irocarter

iTrader: (1)

i thought it might be a good idea that we t-ram owners have our own thread since there are so few of us.any tips, tricks,history,or additional info that you know would be interesting to read. 874me, ttop,jekylhyde-i know you guys are out there,who else? holla! holla!

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Have a couple.
I'm moding one of my T-Rams on the inside and a few mods outside for more power and less weight..
I have seen a few with different mods and things in the quest for more power .
Hope it works like it should!

874ME

iTrader: (1)

This should be a sticky.

T-Rams seem to change hands and also pop up out of nowhere every couple of years. I joined 3GGO in the late 90's and have met several other people that have had these odd / rare intakes. I also met a guy (my brother worked with him while stationed on Whidbey Island Naval station) with one installed on a white trans am. That is the only other T-Ram I have seen in person. I guess the guy bought the car with it allready installed while he was on the east coast, but he didnt now anything about the history of SLP. This was in 1997. There was a guy from New York with a black 89?z28 that bought his T-Ram used and installed it. He sold the car about a year later and used the money to start up a labeling / silk screenning company. He actually made a website dedicated to T-Ram intakes. There were only two pictures on the site, mine and his.


Most people that have one purchased it used. I bought mine new along with all of the accessories. The posters that frown on the manifold usually have never seen one in person and note the going price for one as extremely high and then mention how the HSR is cheaper and outperforms the T-Ram. When I scanned the install instructions for you guys I also scanned the invoices from Summit. My memory sucks and I was suprised that the intake and gaskets sold for 514.00 bucks. The 3 other kits are what pushed the price to a little over a grand. These kits were not neccessary, but they did make it plug and play.

If someone can help me out I will post up the invoices from my purchases from summit in 96 and 97. That should clear the air about what they costs.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Yeah, A all things T-Ram sticky.. I like it.

874ME

iTrader: (1)

So a quick search on google provided the following -
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-p...am-intake.html
Dig in and read every post and you will find the official SLP ad along with the same " HSR is better becuase I have one" mentality. I would venture to say that Holley ripped off SLP's design. Tunnel ram base with an attempt to elongate the intake runners with a seperate upper plenum.

BTW, Ryan Falconer - http://www.falconerengines.com/main.php manufactured the T-Ram for SLP. Im not sure who designed it, but I would put money on Falconerengineering. They are still in buisiness, I would love to see GM hightech interview Ed Hamburger and Ryan Falconer and provide clarification on who did what on the T-Ram.

874ME

iTrader: (1)

I forgot about this guy, http://www.gtasourcepage.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=52423

Sent him copies of the paperwork also. As far as I know he still has his.

874ME

iTrader: (1)

Another thread with one for sale, 1800.00, no gaskets, fuel lines, FPR, bolts, thermostat housing, fan belt protector, EGR wiring extension, auto / cruise control assembly etc. Keep in mind this was in 2007. http://www.houstonperformancedriving...T-RAM-Firehawk

irocarter

iTrader: (1)

fan belt protector? I wondered if I was missing there b/c MAN! my top hose and serpentine are close. any pictures of that FBP anyone?

irocarter

iTrader: (1)

874ME, thanxs for all the info and sticking up for the t-ram. There does seem to be a little bit of haten' on this intake.

Anti-Venom

Thought I would post up some images I have found throughout the web over the last couple of years. Would be nice to have them referenced in one spot.

Original Summit add.

Flow diagram.

Sniped pic's of an NOS manifold. Don't recall where these where from but they give a good idea of included packagings.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Those are pix of my friend Gregs NOS T-Ram. I think he sold it..

irocarter

iTrader: (1)

Great pictures Venom. Anyone know what the blockoff plate beside the egr valve is for?

874ME

iTrader: (1)

There isnt an EGR valve in any of the pics. I think you are looking at black colored thing to the left of the thermostat housing? That would be the fan belt shroud the protects the upper radiator hose. You only need it if your running the serpentine belt set up.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Its for a corvette headed application. Which the Hawks have but they don't use the heat riser tube. Vettes don't have heat riser holes in the heads so they run a tube off the pass side header to that spot by the EGR.

If your not running the SLP dual cold air kit you can run the upper rad hose just like a normal car.
IF IF IF you cut and weld the T-ram T-stat housing to run the hose over the belt like the factory and not thru it like SLP did(which I think is silly).

I have quite a few patterns of some small firehawk like stuff that I'm hoping to be making b4 long.. stay tuned!! lol

Here are some pix of my project. If you look at all the parts I think you may figure out what I'm building.... ;-)

http://s894.photobucket.com/albums/a...eed/?start=all

I wonder if the mods could put all the T-ram threads in a sticky @ the top??

irocarter

iTrader: (1)

I'm running the top hose under the belt and it is a serpintine system. got any close up pictures of that fan belt protector(more like a hose protector) so maybe I could fab one up?
TTOP350, what are you going to do for a firehawk console?

