Edelbrock Street Ram on a 408?!?

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BrianT

BrianT

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I have a chance to buy a Edelbrock Street Ram intake. I've always wanted to run two four barrels and I'm getting ready to build a 408 and I was thinking that this would be the perfect time. I know typically tunnel rams are for high revving engines and don't work well down low in the rpm range. But I was hoping that the low end torque of the 408 would make up for tunnel ram?! Am I wrong?

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What are these things worth these days? Intake only, no carbs. No cracks or stripped threads. I want to make the guy a decent offer.

Thanks in advance for any and all help!! :thumb:
 
Worth? There is one on here for IIRC, $250. Factor in shipping..... IMO, there is a good honest offer.

As far as its use on a 408, I would say don't be shy in making use of the rpm ability of this intake. While the longer stroke will reduce the ceiling rpm of the engine and eat up some cam duration, I believe it is streetable. If you want to just run it for show on the street, a pair of small carbs will be a good move. A pair of Holley 450's or a pair of Edelbrock 500's will prove to do well on the street. Instill would hit the cam duration up pretty good myself.

IMO, given the huge displacement for a small block, the manifold will work.
 
A "street tunnel ram" is a "crossram" IE "max wedge" style. A Mopar SB STR-12 is worth a considerable amount of money only because Edlebrock doesn't make them anymore, and from what I've seen they are a pretty poor manifold, suffering from fuel/ air distribution problems, and damage to the top plate due to backfire

THIS:

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?p=292932

is a "street tunnel ram"
 
Okay. That clears the terminology up. I'm not interested in running a STR 12 intake. I want to run a tunnel ram.

So is the one pictured above a TR5?
 
I have known a couple guys that have run tunnel rams on the street and loved them...real runners !!
 
I ran a tunnel ram on a street driven 460 powered Ford Fairlane for a while. It was absolutely frightening above 3000 RPMs. Below that it was just OK. I took the tunnel ram off and put on a weiand stealth dual plane and couldn't believe how much more low end power I had. The difference was dramatic. It was so much nicer driving with the dual plane, But two fours sticking out of the hood is just too cool!
 
The obvious difference between the one you pictured and the TR-5 in the link is the plenum volume. There are members here running them that seem to have had success on the street and can maybe give you some short cuts to tuning. Been around a few on big blocks, but i've only personally run one many years ago on a 331" engine. Had decent drivability, but i bought the carbs from a previous 2x4 setup so i didn't mess with them too much. The ironic thing about making them crisp and clean on the street is to go milder on the cam and carb size. Sounds counter intuitive for a race manifold, but you need a small plenum and as much vacuum as you can get for a decent signal to the carbs. There are always comprimises though. The smaller plenum puts the carbs closer to the ports which helps signal, but with vacuum secondary carbs the primaries are opening right over those runners which can cause distribution issues on others until the secondaries are open. Then there's your accelerator pump shot that has to be right for the plenum volume you have. Big plenums require huge pump shots and tend to run very rich in city/cruising situations. If you will take the time to tune everything, then go for it. Unless you're going to use a roller cam, you might want to break in the new engine with a single four. Would be easier in my opinion. I would use the small plenum manifold you showed with the 450 Holleys Rumble suggested and even thought strokers eat duration, i would scale back the intake side duration and go to a wider lsa on the cam to help streetability. Just some rambling thoughts..:D. Good luck.
 
Yea that's it Brian, that's the one. Prices well IMO to sell. Looks pretty good.

The cross ram is a awesome looking part. Rare as heck!
 
Rick,good info! A customer(and friend),did a 11.7 to one 340 .4.57's,4200 stall.Ported Eddys, 252/258@ @.050,on a 108.Idled at 1000,like glass.Ran a pair of 600 Holley d/ps.The tunnel did it's job.Made more torque,lost the race.Gotta love tirespin.
 
Abodybomber said:
Rick,good info! A customer(and friend),did a 11.7 to one 340 .4.57's,4200 stall.Ported Eddys, 252/258@ @.050,on a 108.Idled at 1000,like glass.Ran a pair of 600 Holley d/ps.The tunnel did it's job.Made more torque,lost the race.Gotta love tirespin.
Click to expand...

That was a serious combo there :thumblef:. I too would prefer DP's on a tunnel ram, but then again i always drove my good sized builds like a race car on the street. Kept the r's up and alot of neutral around town. I guess it's really what some people's expectations and tolerance is for a serious street car.
 
