[Bart]

I'm trying to decide whether to use a performer rpm or a torker intake. I realy don't have any idea what difference there would be between the 2 in performance. I want to use the one that will get me the best 1/4 mile times. My car will mainly be driven on the street. If anybody has done any testing with these 2 intakes I would realy like to know what the results were. So the big question is, how do I decide which one is right for me?
Maybe they are both pretty close. If anyone has anything positive or negative to say about either of these I would like to hear that too.

[Bart]

I'm trying to decide whether to use a performer rpm or a torker intake. I realy don't have any idea what difference there would be between the 2 in performance. I want to use the one that will get me the best 1/4 mile times. My car will mainly be driven on the street. If anybody has done any testing with these 2 intakes I would realy like to know what the results were. So the big question is, how do I decide which one is right for me?
Maybe they are both pretty close. If anyone has anything positive or negative to say about either of these I would like to hear that too.

[Cobrabill]

RPM w/a spacer.(hood clearance permitting)Best of both worlds.The RPM makes more power in the rpm range that you will use most often on the street.

[Gooatee]

First of all I think we would be better able to comment if we new more about the combo! That being said you state alot of street driving! Immediately the RPM comes to mind! You also state you want the better strip performance! I then turn to the Torker, now we have to decide whether that is going to be a Torker I or II! I have had great sucess with my combo and a TorkerI, after being warned by a friend that it would make the car less "streetable"? I have not tried a RPM but I am more worried about the strip performance and drive very little on the street. I do not see where my combo is less streetable now but so be it if I am quicker! I have heard the Torker II is an "instant tenth" over the Torker? I guess maybe I will have to find a cheap used one and try that for myself!

[David Holmberg]

Without knowing your combo this is a poke in the dark, but...

With a 455 the RPM is the best all around choice, even up to 5600 rpms...

With a 400 the RPM is good for street and strip and the TII is better for track use. (Higher rpm's 3.90+gear big converter,ect)

[Bart]

ok guys here's my combo:

400 bored to 4.185 with torque plate,decked and filled to the freeze plugs with hard block and studded mains
crank stroked to 3.90 for use with bbc 6.8 rods, and cross drilled and indexed
SRP pistons
total seal gapless rings
H/S 1.65:1 rockers
crower 60311 solid cam
remote oil filter(K&N Ford 8A)
#13 heads slightly ported with crossover filled(edelbrocks will come later)
800cfm Q-jet(edelbrock 850cfm Q-jet will come later)
I have a 1" open spacer and a 1/2" BG 4-hole phenolic spacer(thought about open on bottom and 4-hole on top),and I'm not concerned with hood clearance(cutting hole for air cleaner)
currently have a performer rpm that has the divider cut down 1"
flex-a-lite fuel cooler
melling high pressure(80 psi) oil pump
stock oil pan(baffled)
1/2" aluminum fuel line from stock tank with CE sump going to a carter mechanical pump
stock distributor with high output coil,adjustable vacuum advance, and light weight springs
I have decided on what compression ratio to use yet(still up in the air), and I don't care if I have to use race gas
canton windage tray and crank scraper
headman 1.75" headers with 3" collector and wrapped with exhaust wrap
4.10 gears with a B&M holeshot 3000 and a TH350 with a shift improver kit and adjustable vacuum modulator(might get a TH400)
stock balancer
flowmaster force 2 exhaust with H-pipe and transverse muffler(2.5" from collector)
235/70R-15 tires all around(28 inch diameter)
car is an 81 firebird(about 3800# with me in it)

I think that I could possibly sacrifice a little low end torque for some higher end horsepower. I don't want to be making so much low end torque that I smoke the tires.

As far as the torker II goes I wasn't even considering it since I've heard that the perfromer rpm will make the same horsepower and more torque. I also heard that the original torker I which I was reffering to will outperform the torker II. If I am wrong please correct me. Any other comments about the combo are more than welcome! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[Steve C.]

Port matched Victor !

[David Holmberg]

There is really only one way to know for sure...

But I would think either torker intake or the Holley Street Dominator intake would work great on your combo.

I don't like the orig torker, but I have seen some work VERY well.

[Gooatee]

Sounds like a very stout combo! First thing that comes to mind is something I am battlihng with right now! I have been told for my combo I need more converter!?!? I am in need of a tranny freshning and I am not sure whether or not to change my Holeshot 3000! I have a similiar combo except for the cam, I am running a RA IV copy from Crane and it has the specs as follows 488/508lift and 234/244 dur. at .050 with a 110* centerline(not positive of centerline figure?). I have run a best so far of 12.4 @ 108 and 1.72 60ft time. I had been thinking of going to a solid cam but one thing at a time!!!!(lol) I think the Torker I as I said before works really well on this motor, not ever trying the Torker II on it yet! Just my .02!

[Torment]

I had better luck with the original Torker than the T2 on a 455. A 400 is a different story though. This thing going to see the street this summer Bart? I'd like to see how well the 400 performs.

[Bart]

Torment,
I plan to have it done sometime this summer. I haven't been working on it lately because of the cold. As soon as it warms up I'll be back at it.

Has anyone actualy done a back to back test swapping out an original torker and a perfromer rpm? If so, what was the perfromance difference?Maybe that's what I'll have to do to find out.

