Edelbrock LD340 WTH?!?!?
Ok so today I did a little research on small block intakes, the famed LD340 to be exact. What's so special about them and why they supposedly out perform all others?
This is what I found, look at the runner design, the LD340 runners are at the opposing ports. They hit on all the opposite cylinders as all the others. Could that have been Vic Edelbrocks secret with the LD340? The intake port pulses are better that way? Why don't the others all try this to see what happens? I checked other manifolds and all are different from the LD340.
The LD-340 has larger more free flowing runners. This is key to making power. The other intakes you have posted are just simply stock parts. The OEM parts are made and designed to be the best they can be under a heavy limitation imposed by the factory design engineering department for a slew of reasons. Long life, compact design for under the hood clearances in anything they build today(when it was new) to whatever they may build for tomorrow and warranty.
The aftermarket is free to do what they wish without worry of local, state & federal laws. So the material changes, iron to aluminum, designed for more power without care or concern to emissions, hood clearance, other parts fitting or clearing like A/C compressors.
There goal is to just make a part that makes more power. Screw everything else. This free’s up there design to be what ever they come up with.
I had a LD-340, did the MP mods, it was a good unit for sure. As said above, the modern designs are better. They should be considering the time the LD-340 was made and when the RPM AG was made. As time passes, the new part should and better be a more powerful part.
I wouldn’t pay a hefty price for an old intake. IMO, it better be a good bunch cheaper than a new intake. There are a lot of pipe dreamers that are disillusioned and think “I have MoPar GOLD here and I’m going to get a kings ransom for it!” If it’s the last one on earth and some fool “NEEDS” it, you’ll get the ransom I’m sure. Otherwise, a fool and his money are easily parted.
I’m all for a guy saving a buck and such. An excellent second place intake manifold is just as good when the absolute max is t needed for what ever your doing. An excellent example is a Weiand intake. It’ll make really good power for a whole bunch cheaper.
I’ve seen so many guys go out and get the best of everything, surrender tons of money and get whipped bad, really bad by a guy that got ridiculed for have second rate equipment.
