440 Aftermarket Intake

[FrnkNsteen]

I am getting ready to start building the motor and have been thinking about intakes. Not sure if there is enough gain from a better intake if I am running basically stock heads and exhaust manifolds.

Wondering how much performance increase I can expect to get from changing the intake on a 68 440 from a stock iron intake to an aluminum aftermarket? Also,... Is there a difference in the intakes on regular 440s and HP 440s?

Converting from auto to 4spd, so I plan to run basically stock 906 heads and stock HP manifolds with 2 1/2" exhaust to avoid having to mess with Z-bar interference.

Build plan of engine is just a good torquey motor for the street


Thoughts?

 

[Bill Monk]

I am getting ready to start building the motor and have been thinking about intakes. Not sure if there is enough gain from a better intake if I am running basically stock heads and exhaust manifolds.

Wondering how much performance increase I can expect to get from changing the intake on a 68 440 from a stock iron intake to an aluminum aftermarket? Also,... Is there a difference in the intakes on regular 440s and HP 440s?

Converting from auto to 4spd, so I plan to run basically stock 906 heads and stock HP manifolds with 2 1/2" exhaust to avoid having to mess with Z-bar interference.

Build plan of engine is just a good torquey motor for the street


Thoughts?

Assuming you are going to stay with a dual plane, Edlebrock performer is a good intake but I wouldn't expect to see a lot of gains with this being the only change. If it were me, I would spend my money somewhere else and stay with the stock intake since it's a street car. Just my 2 cents

 

[69 GTX]

A Eddy RPM performer & 750 vacuum secondary Holley would be great and not be to tall to interfere with hood clearance.

 

[dukeboy_318]

I am getting ready to start building the motor and have been thinking about intakes. Not sure if there is enough gain from a better intake if I am running basically stock heads and exhaust manifolds.

Wondering how much performance increase I can expect to get from changing the intake on a 68 440 from a stock iron intake to an aluminum aftermarket? Also,... Is there a difference in the intakes on regular 440s and HP 440s?

Converting from auto to 4spd, so I plan to run basically stock 906 heads and stock HP manifolds with 2 1/2" exhaust to avoid having to mess with Z-bar interference.

Build plan of engine is just a good torquey motor for the street


Thoughts?

read these and you decide...

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/analyzing-six-different-intakes-on-our-440-dyno-engine/

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/mopp-0207-intake-manifold-engine-and-rpm-range-test/

 

[super-bee_ski]

Thank you dukeboy_318 for that data & research
Great Post!

 

[dukeboy_318]

Thank you dukeboy_318 for that data & research
Great Post!

no prob

 

[69 GTX]

Keep in mind those test were run on a built up 440, not stock.

 

[FrnkNsteen]

read these and you decide...

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/analyzing-six-different-intakes-on-our-440-dyno-engine/

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/mopp-0207-intake-manifold-engine-and-rpm-range-test/

Thanks for that information, but with all due respect. Those links were of no help. Please don't get me wrong.... I do appreciate you sharing the information, but in both cases, they were doing the testing on motors that had been heavily modified and were running headers. The first article was testing on a motor that had high compression, ported 915 heads, and headers. The second article was using a full on race motor that developed 550hp even with a stock intake, indicating the rest of the motor has been optimized for power and flow.

Of course a higher flowing intake showed significant improvements when the rest of the motor was demanding a large flow through the intake. Neither has anything to do with my original question though.

My original question was if an aftermarket intake would gain me much increase in power if I was running stock 906 heads and factory HP cast manifolds.

The point I was contemplating was that using the stock heads and manifolds will already limit the flow through the motor, leading me to question if an aftermarket intake (that I know will flow better than stock) will offer any improvement considering the limited flow from the stock heads and manifolds.

Like I said..... I DO thank you for taking the time to provide those links. They just don't help answer the question I was asking.

 

[FrnkNsteen]

Keep in mind those test were run on a built up 440, not stock

Exactly.... I'm asking if an intake upgrade will gain me much on a virtually stock 440.

