Tunnel Ram 383

StrokerScamp said
Horse feathers! It will run great if you match the parts accordingly. Overcamming is however, the LAST thing you need to do, so be conservative there. Also, as most everyone has pointed out, you should have more compression. If you wanna retain the ability to run pump gas, 9.5 or so is the limit. It can be done well on that compression.....9.1 is a little low...and yes that extra half point or so can make a big difference. The biggest thing I recommend would be progressive throttle linkage......ESPECIALLY if you intend on running the 600s. Progressive linkage would be a big help there. best advice other than all that I got is, listen to people who RUN ONE. Old 340 8BBL knows what he's talkin about. His is a good combo. It can be done, because if puttin a tunnel ram on sumthin was the way to make one run "sluggish" or "not fast", how many of them sumbitches do you think would sell? Yeah. Not many. I've run several tunnel rams in the past and they ran great.....but that was twenty plus years ago so my experience don't count. Listen to those who run them now and follow their advice.....even if it's different than mine cause times change and better stuff comes out. You can do it and make it fly.

We disagree. In terms of tunnel rams, I don't think anything new tech wise has come out unless you're talking about sheet metal intakes. There's more understanding of the physics that makes them work, but nothing in terms of major advances. And those details about why they work just give more solid reasons why not running one on an engine not built for it makes sense. Don't you wonder why they don't make them any more?...lol.
I've run T-rams too. IMO, they are the coolest looking and best shaped intake to have when you don't have a concern about a hood or weather, and when the rest of the combo can support it. In this case, it can barely, so you'll have to compromise to make it work. Like the suggested progressive linkage so the bigger carbs can be run. It's like trying to avoid buying a smaller steak by attempting to use a propane torch to cook the overhanging end because the habachi(sp?) isnt big enough.
The wow factor will be there. But I've watched plenty of cars that have "wow" get pushed into car trailers at shows or struggle to spin the tires in the water at the track before popping and sputtering to a 15+ 1/4 mile.
I would suggest you contact DJV on this board. If memory serves he had a mild 318 with one that was street driven everywhere. I think his current (360) engine uses it too. It took some time and finagling to get it as good as it got before he went to the 360 and then EFI. He might have some good ideas on your setup.
I'm sure it will run. But we each have our own definitions of what running acceptably well is. I was much younger and ignorant when I ran mine and made mistakes. It had too much carb, not enough compression, not enough cam, and not enough gear to make it work as it should have. It ran "well". Now-a-days I could setup a factory 4bbl to outrun it. In fact, at the time, getting outrun with it was a fairly regular occurrance...lol. Making mistakes is how we learn...lol.