Porting the stock intake: worth any real power gains?
- Thread starter BigLee
- Start date
The car didn’t feel more powerful after I installed my ported intake. The car just held its peak power for longer through the rev band. Before the ported intake, the car “fell on its face” big time around 4,900 rpms all the way to redline. Now, with the ported intake, the car pulls all the way to redline without any noticeable drop in power. Throttle response also improved a bit in the 3k-4k range.
What you just described is the definition of making more power. It may not make a significant difference in peak numbers, but the power curve holding out for an extra 1000RPM is more power.
My car felt similar to this with the ported intake, and I also picked up 2MPG average with the ported intake. I never did any back to back testing, but when I switched back to the unported IM, I could feel that it was hitting a wall versus feeling linear. Overall, I feel that it’s worth it.
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You are 100% right. I just didn’t want to confuse the OP. You’d be lucky to see any significant increase in peak numbers by doing this mod. So, in regards to peak numbers, the car will not be more powerful. You’ll just feel those peak numbers for a longer duration of time during a pull to redline. I didn’t pick up any MPG as most people claim. Other than that, we’re on the same page here.
I didn’t do any back to back testing either. I agree that, overall, it is worth it to port the intake if you feel confident in executing the mod properly and attacking this area of the engine bay. The results were immeditately noticeable.
Hope this helps.
The majority of my driving is 80MPH highway and with the manual transmission. If you drive at lower speeds and/or in town the most, your fuel efficiency results may be different. The extra 2MPG was definitely there for me. It was shown on the indicated MPG average and in hand figuring.
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Well that's what I was confused about.
The Trifecta site seemed to be suggesting that porting the stock intake was a waste of time, and worth no power gains at all. Not sure if they were implying peak, or above peak, ect.
They were discussing an aftermarket fabricated aluminum manifold, which they did suggest was worth roughly 12 hp gain, and that they were able to adjust their tune for people who had this nanifold.
If there is a real airflow restriction with the tumblers, it would seem that any power gains from removing them would manifest themselves at peak torque and above, unless the PCM tuning has the ability to try compensating with throttle and/or Watergate control to limit peak mass airflow numbers?
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Peak torque doesn't imply peak horsepower. You see a gain at the top end since that is when the air flow is the highest when the RPM's are maxed out. Thus by removing the tumblers you gain the extra flow to facilitate more air at the top end.
Well of course torque and hp are different.
Torque is a direct measurement of force applied at the crankshaft, or wheel.
Hp is a mathematical derivative of torque vs engine speed.
Hp is basically a way of measuring work performed over time.
HP= torque X rpm ÷ 5252...
But what I'm trying to say is that peak torque is also where peak volumetric efficiency also occurs.
That means this is where the most air gets into the cylinder.
On an NA engine, cylinder filling, and thus torque output declines above this point.
As engine speed continues to rise past peak torque/volumetric efficiency, the time available for cylinder filling diminishes, thus torque output declines as well.
Now of course turbocharging can put a slight twist on this, because the PCM can regulate boost to maintain peak torque over a much broader rpm range.
But still, anything that significantly restricts airflow into the cylinder(s) should affect peak torque as well as high rpm output, unless like I said, the PCM is trying to cap peak airflow, as indicated by the MAF sensor. I dont know if this is done or not, but it is possible.
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Do you know if all the engine codes are left enabled with the racer x IM tune? I can’t pass inspection if I have any CELs or disabled/not ready codes.
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That’s what I’m getting at. Are the codes disabled in the tune to avoid getting a CEL, or can they be left to reach ready status so that I can pass an OBD inspection?
Maybe it’s easier to ask this way. Can the IM be installed onto a stock car and not cause a CEL?
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Tormach
Member
not sure, I unfortunately got mine just before they had that option [emoji55].
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Racer X says the LNF throttle body is a direct plug in, but the harness may need to be extended on some cars. You’ll need a tune for the larger TB. Trifecta tunes for it, and I’ve sent an email to BNR to see if they’ll tune it for me. If they do, I’ll grab one when they go on sale.
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Just curious if you are still on a stock tune?
If so, this might explain your lack of noticable gains at lower engine speeds.
Apparently, the stock tune calculates and tries to limit the maximum torque that the engine can produce.
Thus you are only seeing gains above 4900 rpm where the torque begins to decline?
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