I hear this is a really good mod for an L98, seems to be popular with the L98 Corvette crowd, but what kind of realistic power gains can I see out of this? They say the mini-ram gives 90 HP on stock L98s and 125+ with a mild cam setup, but I find it hard to believe. 60 seems more reasonable. With the mini-ram, 28 lb/hr injectors, roller lifters, and 1.6 roller rockers can I expect to see high 13s with my IROC?

 

You got to understand how TPIS (and other manufactures) make HP claimes.
I'm sure they did get a 90 HP gain with just the intake swap. They tested it at something like 6500 rpm where the L98 makes maybe 90 HP and the miniram made 180 HP. There's youer gain right there. Tricky they are.

I wanted a MR for so long but couldn't see coming off $1200 for their intake and fuel rail. So....LT1 intake looked just like a MR........and the rest is history.

 

I just installed a Miniram and mildly ported Aluminum L98 heads. First, what John says is true - TPIS' claims of 90 HP is based on 6,500 rpms where the stock TPI is way past it's operating prime.

If I recall, it's more like 50 HP "peak to peak" from the graph (that TPIS use to publish but don't any more". I would say from my experience that is still probably a bit high. I probalby got 50 HP (peak to peak), but that is because I also added heads. Without the heads maybe 25-30 HP would be more realistic.

This is with the stock cam. I plan to swap the cam at a later date. I just haven't made up my mind which cam AND I need to find a new place to live (the building strata has already served me notice that I am not allowed to work on my car anymore). Also, I wanted to do some testing (since few have ever done a Miniram on a basically stock engine). And, I wanted to resolve any "tuning issues" with the eprom so the next time I am only dealing with the "cam" for eprom tuning.

But once the cam is swapped THEN the engine will really come alive. Much like EVERYONE will tell you, these cars need ALL 3 changed to really notice any power (intake, heads, cam). You will notice some improvement with one or two, but until you do all three, the engine is still being chocked for power.

One interesting point, all those people that say you will loose torque at low rpms when you swap to a Miniram are wrong. In fact, I gained more low-end torque below 2,500 rpm. The engine is much torquier down low. It's may be a little softer from 3,000-3,500 rpm, but very little. And beyond 4,000 rpm the engine comes alive and revs freely to 5,500 rpm. The reason it starts to die there is because of the cam. You do feel the extra power beyond 4,000 rpm.

So, a Miniram (by itself) does give you more power and does not sacrifice low end torque on a basically stock engine. But the gains posted by TPIS is misleading. It isn't 95 HP from "peak to peak". The only problem is the cost of a Miniram for the gain experienced is not the best "performance vs dollar" bang. I got mine used AND John Millican (the man who posted above) hadn't come up with his LT1 Intake swap yet.

If I had to do it all over again, I would go with John's LT1 Intake swap. It's virtually identical from what John's described to me. Definitely the small difference (if there is a difference) isn't worth the price difference IMO.

In fact, at the price John's charging, it's about the same as what TPIS wants for Large Tube Runners OR the Big Mouth Manifold (but not both) making the LT1 intake one of the cheapeast intake alternatives. Yet yielding one of the highest powers.

The key thing to remember is the Miniram/LT1 intake will resolve your "intake issue" once and for all, and allow you to take full advantage of any future modifications you make.

And don't believe all those people that start to tell you that you loose torque at the low-end. It's not true, and I speak from personal experience, not from "my armchair".

 

Hey,

You'll gain 50hp maybe, and loose about the same in torque..


Save the money, or go with John on the LT1 stuff..

 

ive said this before, and have never gotten an answer... GM sells the Ram Jet intake for around 400 i belive.... i not sure what it comes with... but wouldnt that be a great intake... its also drilled for vortec heads... just a thought... somone should try the ram jet intake... i wana put it on my 383

 

If your dead set on running Vortec heads then the Ramjet is probably a good option. I think intake is like $400 but I kind of remember that the fuel rails are seperate and you would need a special throttle body as well. That's more money.


Unless you want to try the LT4 intake which I've never seen but it is supposed to have raised runners that match the Vortecs ports.

 

Did you read my message above?

I speak from experience (I have a Miniram on a basically stock engine). Trust me, there is NO torque loss at low rpms on a basically stock engine. This rumor that you loose bottom end torque is just that, a rumor from people that never had one. In fact, it is stronger than my stock TPI setup below 2,500 rpm, and blows the TPI setup away beyond 4,000 rpm.

But there is no disagreement about the LT1 intake as being the best dollar bang for a COMPLETE intake mod available.

 

I agree the MR/LT1 is a good intake and the LT1 is a great dollar/HP mod.

But I have to disagree about not losing TQ. I have ridden in Gofasterfirebird's car several times both before and after the LT1 intake swap. He went from stock LTR's to the LT1 (with no other mods) and he lost low end TQ, so much you could DEFINITELY feel it. With this said, he more than made up for it on the top end and his car is faster now. But the TQ loss was very much there. He does have AFR 190's and a small SLP cam though, not quite stock.

Gofaster has also driven one of his friend's LT1 cars with ported intake, heads, and an LT4 HOT cam, he has said that the car makes crazy top end HP, but is lacking low end TQ big time, compared to my car's SR setup or his old LTR setup.

 

How much retuning of the eprom did he do? If the answer is "none or not much", that can easily be his problem. And MAF cars DO need to be retuned if you want optimum performance. I've tuned eproms on too many cars and too many times to know the difference.

My VE tables dramatically changed with just the Miniram. Mine wanted a lot more fuel at the lower rpm (a sure sign it's making more power/torque at a specific rpm). You can see the higher time the fuel injectors are opened in closed loop.

On a basically stock engine with a completely stock intake, I stand-by my comment.

 

Amen Glenn!! I hate it when people say "you lose soo much torque with the Mini-Ram" I too have a Mini-Ram and have a$$ loads of torque to boot. And, I did have the edelbrock base and ported LTR's with stock heads and the small SLP cam and I can honestly tell you from my SOTP feel, the low speed torque is about the same as my set-up now. just a 1/4 throttle sets the 275/40/17's a-blaze. No flame on anyone, Its just a peeve of mine.

 

i would like to get the lt1.. but there is a lot of mods one has to do to fit it to the block... like #1 drilling for a distributor.... i dont have the time nor tools nor money to do that kind of stuff....

 

Take a look at http://www.lt1intake.com/ and see if that doesn't change your mind about all the hassle and cost...it's right there with the Stealth Ram in terms of cost and installation trouble.

 

If your riding the butt dyno, theres 1/2 your problem there too. The L98 kicks you in the *** then lets off, so it feels like you left the hole quicker. an engine like the LT1 and LS1 have a flatter torque curve, it keeps pulling, you dont feel it let off so it doesnt always feel like it launched as hard, I drove in, then raced (with the L-98) a 2000 Z-28, I stayed with him up to about 80-85, but then he made it look like I put it in reverse. but might Butt Dyno was reading way higher then his.

If it shows a loss on a real dyno, then its probobly the chip tunning like said before.