Crossram Intake
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I ever ran one since Pontiac crossrams like M /T manifolds were/are made of "gold". I have heard that they present tuning problems due to having two seperate plenums under the carbs. Unless you are talking about the Chevy factory crossrams where the whole engine sees a single plenum?? I think they were a better manifold. Which one are you looking at? Mark L
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A friend is running one on his 350 Chevy gasser and it's a bit of a pain. It actually responds well when you hit it, and cruising, but it doesn't idle well, and it's pretty cold blooded. He's running two 390 cfm Holley 4brl. carbs.
i think the separte plenum model. Sounds like a pita. I like the look but would rather have performance
thanks for the insight Vall. Sounds like a problem i wanna stay away from. I just really like the look but if performance is a problem then its not for me.
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If it's really cheap "HANG it on your garage wall"..... makes nice "garage art"
On the performance side..... practically everyone I talked to that runs a "cross ram" was satisfied with the performance. Some said it did take some fiddling around to get it "just right".
Some running 600 cfm Holleys some running smaller 390 cfm..... most running NO choke so idling at first takes some warm up time..... I am sure it is no different getting a tunnel ram or any other "different manifold" with two fours, etc to run right.
I know you know of people today (or remember guys) having trouble getting any manifold carb setup (SINGLE - dual - tri - quad - full house, etc) to work just right. Sometimes getting it "close" is good enough.
Having to "help" an engine idle is definitely "old school"..... but today there is so much more knowledge and ways to get "any combination" to work right!
Also I have been told by some people the Chevy cross ram has minimal performance advantage if & when it is running as is should/could. But now here we are getting around to asking the REAL deciding question...... what's the car/engine being built/used for?????
If it is "street/strip" with the emphasis on strip and making the car go as fast as possible where ever 1/10 of a second is important to the owner then a single four manifold (air gap or Victor) would be the way to go...... but let's NOT forget the MOST important issue..... is the engine built BIG enough to handle it.
If it is street/strip with emphasis on "constant performance" on fastest et's from an engine along with a UNIQUE-LOOK period correct a Cross Ram - Man-a-Fre, etc, etc is the way to go. In other words losing a tenth or so drag strip performance for cruise/show look-power is a matter of personal choice.
One of the best know backyard builders Kiwi Kev ran a cross ram on his '41 Willys. When I talked to him last July he told me it ran good but felt it could run even better. He had his Willys standing on the rear bumper with the cross ram but recently switched to a single four to see if his little 283 sbc would be better off with less air/fuel flow.
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As for me ..... I have had a cross ram hanging on the wall of my workshop for quiet a few years...... will I put it on the Opel's engine someday????? "I CAN NOT wait"
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On the performance side..... practically everyone I talked to that runs a "cross ram" was satisfied with the performance. Some said it did take some fiddling around to get it "just right".
Some running 600 cfm Holleys some running smaller 390 cfm..... most running NO choke so idling at first takes some warm up time..... I am sure it is no different getting a tunnel ram or any other "different manifold" with two fours, etc to run right.
I know you know of people today (or remember guys) having trouble getting any manifold carb setup (SINGLE - dual - tri - quad - full house, etc) to work just right. Sometimes getting it "close" is good enough.
Having to "help" an engine idle is definitely "old school"..... but today there is so much more knowledge and ways to get "any combination" to work right!
Also I have been told by some people the Chevy cross ram has minimal performance advantage if & when it is running as is should/could. But now here we are getting around to asking the REAL deciding question...... what's the car/engine being built/used for?????
If it is "street/strip" with the emphasis on strip and making the car go as fast as possible where ever 1/10 of a second is important to the owner then a single four manifold (air gap or Victor) would be the way to go...... but let's NOT forget the MOST important issue..... is the engine built BIG enough to handle it.
If it is street/strip with emphasis on "constant performance" on fastest et's from an engine along with a UNIQUE-LOOK period correct a Cross Ram - Man-a-Fre, etc, etc is the way to go. In other words losing a tenth or so drag strip performance for cruise/show look-power is a matter of personal choice.
One of the best know backyard builders Kiwi Kev ran a cross ram on his '41 Willys. When I talked to him last July he told me it ran good but felt it could run even better. He had his Willys standing on the rear bumper with the cross ram but recently switched to a single four to see if his little 283 sbc would be better off with less air/fuel flow.
As for me ..... I have had a cross ram hanging on the wall of my workshop for quiet a few years...... will I put it on the Opel's engine someday????? "I CAN NOT wait"
Thanks for post and pics John. I will have a radical 327 engine, good heads, 4 speed and a ton of gear. Mostly a sat nite warm weather cruiser just in town with occasional " I have to rev it up and show off". Imagine that
. It might see some 1/8 mi drag action here and there. I don't mind sacraficing some perf for the look factor. The one i looked at has a divided plenum under each carb too so that might help.
