Intake

[Neverdone]

Has anyone on here ever made their own intake? People build headers all the time, but what about your own intake? What is involved besides making sure the ports line up and it is air tight?

 

[26Troadster]

yes out of sheet metal and aluminum both. that is what you do when you can't find the one you need. i am gethering stuff to try to build a 3-2 are a cross ram style for a buick small block, but before i can build it i have to finish my shop. best of luck to you.

 

[Neverdone]

I was thinking more of building one to be different. The motor I want to do it for is very common, but I just want something completely different.

 

[Bonehead]

They are alot of work, but I have seen several.

 

[zzrodder]

Here's a couple I've built. The BB Chev one I made from steel tube and plate, The Caddy one is made from aluminum tube and plate, ceramic coated. The Caddy manifold was easier since it is a 'dry' manifold - no water jacket and no distributor mount.

 

[Neverdone]

I want to build one for a SBF. Kind of a side project, just to say I did it. Plus I want something completely different than anything anyone else has. I love the one off kind of stuff. Just didn't know if I needed to consider anything else if I was to do it.

 

[bob w]

Beautiful work zz. I've made a few for in-line engines, which is much easier.

There is a formula for determining plenum volume. You might be able to find it using the Google.

 

[zzrodder]

Some years ago in a rod mag there was an article about some handmade V8 manifolds a guy had made that had equal length runners arranged in the plenum so that the cylinders drew sequentially around in a circle below the carb. It was really wild looking, like an octopus was sitting on top of the engine - supposed to create a sort of tornado or vortex (or rift in the space/time continuum??[S) - don't know how well it worked but it would sure be a mind blower.
Bob has a point about plenum volume - too big and it will be a turd on the bottom end. Generally speaking, smaller longer runners make for better bottom end power, short runners & larger plenum, better for top end flow and higher rpm.
There is sort of a science involved in trying to create the best manifold for all situations and for serious stuff a flowbench is a major tool. For us average guys, just making something that looks cool is what really matters, sky's the limit, let the creative juices flow....[P

 

[donsrods]

Years and years ago all the speed places sold "U-Fab" intakes that were basically a couple of pieces of round tubing with holesaw holes in them to which you welded other pieces of tubing and some flanges. They had cut all the pieces out for you and you had to weld the flanges and tubing into a log manifold that typically held 6 or 8 carbs. They weren't the most effiecient manifolds as they essentially dumped gas and air straight down into each side of the log, but they were a way to get a multi carb manifold pretty cheap.......if you could weld pretty well.

Don

 

[skull]

race site

look on drag racing sites, those guys build a lot of there own stuff and may have some info for you to glean from them.

Later

 

[Neverdone]

Thanks for all the advice. I am not really going for performance, frankly could care less. I am kind of thinking about getting some intake gaskets, tracing them onto some flat stock then plasma or mill them out. After that, see where my imagination takes me.

 

[longroofracer]

Thanks for all the advice. I am not really going for performance, frankly could care less. I am kind of thinking about getting some intake gaskets, tracing them onto some flat stock then plasma or mill them out. After that, see where my imagination takes me.

Try looking for a tunnel ram/air gap that is damaged... cut the bottom portion away from the rest, and you have a good base that already fits, with the ports where they need to be.

LRR

 

[HOT40ROD]

Looking for something different how about this intake. I seen this at a local show. I think Rodden Rod has better pictures

 

[zzrodder]

Looking for something different how about this intake. I seen this at a local show. I think Rodden Rod has better pictures

Now THAT is COOL, and on a Caddy no less!! [cl Note the little balance tubes near the bottom of the runners to help with tuning them finiky Webers.

 

[rainman]

Looking for something different how about this intake. I seen this at a local show. I think Rodden Rod has better pictures

You didn't by chance get to ask the owner how well they worked did you?
Thats a very cool set-up!