[DeTomaso] Intake Manifolds

[Daniel C Jones]

> I'm just curious how much of a difference one intake will have over
> another.

It may not be all that much.  You're comparing several good intakes
against each other on heads they aren't necessarily matched to.
In a previous dyno test that I lent intakes too, we found a bigger
difference in going from a stock Holley to a tuner Holley (stock Holley
was too small).

You may want to consider testing a plenum divider in the Edelbrock A331.

> In addition to the A331's you already have, I have both B351 and D351
> intakes here.  To my eye, there isn't much difference between the A331
> and the B351 (both Roush versions).  The primary difference is the A331

> Dan - on your intake writeup, you have a picture of a C351 intake.  It looks
> very different from an A331.  The runners look larger, longer, and more
> spider shaped.  In short, it looks more like a Strip Dominator.

The runner slopes on the C351 are closer to a Strip Dominator than the
A331's are.  Viewed from above, the exit angles are different.  The
C351's end runners go straight before gently curving towards the head
ports.

> Also - the
> plenum from the outside looks very different.  I realize that it's the
> inside that matters, but I can only guess from the outside pics.

The C351/D351 plenum is closer to a Strip Dominator than the
A331/A351/B351.

> The later intake looks powder coated in a gray/aluminum color.

All the castings I've seen out of Australia have had excellent quality
except for the Funnelweb.  It wasn't so nicely finished and it's fairly
heavy for an aluminum intake.

> I've also considered the TFC/CHI intake

To this aero engineers eyes, the CHI intake looks very well designed in
the plenum area.  I might be able to lay my hands on for a test.  The
guy running the dyno has one from his Engine Masters entry.  When Kaase
won with the EMC with his Cleveland, he tested a Yates intake against
the CHI intake and the CHI part was better.  Of course he was using CHI
heads so it was a better match than the Yates to begin with.

Dan Jones