Stock 383 road runner cast intake manifold vs original Torker?

[BSB67]

The standard Performer and the DP4B are identical in every measure, but symmetrically opposite in design. They are both a nice step up from the factory manifold on a modified engine. Likely the best choice for what it sounds like the OP is doing.

You already have both intakes. An intake swap takes an hour at most. Try them both and use what you think is best.

When you are having the heads done, consider milling the intake surfaces so you can run paper gaskets on both sides of the pan.

 

[Mattkowalski]

I had a 383 with a Torker, 284/.484 Purple Shaft, 600 holley double pumper, stock pistons/heads, stock converter, and 3.91 gear.

It had the coolest sounding radical idle, and came out of the hole like a beast out hell. It was really fast.

I wish I had never changed that setup.

 

[Big bill]

Me too!



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Me tooo

 

[AR67GTX]

1975/76 I had a new Trans Am 4-speed and had failed to comprehend how much smog and catalytic converters could torpedo performance. So I immediately set about hopping it up with intake, headers, SD 2-1/2” dual exhaust, reworked QJ and HEI, 3.73 rear, open shaker scoop, Ram Air III cam, lifters, high ratio rockers, etc. Not really knowing a lot about what I was doing the Torker intakes had recently been introduced and were all the talk in the Hot Rod mags so I decided to put one on. Although now a single plane intake would seem to have made little common sense for this engine, I have to say that if it hurt the low end I never knew it. I had big Radial T/As on 8” wheels in back (yeah, I know, greasy T/As but they were hot back then) and I could lay into the throttle on that thing from a 10mph roll and once the tires got some grip it was off to the races. It seemed Edelbrock had somehow masked over the single plane weaknesses.

But still, most of the time the dual plane makes way more sense on a street engine.

 

[ir3333]

...and another actual example was a friend who back in 1972 put a Torker on his new 340 4 speed 'Cuda. That Cuda
was very fast rarely lost a street race. Yet it's hard to find someone who doesn't call the original Torker a door stop.

 

[lewtot184]

Found this old summer of 1970 e.t. card from my '68 road runner 383 4spd. Engine had a dp4b, 780vs holley, 228@.050/.480 lift hydraulic cam, 1 3/4 hookers, 4.10 gear. Very consistent 13.20's. Only car i had; drive to work and street fun. I'm a dp4b fan of dual purpose.

 

[R413]

The common part of these favorable Torker stories is everyone had stepped up the cam, carb and rear end gear to get the RPM going quicker.

Heck yeah a 383 with a 480 cam headers 4.10 gear and a 780! That will run!

Not going to be that great with a stock cam and 3.23's

 

[ir3333]

Back in '69 there was a white 383 Roadrunner at our local strip that just had headers, cheat slicks and 4.10's. it ran deep in the 13's which was fast in the 60's.

 

[BSB67]

Found this old summer of 1970 e.t. card from my '68 road runner 383 4spd. Engine had a dp4b, 780vs holley, 228@.050/.480 lift hydraulic cam, 1 3/4 hookers, 4.10 gear. Very consistent 13.20's. Only car i had; drive to work and street fun. I'm a dp4b fan of dual purpose.

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Very cool Lew. It inspired me to look up my track info from 1990 at Edgewater.

383 + 0.030
Edelbrock 383 Performer.
Holley 750 DP (4779)
MP cam - 280 degree 0.474"
1-5/8" headers - full exhaust
4 speed
3.91
G70 - 14 Kelly tires

2.1 sec. 60'
13.3 @ 106.4

I have to admit, all the claims of how well a combo runs/performs rings a bit hollow for me without some data. I guess the flip side is so few people run their street driven muscle cars at the track, actual track data is meaningless to them.