[GR8ONE68]

Bart,

As I am sure that you are aware, you no longer have a 400. It is just a shade over 429, if my calculation is correct. I have a 408 with the RPM and I love it, however, I was looking for a more streetable combination. This will be my daily driver with a rare trip to the track. I have the Edelbrock RPM cam (read that RAIV). The combination works well.

[Bart]

Gooatee,
I have a few questions for you about your combo if you don't mind answering.

What gear are you running?
What carb are you using?
Do you use a spacer?
What is your header size and exhaust system like?
How does the car behave in stop and go traffic?
Is the bottom end soggy at all?
What heads are you using?
Are they ported?

I guess I'm just a little paranoid that I might kill too much low end torque with the original torker. On the other hand I don't want to kill top end horsepower either. I can live with a small loss of low end torque, but not a big loss.

As far as the converter goes I think you should try a back to back test with one that has a higher stall and see which one performs the best. If you can afford another converter and have the time. Otherwise your just guessing and you might slow down by going to a higher stall. That's what I would do if I had the time and the money.

I believe that you want the converter to stall where the torque peak occurs. I think it would be better to have the converter stall below the torque peak than above it. If you do the test post the results and let us know what happened.

[Gooatee]

Here are my answers in the order asked!
1)Gear=4.10
2)Carb= now 750 vac.sec.with 780 trick kit and choke horn removed.
3)Spacer= yes 1" open aluminum Jeg's - MR Gasket #720-6005
4)Hearder size= Kassler 4 tube 1 3/4" primary, 3" collector into 3" pipe, through 3" 2 chamber Flowmaster's and dumping at a 45* angle to the ground before the rear differential.
5)Traffic Behavior= I have not driven in "traffic" but it has very good street manners and runs like a scalded dog!
6)Soggy on bottom end= Well if it is I dont feel it! I am also having issues with the tranny and not getting the firm shifts I want so I am going to freshen the tranny in the next two weeks for the season. I am running the stock suspension down to the shocks(Monroe replacements)and slapper bars in the rear and cutting 1.72 60 ft times if that is any indicator? I have been told the car is flying for what it is!?!?
7&8)heads= 1968 #16's with good valve job, clean up milling, street ported, stock replacement valves, and 1.5 HS roller rockers. I have good springs(Lunati)and hardened keepers.

The car is nothing special as you can see but, it runs pretty well for what I have in it! This motor is basically a Junk Yard Dog!(lol) Hope this helps!!!! Feel free to ask anymore questions and I will answer to the best of my limited ability! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[Tim Swain]

I would deffinatly pitch the 80lb oil pump. Go with a Sealed Power 60lb pump and you won't have any problems. Don't take my word on it ask around, more is not better in this case. I have made this mistake I hope you don't have to. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif[/img]

[Bart]

Tim,
I wish you would have told me your reason for not using the 80 psi pump vs the 60 psi. I realy don't know why it would be bad to use the 80 psi pump. My only guess is that too much pressure might force the oil out of the bearings or possibly cause the rear seal to leak. Does somebody want to tell me why I shouldn't use the 80 psi pump?

[Tom Vaught]

Bart, if Tim doesn't mind maybe I can add a few points.
1) you have a 455 type engine.
2) you say it is a street car
3) Based on 1) and 2) you will spend most of your
time on the street with occasional track time.

Normally a higher pressure pump will require more
horsepower from the motor to maintain the higher
pressure caused by the 80 psi relief spring.

Most STREET Pontiacs do not see over 5500 rpm so
a 60 psi pump should meet the "rule of thumb"
that you need 10 psi for each 1000 rpm you plan
on running the engine.

80 psi pumps require more distributor gear and
cam gear inspections due to the higher forces on
these two mating parts. All SD engines (they came
stock with this pump) have an .030 oil bleed to
lubricate the gear mesh. Do you have this .030
oil bleed in the passage next to the distributor?

Last but not least, Higher flow rates (like rivers
that flow faster) cause more errosion. In this
case it is possible to errode the bearings at a
quicker rate than a 60 psi system would have.
Tom V.

[Bart]

Thanks Tom, once again you provided me with a lot of good info!

I had a previous 80 psi pump from my 350 that had over 40,000 miles on it without any of the problems you mentioned. It was basicaly stock with a performer cam and intake. It wasn't driven very hard and never saw the track. Maybe thats why I didn't notice anything. I had never thought about those things before. I'm glad that it was brought up so now I'm aware of it. I'm still undecided whether I should go with the 60 psi unit or keep the 80 psi. I'll make a final decision when it comes time to bolt on the oil pan.

[slowbird]

My brother has a 400 that we have test some intake on. The RPM got the best 60 of the intakes test but with a loss of mph. We test a Torker2 and got the most speed but the worst 60's. He now has a Performer that I ported and it get close to the same 60's as the RPM and mph is close to that of the torker2. I will talk to him and get the exact number and post them here if you guys are interested.

[Bart]

slowbird,
I would very much like to see the exact numbers. Did you ever test the original torker? I have heard that the original torker will outperform the torker 2. I don't know whether or not this is true. I plan on using the original torker on my 400.