Thanks for the thread Doug.
I have tortured myself (and some very kind forum members) for a few years now with my struggles and obsessions over intake manifolds, especially the Weiand P3690982 6bbl intake. I think I have read more data, accessed more web pages and articles about that Weiand intake than anyone on earth.
HERE'S MY LAST PSYCH SESSION on the topic, and I HAVE already made a decision:
I finally got the Weiand a while back, and it's a damn fine example of one I'll say. I have talked to guys who put the Weiand 6bbl on 7-10 years ago and are STILL running it today.
I even paid to have 2 "top cover to plenum" gaskets CNC'd so I'd have one available right away and one for backup.
Couldn't pay me to put any Weiand intake on any serious motor. There pieces are still from the 70's.
Well, to each their own, but ALL of the information I've poured over says that "other than a well engineered, hand fabricated 6bbl "tunnel ram" type intake" that compared to the various Edelbrock "STR" offerings and others,
the Weiand P3690982 6bbl setup produces the most horsepower and torque of ANY of them!
Today, as I "made another investment" (aka "I spent some more money") in my 541 stroker build,
I also made the decision to get the Indy ModMan with the 6bbl top, and have it opened up to MaxWedge port size to accommodate the TrickFlow 270 heads going on my 541 BMP engine.
DAMN!! I was dead set on using the Weiand, but a few things have made me see that the ModMan,
for me, is a better OVERALL choice:
I really LOVE the N96 hood on my 70 Roadrunner, and I know I'd regret changing it out to...
anything but what it is. The happiness I get in the experience of driving my car is because of a lot of sensory experiences, but I'll tell ya, THIS is a big one:
I'm not the only fan of the N96...
I bought my hood from AMD, and the paint match job is beautiful. $1500 invested in that, plus the N96 parts I have, and the ones that I still need, well, to me it's all worth it. The ModMan will let me have that and an intake "that works" for me.
The MaxWedge port "thing" was a requirement that is relatively "new" to the SAGA, and that factor definitely reshuffled the deck!
So, yeah, in the last 48 hours I was looking hard at the Indy 440-25, which I had considered before when MaxWedge port size became a MUST, but I had just figured I'd get the Weiand welded up and then opened up on the cylinder head end of the runners, but Doug(
@dvw )pointed out that's the opposite direction to taper an intake runner, and I know there's not enough runner wall thickness to do much hogging out on the Weiand, and if I did the 440-25 I still couldn't have my beloved N96 hood, so
that's how the ModMan won out.
I even used the "Break Glass In Case of Emergency" and I called Jim Laroy for his input. TF240s vs 270s on a 541, even if my focus is on torque, just doesn't make sense.
The big 6bbl air cleaner will hide the aluminized shoe box...
If I ever go to the F&B or other 6bbl EFI, the ModMan stands ready.
For those who phoo-phoo the performance (cooler air) benefit of this kind of fresh air system, one upgrade is a taller K&N air filter element, and I'm going to use the tallest one that will fit with the ModMan. K&N makes a 3½" vs the 2¾ factory filter. K&N also makes a 4" too.
So THANKS AGAIN to all who have been on the crazy ride or at least checked in in a time or two...
At least the Weiand seems to be bringing good money!