I've seen the advertisements from TPIS that the Mini Ram can produce upwards of 100 hp on a 350 engine, but it seems hard to believe.

What I'd like to know is if anybody has done a side by side comparison, on the same car with the same "long block" and drivetrain of the Mini Ram and a Modded LT-1 intake (to fit the L-98)? I have talked to guys here and they said that the Modded LT-1 intake on "their" cars has produced as much as .4 in the 1/4 mile over the TPI, but what would the Mini Ram have done on the same engine/car combo?

I am going to make my 89 A-4 Corvette a bracket race car, with street driveability to get to the track, but in doing the planning I want to compare the two manifolds. The balance of the engine will be built "around" which intake I decide on, and also the drivetrain upgrades will like wise be done according to the intake. This will be so that the head work, cam, rear gearing and torque converter will all be matched, but it will be done with the 350 engine, not a stroker (before all the nay sayers jump in and say it can't be done with a stock CID engine, my buddy has an 89 Vette with the A4 and is running 11.2 @ 121 while driving 100+ miles one way to the track, so it can be done, I just don't want to use his setup). Any help will be appreciated.

 

With a cam change

 

Which is why I'm asking if anybody has done a comparison on the "same" engine without changing anything. The LT-1 and Mini Ram appear to be basically the same, and I've never found any data on the two side by side (ie: runner length, runner volumne, max hp/rpm with the same engine components, etc.)

 

I doubt you will find a back to back test because the budget minded person that did a LT1 conversion is highly unlikely to shell out $1200 for a MR

Runners
Mini ram --- -3.5” LT1 ----------3.0”

Miniram flows
PORT SIZE: Felpro 1204 CFM: 265
PORT SIZE: Felpro 1206 CFM: 286
PORT SIZE: Felpro 1206, ported CFM: 292

Quote from a 3rd Gen post
" The LT1 runners flow about 225cfm. LP ported one out for me years ago. Ported the plenum, the works. It flowed 265cfm. Good improvement. But, since it was pratically gutted to get the flow, I lost air velocity and noticed a loss in low-mid range torque. Sure I had better top end power but look what I had to sacrafice. How often am I above 6500rpm? And even with the plenum ported, it was still nothing more than a tunnel with small stubby runners.

 

After checking the TPIS web site they say the Mini Ram on a "mild" 350 you can expect 75-95+ HP gain (that's close enough to 100 for me) but it does not say what they think a mild 350 means. Is it an engine with headers, no cats, and good mufflers or does it mean the same equipment plus a cam?? The next line states "If you build the motor on the mild side, i.e. small cam and some porting, stroker motor, 100-125+ HP,over the stock or modified TPI intake is very possible", so it seems that the "mild" 350 would have a cam at this point, which just "muddies the water" as to what they mean by the statement for the 75-95 HP range. You can take the HP statements either way, "mild" is without a cam, and "mild with small cam & porting" is the higher HP of the two statements, don't you think?

You also mention in another reply that the Mini Ram is 3.5" runner length, but in the same statement by TPIS they say the Mini Ram is 3", did you accidently reverse the LT1 and Mini Ram diamentions, and the LT1 is 3.5" not the 3" you listed?

 

No experience with a converted LT1 intake, but the MiniRam ports are pretty big, and the plenum is bigger as well. It kinda dwarfs the intake ports on a set of stock heads. Probably a better choice for a bigger cube or cammed up small block with good flowing heads. We used it on a hotted-up 400 and it belted out plenty of power. It also responded well with bigger cams. We started with something jsut a couple notches over stock (212* @ .050) and it clearly wanted more. Stepped up the cam duration about 15* (228* @ .050) and then it absolutely ripped above 5000. RAN away from a stock 405HP ZR1 Vette (the old 90s era ZR1, not the new one!) from a highway roll. Horsepower was probably in the legit mid-high 400 range but still very streetable, thanks to the wonders of electronic fuel injection.

That being said, I believe we could have gotten 95% of that power with a ported LT1 intake for cubic bucks less money. Would have gone that route in the first place but we just weren't aware of modded LT1 intakes at the time we spec'ed out the combo.

Believe me, neither intake is anything like a tunnel ram. The air enters on one end of the plenum which means it's gotta make a 90* turn at some point, plus the air path is a different length for each cylinder. Think of it more like a medium-crappy single plane intake that will never ever have a hood clearance issue! I certainly can't imagine either one being any good over about 6500, maybe 7000 for the MiniRam. Neither one is appropriate for a "gonzo huge cam" engine combo. MUCH better upstairs than a TPI, but not a "sky is the limit" rev range, depsite the promise of short runners.

 

The TPIS Insider Hints magazine lists a horsepower test for a stock 1985 Corvette engine comparing TPI and a Mini-Ram. At 5250 rpm it lists the TPI as 216.1 hp, the MR as 311.5 hp for a 95.4 hp difference. The TPI makes its max hp of 242.3 at 4250 rpm (MR is 274.8 at 4250). At 2000 rpm, TPI 120.6, MR 116. At 2750 rpm TPI 181.3, MR 169.7. At 3500 rpm TPI 226.4 hp, MR 229.6 hp.
Damon's description is pretty much spot on. I think a stock MR might work a little past 7000 rpm for a 350 but not for a bigger motor. The MR has fuel distribution issues with any kind of forced induction.
I think for a 350 a longer runner intake might work better. Search for posts by 1989GTATransAm as he and others have optimized intakes for a 350 size motor.
Now for myself I went with a MR because I had hood clearance issues and was building a moderate (500-550 hp) 427 sbc and was too lazy to fabricate a single plane setup, modify an LT-1, modify a Holley Stealth ram, port a First or port/modify a SLP/accel intake.