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

I do have some pix of it. Ill dig them up later 4 you.
Its just a fiberglass insert.. you have to cut the orginal console to make it work

874ME

iTrader: (1)

T-Top, I like the idea of shortning up the runner length by taking out part of the intake partition. Do you have a baseline reference to verify if it worked? I would have problem doing that to mine if it means more power in a streetable RPM range. Nice stable of 3rd gens also, keep the pics coming.

I now see what irocarter was refering to in the SLP ad.

gp90gta

iTrader: (1)

To post #6
Yes he still has his and a spare one.

By the way has anyone ever done any hogged out port work and some dyno pulls with results to compare to or just dyno pulls with heads cams?

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

I know some of the T-rams have been modded on the inside and outside by SLP.
I haven't ever seen or heard of any Dyno work with the T-ram other than stock..

I'm not close to having my set up ready to run yet so Im not 100% sure on the power.
Watch the vid from 2:00 to 2:10 and take a close look at the intake when the driverside tank is removed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYrI_...eature=related

gp90gta

iTrader: (1)

I love that video, anyways I'm going to see if we can change all that next year, we did heads, cam and all the other goods to go along with it to my friends GTA with his T-ram and hopefully he will be on the dyno in the spring.

irocarter

iTrader: (1)

Is the polished aluminum mounting plate for the FPR an SLP item or can be purchased through another vendor? The reason I ask is because I don't trust mine where the 6an male fitting coming off of this peice is bolted. I had to take the little tapered allen screws out and put little washers on them in order to make it (the male 6an nipple) tight to the FPR base. I suppose I could tap them but I'm not sure where I would find a tap that small.

p.s where did or how did everyone get their T-RAM(S)?

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Post up a pic of just what your talking about. I have a idea but would like to b on the same page.

Take a look at this T-ram. Another mod I'm going to do to mine. (take a look in the intake right behind the t-body and you'll see why they did what they did it)
Also see the fuel lines? I'm going to be working on having them and all the correct billet parts made for mine. I have tons of pix of the complete hard lines of the Hawks fuel system and ign systems.

irocarter

iTrader: (1)

sorry, not electronically inclined to post pictures and my 11yr old daughter is in bed.
If you look at the pics Venom posted, the piece I'm referring to is laying on top of the intake gasket and the nipple I have the issue with is pointing at a3 o'clock position toward the blue AN T-fitting. How's that for a crappy desrciption?

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

LOL OK, yeah it may be a bit loose. They are just sealed with a "O" ring like a INJ and the bolts hold it in place.
They just used the factory TPI FPR base and made adapters that fit in just like the hard lines.. It is Ok to tap them for custom apps.

irocarter

iTrader: (1)

thankx TTOP
Is that a throttle body spacer welded onto the plenum and why? more volocity?
about those billet pieces and hard lines, are you having duplicates made for the purpose of distribution? I'd like hard lines-if Idon't have to take out a loan to buy them.
I'll start with where and how I got my T-RAM.
A buddy of mine bought a POS 87 iroc with the greasy heads ,cam,timing chain.etc. sitting on the front seats. In the cargo area was this funky looking thing of an intake.Neither of us knowing what was, I asked what he would take for it. I had 3 steel 70-79? z28 rims without trim rings or center caps that he wanted and the deal was struck. So how'd I do HAHA

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

Its not a spacer, the T-body area of the intake was cut and raised to help smooth out the air flow into the intake..

The billet parts and hard lines will cost a chunk im sure...

Nice story on your intake!!
I was at Hot rod power tour with Hawk #13 and a guy comes walking up asking about the intake then tells me he has one forsale.. Drove to Iowa and picked it up...

JekyllandHyde

iTrader: (3)

Yes, that's me, guilty as charged. Dave, thanks again for the instructions. They helped me out a great deal. If you ever make it out to NYC, I owe you a drink or two. Here's a pic of my two T-RAMs:



The first T-RAM, I bought at a garage sale in California in like 2001 I think. I was visiting a cousin and she wanted to stop at a garage sale at this house in her neighborhood and while looking around, I saw a mint C4 Vette parked in a garage and chatted up the owner about it. Right next to it was a T-RAM. Owner didn't know what it was so I asked him about it and he was like, Yeah, it's a "Super Ram" and I asked if he wanted to sell. Offered $300 and was at the post office the next day shipping it home to NY. It's in rough shape. The previous owner started a sanding job with the intent to polish it but never finished. I will finish the polish job and keep it as a spare.

My second one I bought from a gentleman in Ohio. He had bought the T-RAM that was the display piece at Summit Racing and lived right down the road. On some areas of the T-RAM, you can barely make out "demo" etched into the metal. He bought the T-RAM back in the 90s and put it in his basement. Sold his 92 Z28 and in 2008, he found the T-RAM in his basement and put it up for sale here. I took the 8 hour drive to pick it up. This one I have on my car along with a bored out stock throttle body from SLP. I used the lower manifold from the first T-RAM and had extra aluminum welded to the corners of the intake ports so that it could be safely gasket matched to a Felpro 1205 gasket. The runners have also been hogged out all the way down as well. It's mated to a stock L98 short block with milled and CNC'ed Trickflow 195s and a TPIS ZZ409 cam.

