Rusty Bowtie
General Category => General Discussion - Intros => Topic started by: lowbuckhr on February 07, 2014, 09:21:43 PM
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After researching all kinds of disappointing reviews of SBC tunnel rams, especially with Holley carbs,
I can't fight this life long desire to own one.
I have a chance to buy a Weiand 5984 intake with 2 Edelbrock 1405 (600s) on top with straight up linkage, and tall K&N filters. This set up would look fantastic in my 1930 Chevy 2door sedan,as my engine sits very low in the frame rails. I love my car, but it looks like I've got half an engine!
I'm expecting a hefty tax refund real soon,and I perform major modifications on my car during the winter while my car is in hibernation
I guess I'm asking for someone to talk me out of buying it!
Car weighs 2600 lbs
turbo 350 tranny with Alto Red Eagle etc, rated @ 600 hp, 3500 stall
11.87 comp.pistons, aluminum heads,202-160 valves,1 5/8 block hugger headers,1.5 roller rockers,235/243 @50, ..488-.507 lift,108 lsa cam. Edelbrock performer rpm intake , stock crank and rods ,MSD 6al ,blaster& pro billet dist.,with a terrible,leaky,flooding out Holley 670 Street Avenger carb.
Don't know rear gears,but its a 10 bolt from a '86 s10 pick up.
Will that tunnel ram work with what I have?
Thanks in advance,Wayne
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First thing is that with a tunnel ram you need to keep the rpm up. It will not chug around in top gear with a "cruiser" axel ratio. You need to figure out what gear you have,a 3.90 or 4.10 would be perfect with a direct top gear.
Second,2 - 600 cfm is pushing the limits of driveability with a 350 cu in motor. Vacume operated secondarys will be required.
I dont have much experience with TR's on cars,but I have YEARS of experience of tweaking them on drag and circle boats.We usually ideled them at 1000 rpm. The 2 blade props would not start to hook hard untill 3500 rpm,which is where the motors would start running "clean". The ski raceing guys would run 3 blade double cup props so as to get a solid hook up at 2000 or so,but they would also run smaller vac sec carbs,usually 650's and these were 450 cu in + motors. On my BBC 482's I ran 2- 750's. The 482 I am going to use in my 28 chev will have 2 - rather vintage 550 AFB's.It is also a 3 pedal car,so I wont have the auto trans in the equasion.My rear axel gear is currently a 5.59 that I used when I ran the car in 660 drags.It will be a 4.10 with direct 5th gear when I put it on the street in order to keep the cruising rpm up around 2500-3000. I am going to run one of my edelbrock tunnel rams mostly because I like the look and it will be easy (for me) to tune. You are going to have a slow, painfull experience getting that setup to work well with the 350 auto because part throttle upshifts will make it fall on its face. It will like full throttle upshifts though,but thats not an option on the street. It can be worked out,it is just more work and $ than fun,IMO.
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Wayne
Can't help on the engine portion...but I suspect you have a 54.5" 2WD drive rear axle? Probably a 10 bolt with 7.5" gears. You may already know that they made a 10 bolt 8.5" (54.5") rear axle for the newer body style 2WD S10 Xtreme and other S10 trucks with the 4.3/5 sp combo? I have a couple of them, put one in my 33 Chevy coupe. Basically they took the third member from a full size truck and stuck in "flared" smaller diameter S10 axle tubes.
The 7.5 is fine as long as you don't beat it up regularly, but keep your eyes open in the wrecking yards...the 8.5" 2Wd axles are primo and a lot of guys don't even know they were an option. The 7.5 and 8.5 S10 rear axles are bolt in replacements for the S10 trucks.
Ed
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Thanks for the quick response with the tunnel ram question.
And yes, my rear axle is 54.5 inches across,it was perfect width for the body, but finding 2.5 inch rear side off set rims was tough. (10x15).
I bought the set I'm using at Carlisle,Pa. spring swap meet 4 years ago.
Never knew about the optional 3rd member rears.
Thanx again TRBOMAX and EDNY! Wayne
P.S. I love learning new neat stuff about old school hot rods!Ask me how I dropped my original
front axle 2.5 inches, & but brand new disc brakes on!
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So how DID you lower it? I am changeing my 28 back to a 56 chev 1/2 t axel/springs and ditching the ifs.I will probably need to lower the front some to get a good stance.