Lowest profile Intake Manifold Available
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 82
Likes: 23
Lowest profile Intake Manifold Available The stock crate LS3 intake is about 2" too high for my install.....anyone have a line on lowest profile intake commercially available? I only need to make 200 HP so not too concerned about smaller volume.
If needed, can I simply cut 2" of top of stock manifold and plastic weld top back on?
The LT1 intake looks pretty low profile; any idea if it will fit LS3?
Thanks
If needed, can I simply cut 2" of top of stock manifold and plastic weld top back on?
The LT1 intake looks pretty low profile; any idea if it will fit LS3?
Thanks
Last edited by Skydawg; Jul 10, 2016 at 06:27 PM.
Banned
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Well I'm game, is it the stock low profile intake: Camaro,C6, etc. or Truck intake? All the intakes above are not going to work! Yea it's Plastic but how would you do the runners with it being cut down 2 inches. Getting a intake LOWER than a stock low profile intake not gonna happen.
Here's what you can do.....go work with the engine mounts and see if you can get a couple of inches and get some fabb'ed up. This has got to be a import with a hood this low.
Here's what you can do.....go work with the engine mounts and see if you can get a couple of inches and get some fabb'ed up. This has got to be a import with a hood this low.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 82
Likes: 23
It's in an airplane and the airframe is only rated for 200 HP . The engine cowling space is limited . Why can't I simply cut the height and plastic weld a cover? Is the intake inside more complicated than a box? I reference would need to retune the ECM .
That seems like a pretty cavalier solution when you can't just pull over if the plastic weld fails. My LS3 came with a sound damper that went on top of the intake manifold but fit underneath the fuel rail crossover tube. You could remove that, and come up with your own crossover tube solution with aftermarket fuel rails, and that will bring your height inline with the top of the fuel rails and the top of the coil brackets, roughly.
Trending Topics
TECH Resident
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 985
Likes: 12
Oh yea, those engines are north of 30k.
I guess next time I ride in a small plane
I will check and make sure it has the proper
engine in it. I would hate to have to call a wrecker when something goes wrong up
there.
I guess next time I ride in a small plane
I will check and make sure it has the proper
engine in it. I would hate to have to call a wrecker when something goes wrong up
there.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Get a swap camshaft and run the exhaust out the middle/intake ports, and run an intake from the exhaust ports.
If you're concerned about lowest profile. Thats about the only way I see you getting 2 inches.
If you're concerned about lowest profile. Thats about the only way I see you getting 2 inches.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 82
Likes: 23
Its an experimental category aircraft....limited on manipulating mount height to maintain level thrust line (that was my first inclination). Guess I'll try making an aluminum intake; hooker has one that is 1.85" less so might give that a try and perhaps reduce thickness of mounting pads. I've seen some clean cutting and sonic welding on nylon components and figured worth getting a spare intake and trying it out.
The fuel rail crossover tube on an LS3 is the highest point of the intake and is barely higher than the coil brackets mounted on the valve cover. If you only need 200HP, why not run a V6 like the GM LFX, it's lighter, still makes 300HP, and there are prop gearboxes that bolt directly to it. Hell, a 2.4 Ecotec makes enough steam for your project, and it's the same scenario, lighter still, and a prop gearbox available. They are durable as hell too, they run a couple thousand miles a year in a Class 10 offroad car, WFO and constantly on the rev limiter.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 82
Likes: 23
Thanks for the advice. A plane engine works a lot harder than a car; more like a boat . Once a car gets to speed it needs only about 15-20% of that energy to maintain speed whereas a plane or boat requires far more constant load due to greater drag coefficient due to higher speed, producing vertical lift and induced drag......more like a car pulling a boat up a hill whereas it's a heavy constant load.
I selected the ls3 because there is a marine version designed for such crank loads and torque (there is no transmission to ratio the load) and would only need a portion of the ls3's rated hp which should allow greater life .
I selected the ls3 because there is a marine version designed for such crank loads and torque (there is no transmission to ratio the load) and would only need a portion of the ls3's rated hp which should allow greater life .
You are going to waste the thrust bearing in very short order if you run the engine direct drive, and you're gonna have a bad time. This was a common problem in airboats for a long time before prop gearbox came on to the scene that were designed for the thrust load.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 82
Likes: 23
You are right about the quick wear on the engine bearing with direct drive, most due to pulling but side loads as well which are dynamic throughout axis of the shaft. I'm using a gear box that will absorb most if not all of these loads as well as reduce prop tip speed to optimim for noise and efficiency. Thanks for interest and input.
How did you deal with the intake issues?
I would've thought that a custom-made, low profile, short runner, sheet metal manifold would've done the trick.....
KW
I would've thought that a custom-made, low profile, short runner, sheet metal manifold would've done the trick.....
KW
Last edited by KW Baraka; Nov 10, 2016 at 08:34 AM.
