Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Duratec Performance Terry Q again. The "restriction"

Yes, well I happen to have access to AL plate in .25, .5, .75, 1.0, 1.5.... Plus I have access to a TIG welder (but I'm no good at it). Due to my concerns with engine vibration and cracked welds, this will defintely be an experimental piece. Terry H has the ultimate, exotic solution though-twin t-bodies!

What about cutting a slit (that runs logitudinal with the engine)in the bottom of the manifold that is about .25" or whatever thickness wide, and long enough to run to the wall of the manifold behind the t-body. You could fabricate a plate shaped however you wanted that would fit snuggly up into the slot and create the divider that you are looking for. It would make fabrication and mounting very simple, then you could weld it from the bottom and make it an integral part of the manifold. Before you weld it in you could keep shaping it until it fits the inside contours almost perfectly, and has the clearance for the t-body blade. If a spacer was still desired it would be nothing to fabricate.

Someone let me know if this idea came through correctly, I'm hyped up on pain killers since I hurt my back, but it sure looks good from here..
Sh*t, I might just try this one myself. I've already got 6 hours into widening and reshaping the upper and lower manifolds while I'm waiting for my heads in the machine shop, this wouldn't add much more work.

warmonger

Cut a slit in the intake inlet housing? Couple problems...
Structural integrity.
How to seal it 100%
How to slide in a perpendicular divider

The problem I have with it is "what if it doesn't work?" A little tough to go back, as you'll need a new/used upper intake. That's why a spacer makes more sense-if it doesn't work junk it and more or less no worse for wear.

Hey guys, im not trying to sound like a prick or nothin, Im just not informed about this very much... I am curious to what the potential gains are to putting in this air splitter. I can see the hypothetical gains possible from having a smoother path for the air to flow, but it seems to me this would not benifit the masses of people with contours. I would think that this modification would be most effective to squeeze power out of an engine setup that is already a beast (Say, force induction) Thats about the only way I can see a nice benifit, and more important a nice HP/$ ratio! Anyways, I am soooo glad to see people thinking 'outside the box' and comming up with all these great ideas to get some more power out of an already great engine! Good luck y'all with your designs! -Nick

Just measure the distance from the throttle butterfly at WOT to the back face of the intake manifold....why do we put 'riser plates on carb V8's.....NO its not for the heat either!

They do good work, at least on exhaust systems. I've seen their facility and the Aston and Ford Motorsports headers they make: cool stuff! I'll have to call up my contact there and see if they still have the drawings sitting around for the Duratec tubular intake... LOL

So Terry, will HMS be using them as a supplier for your manifold?

Did a little more work on this project and found that there will be some fooling around with the throttle cable bracketry as it mounts on the same bolt which holds the t-body to the upper IM. I figure a spacer/bracket extension will be easiest.

I looked at the bottom of my manifold, and you can make a cut that stops just before the pcv inlet with a die grinder. shaping the insert plate will be where most of the work is, but it should be long enough that when the top makes contact with the roof of the manifold it will then be flush with the bottom outside surface of the manifold. Then just have someone who can weld aluminum weld it up. It wont affect structural integrity, and it will only leak if you welder sucks.
Upon more thought, I would also add a spacer plate to move the throttle blade away from the divider for less turbulence.
Should only cost about 20-30 bucks for welding.
As far as going back in case you dont lik it, you can cut it out the same way and reweld the slit.

warmonger

Its to increase plenum volume. When you increase plenum volume you don't necisaraly increase torque but you do increae the rpm range the torque is produced in.

Tuned runners are GREAT for producing power, but they are compariable to a pipe organ, work VERY well at a certain rpm but not so well at others, as a result you have to find the specific rpm that you want to make your power. The longer runners in the 2.5 are better at producing torque, the shorter runners in the 3.0 are better for hp. Hone extrude a 3.0

OR for thermal efficiency a nylon 3.0 off the 2k's would be nice. Add a little porting (very little) and you have a nice intake. Just don't flow any nitrous though them, they don't like that AT ALL.