Here it is on the car:


You know, the funny thing is, a lot of people on here love to bash the T-RAM but they've never even driven one. I'm sure that in terms of sheer power, the HSR and the Miniram will outperform it, but I love the torque and throttle response this thing has. As soon as I get the tune dialed in I'm getting it dynoed.

I also gotta give a shout out to gp90gta and manolis1969. Without those two my car wouldn't be where it's at today.

irocarter

iTrader: (1)

so if you own just one T-RAM, your not doing it right till you own two?? (TTOP,Jekyll)
Are you guys obsesive/compulsive by any chance?

JekyllandHyde

iTrader: (3)

HAHA... well, maybe. I just bought the 2nd one because it was in much better shape than the first one. Plus, there's a certain mystique to having the very last one sold by Summit on my car.

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

I saw that intake on display at summit and someplace I have a pic of it.
I had a chance to buy that last intake from him buuut things didn't workout for me at that time..
It sure looks good!! Glad to see it went to a good home..

irocarter

iTrader: (1)

that's purdy Jekyll
sometime when I can get my daughter off of her ipod,I'll make her teach me how to post pictures. I don't even have a facebook account and I still type with one finger. At least I cut my ****** off and I don't play cassette (very much) anymore.
This website is the closest thing to "new age" technology that I'm involded in and we're all talking about 20+ yr old technology!

irocarter

iTrader: (1)

******-the word I missed was ******.I cut my ****** off.

irocarter

iTrader: (1)

why won't it let me wite a word that describes a hair style popular in the 80's?

Anti-Venom

If any one of you hoarders wanted to sell one I would be glad to buy one.

Just curious, How does the stock TPI T-stat housing line up on the T-Ram?

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

GREAT! If you have a aluminum welder and a way to cut it up..
They have their own T-stat neck..

JekyllandHyde

iTrader: (3)

I tried using the stock T-stat on the T-RAM. The throttle body cable bracket binds on the housing.

Hey iroccarter, I know what word you're referring to, but the board automatically censors out certain words that are "offensive."

Tuned Performance

iTrader: (92)

Billy ray cyrus is "offensive."

874ME

iTrader: (1)

I never noticed that before. I wonder how far down they went with removing the deviding wall? Also wonder why they didnt remove the large divider wall between # 3 & 5 ( 4 & 6 also?) cylinder intake runners?

874ME

iTrader: (1)

The " mounting plate" is a chunk of alluminum. Since my stuff is apart I can take an up close pic if needed.

874ME

iTrader: (1)

Maybe it's an optical illusion, but it looks like the plenum was sectioned so that the TB could be raised? They also cut off the cast in plenum to TB extension.....I dont get it? Were they trying to clean up the air path through the plenum? The radiused intake runners do penetrate the upper plenum air pathway.

874ME

iTrader: (1)

You nailed me, obsessive / cumpulsive ding ding ding.
I dont have two yet though.... Now I feel like I'm out of the club!

874ME

iTrader: (1)

Maybe the automated censer has to mull it over

irocarter

iTrader: (1)

so what did SLP use for a throttle body?

irocarter

iTrader: (1)

and no, Billy Ray Cyrus is not offensive. I have all of his cassette tapes!

874ME

iTrader: (1)

Jekyl, good to hear from you again. Do you have any videos of your ride since the T-Ram install?

I noticed the curogated wrap around your throttle cabe. I think irocarter may be able to help you if your interested in the correct fix....

Mat, it's OK, I would rather see it put to use by someone I know than putting it on a shelf in my garage until I can round up a 2nd T-Ram

Jekyl, you will now owe me two beers....

874ME

iTrader: (1)

So far we have 4 people that have atleast one T-Ram, and 2 of the four are bogarting a spare

I know t-towner used to have a SLP stash along with the firehawks. Anyone know if he sold the whole lot?

irocarter

iTrader: (1)

John Banner, owner of Fuelinjecterconnection.com has a T-RAM on a corvette.

874ME

iTrader: (1)

Can you get him to post up here? It would be cool to verify how many people have one or if they are hoarding them.

SLP wont say how many they made or sold. I dont buy that a fire destroyed all information about the intakes. Someone knows. They didnt just fall out of the sky. I couldnt get a straight answer to the simple question of who made them, SLP or Ryan Falconer. Falconer designed it and made the molds, but who made them?
In the mid to late 90's I talked to several people at SLP and not one of them claimed to have any idea how many intakes were made. I find that hard to believe. I still have the peoples names I talked to, I wrote them down on the back of some of the install instructions along with date and time. Hows that for excessive / compulsive for ya. They all said they were around when the manifolds were designed and made but couldnt answer any questions. It's like their is / was a policy of not talking about anything that happened before the fire.

Ryan Falconers secretary answered more questions than SLP did.

irocarter

iTrader: (1)

John's # is 1-770-888-1662. great guy,he'll answer any questions you got and they stand behind their products.

JekyllandHyde

iTrader: (3)

Hey irocarter, PM sent.

Dave, I owe you a case...