghead: . If I didn't already have seroius upgrades planned I would have been off the wall mad. I'm still a little ticked, while my engine didn't meet their definition of mild, we're talking about a 94HP difference. I did pick up a very noticable gain with the addition of their LT headers, another $800 on top of the MR cost.

So you say I'm not making the correct comparison because the MR makes its power at a higher RPM so it needs a cam that can work up there? Well I guess they ripped that page out of MY catalog and MY IP address is not allowed to view that page on thier website. That's where it becomes questionable .The truth is the MR is useless as a direct replacement on an L98 motor without a cam made for it, not just any mild cam for an L98. To some this is elementary, for many about to spend over $1K its vital info.

I ask, How much of that 95HP "from the MR" is actually from the mods to fit the mild definition (i.e. head work, cam, exhaust)?

P.S. I'm not "bashing" TPIS, just using my experince to clarify some info. Also, I'm very happy with how it seems to be working on the 408.

 

It may be possible that the mini makes 95 hp over a stock intake but the way they rate it is pretty stupid. Exactly what kinda hp is a stock L98 making at 5200, it is probably in the neighborhood of under 200 hp. Their mini makes a claimed peak of what 310 or so? Well yea at 5200 it would be 95 but what people wanna hear is peak to peak. According to their graph it only loses 22 lb ft on the low end so the 95 should more than make up for that loss with out any other modifications. Exactly how much different is a mini than an LT1 intake anyway? I don't recall LT1's having hi stalls and 373 gears coming out of the factory.

 

I guess my advise on dealing with TPIS is to look through the catalog and decide what you want to do, then CALL them and ask if the pieces will work, or if you need other mods. The catalog does seem to skip a few vital things, such as a need for lower gearing with an A4, but if you talk to them on the phone they will be the first to tell you their stuff won't work if your application is wrong.

 

:iagree: But if they did exaggerate they would not be alone.
Go to Pro-chargers web site and click on FAQ then what fuel do I need and read their claim that their system is so efficient that you can run up to 17 LBS. OF BOOST with FULL TIMMING on PUMP GAS
Boy thats a load of BS

 

Ski,
I couldnt believe my eyes when I seen what you said was the rwhp after the MR installed.What did you have on the intake side before the install,large tubes or stock TPI set up?Just wondering.I would have expected to see at least a 50HP gain on a mild warmed over 350.Heck,the LT1 makes 50 more HP than the 91 L98 and thats largely due to its intake design.
Weird!!
:crazy:

 

One thing that comes to mind and hasn't been touched on much in this discussion, is: "what do you want out of your car?" I think that's really the most fundamental point when a guy does any kind of go fast stuff.

As an example, I have the same basic car as you do Tom, and for me, I wouldn't dream of going any deeper than my 3.07s. I'm more of a weekend/weeknite cruiser, and when I put those gears in I found out our A4 OD ratio spun as fast as I really wanted it to at freeway speeds. To be sure, I get there a whole lot quicker :lol:, but there's a compromise to be made with anything you settle in on. At the same time, there are a bunch of people with the same car as me, but deeper gearing that would kick my azz getting there, but they spin more than I want to on the road.

The real trick is to make your decisions on what you want out of your car, then start checking out the forum for guys with successful combos whose driving tastes match your own. That's what this place is all about.............. there is sooooo much to choose from, and there are some pretty sharp dudes here more than willing to help you get there.

This thread itself is a perfect example of guys willing to share their experiences in this Corvette thing we all love so much.......... you decide if you want torque or spin, it's almost that simple (but not quite :lol: :lol: )

Best of luck! :seeya