Decisions decisions
. It might see some 1/8 mi drag action here and there. I don't mind sacraficing some perf for the look factor. The one i looked at has a divided plenum under each carb too so that might help.Decisions decisions
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If you're not building a gasser for drag racing, or if all out performance is not the goal, then sometimes asthetics rule! I'm pretty sure my Austin could run better or faster with something different, but I'm going for a certain look, and a single 4 brl. carb on a hi rise wont get it for me. My tunnel ram isn't a perfect performer for the driving I do, but it does have the look I wanted!
I'd go for a cross ram, or all sorts of different cool intakes, and fight getting them to perform if it runs good enough, and looks really good!
I'd go for a cross ram, or all sorts of different cool intakes, and fight getting them to perform if it runs good enough, and looks really good!
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Casey,
I'm going to run the same intake that John has. I just picked it up at a swap meet this fall. I know that the air-gap and 750 will make more power than the cross-ram, but I like the attitude. It's kinda like twin turbos on an LSX will make tons more power than a 6-71 on a big block, but which is cooler? If you had the bucks and wanted to be tricky, you can get 4bbl EFI throttle bodies and put 2 on the intake so it would run better for about $3,500.
Goes along with turning a car into a truck by putting an axle under the front. It's all attitude.
Good luck.
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I'm going to run the same intake that John has. I just picked it up at a swap meet this fall. I know that the air-gap and 750 will make more power than the cross-ram, but I like the attitude. It's kinda like twin turbos on an LSX will make tons more power than a 6-71 on a big block, but which is cooler? If you had the bucks and wanted to be tricky, you can get 4bbl EFI throttle bodies and put 2 on the intake so it would run better for about $3,500.
Goes along with turning a car into a truck by putting an axle under the front. It's all attitude.
Good luck.
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13,519 Posts
Couldn't have said it better myself Mike!
The whole rejuvenation of the gasser craze is about looking like what the era gassers were. We all know our cars for the most part are built today, so they aren't 60's gassers. But we still want them to be close, and have features that draw attention, and make people smile when they see them. A crossram is just such a cool intake that you can't help but smile when a guy opens the hood and you see it sitting on the engine!
The whole rejuvenation of the gasser craze is about looking like what the era gassers were. We all know our cars for the most part are built today, so they aren't 60's gassers. But we still want them to be close, and have features that draw attention, and make people smile when they see them. A crossram is just such a cool intake that you can't help but smile when a guy opens the hood and you see it sitting on the engine!
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I couldn't have said it better myself Vall!!!!Couldn't have said it better myself Mike!
The whole rejuvenation of the gasser craze is about looking like what the era gassers were. We all know our cars for the most part are built today, so they aren't 60's gassers. But we still want them to be close, and have features that draw attention, and make people smile when they see them. A crossram is just such a cool intake that you can't help but smile when a guy opens the hood and you see it sitting on the engine!
I will more than likely get the engine running using the air gap and the 750 cfm Holley that is on the Opel's engine now and then make the switch to the cross ram. It came with two 600 cfm Holleys which was used on the cross ram while it was on the previous owners '55 Chevy with a 283 sbc.
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That is why I will probably look for a tunnel ram. It's for the wow factor. Since I won't race people on the street I'm not too worried about a honda beating me. My future engine should be pushing enough power to be respectable and not a poser. The intakes like the cross ram or multi-carb setups can make a boring engine look awesome.
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Casey.... I think most of us that are currently active here on GHRs Forum feel the same as you.
There are quite a few hot rodders here who are very serious drag racers who are pushing their gassers to run as fast as possible ...... but they are still very aware of what you call the "W o W Factor" and have built cars that hold true to the traditional "gasser look"..... even Sir Markus OvertheTopPonchoLoverOus !!!!!
BTW VALL.... how do you like those "early Vette valve covers" ?????
Yeah there is something about dual quads that make people look! I aree with ya about getting the eng running with a single 4. Prob good ideal for me also esecially since I'm running a solid lift flat tappet cam. Get er good and broke in then make the switch.
Casey.... I think most of us that are currently active here on GHRs Forum feel the same as you.
There are quite a few hot rodders here who are very serious drag racers who are pushing their gassers to run as fast as possible ...... but they are still very aware of what you call the "W o W Factor" and have built cars that hold true to the traditional "gasser look"..... even Sir Markus OvertheTopPonchoLoverOus !!!!!
BTW VALL.... how do you like those "early Vette valve covers" ?????
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That's what I did with mine also. Once I knew it ran and most of the bugs were worked out, then I tore it back down and installed the tunnel ram.
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Ya know the wow factor works and what's more impressive is when it's functional too. I'm not sure my Grumman is ever going to get the wow factor unless I cut the windshield and build a new windshield frame around a tunnel or blower. Not in the cards for this year anyway....
Know what ya mean steve. Wtih christmas coming up and all its hard to get the parts i need to continue my project. Lots of just sitting in the garage and staring at.
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Well this thread is about 1.5 yrs. old, and I dug it back up because I was looking for tuning hints on the internet and the link here brought me back to our "home" again! Funny how times change, and you end up trying something later that you hadn't considered previously.
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