67Dart273 said:
A "street tunnel ram" is a "crossram" IE "max wedge" style. A Mopar SB STR-12 is worth a considerable amount of money only because Edlebrock doesn't make them anymore, and from what I've seen they are a pretty poor manifold, suffering from fuel/ air distribution problems, and damage to the top plate due to backfire

THIS:

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?p=292932

is a "street tunnel ram"
Click to expand...

The guy sent me pictures and cast into the bottom of the intake it clearly reads "STREET TUNNEL RAM".
 
273 said:
The only problem with these they don't show how it would be on the street, I was toying with the idea of a 2x4 Tunnel ram on my 273.
Click to expand...

A pair of 390 Holley carbs would be plenty good! Woot woot!
 
The guy who had it put on it on Ebay and sold it to a guy in Sweden for $210. The search goes on...
 
Thanks Mike, but I'm not looking for a Weiand. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on what a tunnel ram might do on a 408 with decent heads? Will it still kill the low end torque under say 3000 rpm? I know I can build a strong enough street/strip engine with a single four, but I want the WOW factor of a tunnel ram. Thanks!
 
BrianT said:
Thanks Mike, but I'm not looking for a Weiand. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on what a tunnel ram might do on a 408 with decent heads? Will it still kill the low end torque under say 3000 rpm? I know I can build a strong enough street/strip engine with a single four, but I want the WOW factor of a tunnel ram. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Weiand is known for their tunnel rams, at least as good as Edelbrock... also the Edelbrock tunnel ram can't be bought new anymore just fyi
 
MOPEkidD-3 said:
Weiand is known for their tunnel rams, at least as good as Edelbrock... also the Edelbrock tunnel ram can't be bought new anymore just fyi
Click to expand...

I wasn't looking for any old tunnel ram. I am trying to buy an Edelbrock "Street Tunnel Ram". It supposedly has a smaller plenum and runners more suited for the street then the track. Yeah, I know they don't make it anymore. Thanks.
 
BrianT said:
I wasn't looking for any old tunnel ram. I am trying to buy an Edelbrock "Street Tunnel Ram". It supposedly has a smaller plenum and runners more suited for the street then the track. Yeah, I know they don't make it anymore. Thanks.
Click to expand...

whoops you did mention that earlier, should have read the thread better lol :violent1:

What's the rest of your engine/car combo? That will really determine how well a T-ram will work regardless of the brand
 
MOPEkidD-3 said:
What's the rest of your engine/car combo? That will really determine how well a T-ram will work regardless of the brand
Click to expand...

Right now, all I have is roller 360 block at the machine shop. I am going to go with a forged Scat rotating assembly and have my machinist balance it. Heads are undecided at this point. I am going to ask my builder what he thinks about these heads...

Airwolf 220 heads thread

If I go with those heads I will run flat top pistons. If I run an iron head it will probably be a set of RHS/X heads and I will go dish. Camshaft will be a solid roller, yet to be determined. TTI headers.

The car as it sits now is mini-tubbed and the sub-frame is tied. Front end is rebuilt stock, and I have four wheel disc brakes. It has a narrowed Strange S60 rear end with 3.54 gears and an Eaton Tru-trac. That's about everything I have done so far I think.
 
Just to keep the thread going...

I think if you're going to run aftermarket heads like those and a solid roller cam on a 408" a Weiand Hi-Ram or similar won't be too much. Also you have to consider if the Edelbrock STR really has smaller ports you don't want to have a mis-match with your aftermarket heads which will most likely have bigger ports than stock. Don't quote me though I'm sure others can chime in...
 
ok,for the record i run one on a mild 340 in my dart with great results.AND ive run it back to back against the weiand.the eddy street ram in the first pick in this thread is the one i have.before the t-ram i had an air gap.the ram only gave up a little low end and screams up top.it idles nicely at 800 rpms,and spins em at a light stab.the eddy is a better street manifold than the weiand.for those interested my combo is as follows: 71 340,balanced,around 10:1,j heads,hooker headers,3" exhaust with x-pipe,pro-comp hei dizzy,22* initial,34* total timing,crane HMV cam 290 dur. 494 lift 114 lsa,390cfm holleys,2500 stall.in a 71 dart.most people who see/ride in it cant believe how streetable it is ,as well as how much off idle punch it has.and now the down sides-the hole in the hood,and cold blooded in winter.if your up for the tuning process i think youll be happy with the results.
 
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