 

[FrnkNsteen]

Assuming you are going to stay with a dual plane, Edlebrock performer is a good intake but I wouldn't expect to see a lot of gains with this being the only change. If it were me, I would spend my money somewhere else and stay with the stock intake since it's a street car. Just my 2 cents

Thanks Bill! That's what I was wondering. I guess the one thing it would definitely do is allow me to bolt up an aftermarket carb without a spreadbore adapter

 

[Bill Monk]

Thanks Bill! That's what I was wondering. I guess the one thing it would definitely do is allow me to bolt up an aftermarket carb without a spreadbore adapter

Agreed, that's a different animal so if you want a square bore carb, I would change it on the other hand it's hard to beat a Thermoquad when it's running right.

 

[Darter6]

Find yourself a Mopar Performance M1 #P4529118 Aluminum manifold. Same design as the Iron manifold but way lighter. Plus the benefits of aluminum vs. cast iron.

 

[69 GTX]

If for no other reason it (alum intake) will help reduce heat sink & boiling the gas out of the carb. I would also invest in a phenolic spacer to help with this some more. I'm sure Indiana is just as hot as it is here in Iowa in the summer. It will help with hot starts. Also if your just a nice weather cruiser I'd block off the heat risers in the intake. I think there used to be a intake pan that had them blocked but not sure. You'll also probably have to relocate the coil if the intake doesn't have tapped holes for that bracket.

 

[dukeboy_318]

Thanks for that information, but with all due respect. Those links were of no help. Please don't get me wrong.... I do appreciate you sharing the information, but in both cases, they were doing the testing on motors that had been heavily modified and were running headers. The first article was testing on a motor that had high compression, ported 915 heads, and headers. The second article was using a full on race motor that developed 550hp even with a stock intake, indicating the rest of the motor has been optimized for power and flow.

Of course a higher flowing intake showed significant improvements when the rest of the motor was demanding a large flow through the intake. Neither has anything to do with my original question though.

My original question was if an aftermarket intake would gain me much increase in power if I was running stock 906 heads and factory HP cast manifolds.

The point I was contemplating was that using the stock heads and manifolds will already limit the flow through the motor, leading me to question if an aftermarket intake (that I know will flow better than stock) will offer any improvement considering the limited flow from the stock heads and manifolds.

Like I said..... I DO thank you for taking the time to provide those links. They just don't help answer the question I was asking.

ok... well then how about this one, where they do it step by step on a bone stock 440...

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/mopp-0104-buildup-1969-440-magnum-engine/

 

[Dennis H]

Watch hood clearance. Edelbrock Performer RPM only clears due to power bulge hood.

 

[3rdelke]

I have a new Torker intake if you need it

 

[oldbee]

Watch hood clearance. Edelbrock Performer RPM only clears due to power bulge hood.

AND still, check the height of your air clnr stud out of carb anyway. (ask me why!)

 

[FrnkNsteen]

ok... well then how about this one, where they do it step by step on a bone stock 440...

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/mopp-0104-buildup-1969-440-magnum-engine/

Thanks Duke! That one helps. Wish they would have swapped intakes before adding headers, but it still shows how each item helped develop power

 

[451Mopar]

A Eddy RPM performer & 750 vacuum secondary Holley would be great and not be to tall to interfere with hood clearance.

I had hood clearance issues with the performer RPM and Holley 770 avenger carb on the 440 in my '69 Coronet (I did use a thick 3/8" carb to intake gasket.) I needed the slight spacing under the carb because the chokes fast idle sits below the carb base and was contacting the RPM intake manifold. Also, because the street carb has the choke assembly, I wanted to use a 3" tall filter with a 1.25" drop base. This put the RPM intake, carb height, filter height, and 3/8" gasket at a total of 10.725" tall which would just about seal the filter to the hood without the filter lid as I recall?
From Edelbrock's site, the RPM carb pad height is 5.35" and 1.7" taller than stock (that calculates to 3.65" for stock carb pad height.) The regular performer carb pad height is 4.3", so about 0.65" taller than the stock intake.
For comparison, the single plane Torquer is only 4.67" tall, and the Victor intake is 6.1" tall.

When I went to the XT EFI intake, it is 9.7" tall maximum and fits under the hood. The throttle body is front mounted, and tubing connects the filter like a newer car. I'm relocating the battery so I have room for the air filter.

 

[69 GTX]

Also depends on air cleaner & car. I was referring to 69RR with stock airgrabber set up.