LT1

iTrader: (1)

My buddy that knows how to make molds wants to make a plastic version of the LT1 intake. I was wondering if there is anything like this out there?

We plan to take the LT1 intake make a plastic mold and improve any area's of it to make it better. It will be a none emission intake.

First question is, what type of composite material is the LS1 intake?
Would also like to know what is the best plastic material to use?
Should we try to duplicate LS1 intake or keep it looking like a LT1 intake?
I have no idea what type of throttle body will go on it. Still in the planning stage and talking to a few people, hopping to make this happen.
No time period when this will actually be done, might take 1 year or 10 years i have no idea. I just started talking to few people to see what we can come up with.

whytryz28

iTrader: (28)

Nylon 66 polyamide is what the LS1 intakes are made off. You can get this stuff from Dupont and Solutia.

Called Polyamide 6-6

1redta

good luck with that, the lt1 intake is pretty good. sure, the stealth ram is a better intake but they are expensive!!! when converted for our 4th gen engine bay. I don't think many of us lt1 guys will pay what a FAST intake cost for a composite. The LT1 is the 5.0 of yesterday every broke teenage kid that can't afford a ls1 buys one.

whytryz28

iTrader: (28)

Make an LS6 intake that will bolt on to the LT1 heads and it will sell to all the high HP guys since it will reduce intake temp and flow better.

LT1

iTrader: (1)

Thanks whytryz28 for the info on the intake material.
I like the LS6 idea.

I will start by taking LT1, LS1/LS6 style intake for compare and try to make 1 intake that has characteristic of both which can bolt on to LT1 engine. There will most likely be custom fuel rail to injector boss.

Like to add, if anyone has any suggestions or comments about this id appreciate it, ill be talking to a few plastic mold builders and need all the information i can get.

1redta, exactly and because of those teenagers there is a market for it. i am mostly doing this to see if its possible to make something better than factory intake (power and performance). If so i can try to duplicate it for others to take advantage.

1redta

if you would make some thing similar to the stealth ram it would sell, they pick up horsepower and torque on stock to built motors.The manifold is already there for a mold it's just not converted to fit the lt yet

if you could do it cheap enough it would sell, $500-600 maybe but realize, I watched the stealth ram conversion fail. I had a converted one that ran on another engine I had (look up tapout911 he had it last) before the craze.

WOOS1

iTrader: (1)

I think it is a great idea. I would be willing in the $500-600 range if able to provide adequate results. I do feel that domestic tooling will be in the $30-50K range or higher.

Wicked94Z

iTrader: (26)

no market, stock manifold supports enough power for 98% of ltx builds. I made 480 rwhp with a HR cam and ported lt4 manifold... i know there's hp to be gained on my setup from a manifold change, but a super vic is where my money will be spent.

kolorzcars

LT1s could use a longer intake runner..... but not to long(sory tpi guys lol)

I have been waiting for some one to do this the heat insulating of plastic is way better than our "heat sink", and If you make the runners longer....... I'd buy one, but you have to make them affordable.... since I "cant" run it on the road lol.


keep us posted


PS make it run an LS1 tb????

wrd1972

iTrader: (12)

No market for the composite LT1 intake. I would not waste the effort.

Now if you can make a LSx type intake and prove it has significant gains. You might have something valuable.

fergymoto

iTrader: (129)

This is a joke.

LT1

iTrader: (1)

What i have now from reading everyones reply is:

-Make it like a LSX intake
-Must make more power than stock intake
-Might end up being LSX style Throttle body (not sure yet)
-No emission (sorry wont happen yet)
-No factory fuel rail (wont happen)

This is what i came up with:

First option use a LS2 intake which is 3 piece (upper, middle, lower) design. Make a mold of the LT1 intake then cut the lower portion of the mold and adapt to fit middle and upper LS2 intake. I assume the runners will open up like a LT1 and continue its flow as LS2. My only concern is if the air flow, velocity gets disrupted adversely.

Second option is to make the LT1 intake similar to the LS1/LS6 as a one piece. Taking the LT1 mold and modifying it like a LS1/LS6 creating it from scratch and keeping the original port design as possible with out negatively disrupting air flow.

I think going with either method can be beneficial. Either by saving weight, gain power, or eliminating "heat sink".

Thanks for input guys, if you think im going in the wrong direction with anything dont hesitate to comment. Any comments to improve the intake would be great. Goal is to make it so i can see a improvement over stock some sort of benefit to make power by a margin.

Wicked94Z

iTrader: (26)

and what do you suppose is the correct runner length for the manifold, plenum volume, csa and taper, injector location? Designing intake manifolds is for engineers... Hell I have no idea, but if you're starting from scratch on the thing, you might want to be able to answer these questions for me.

gregrob

iTrader: (8)

Werd.^ just thinking an lsx intake adapted for lt heads is better "just because" is terrible logic. They use 15 degree symmetrical port heads... you don't just expect the geometry to be perfect for 23 degree small block style port heads do you?

LT1

iTrader: (1)

Wicked94Z
Soon as we are able to get a mold made and cut then i can start to get any info on inlet shape and orientation, runner length, taper, area, shape, and plenum volume. Still have a lot of other things to sort out before getting to that point. It will mostly be a trial and error until it comes together. For starters, going to make sure we can get the molds made and go from there then find away to adjust the runner length and reshape the ports for volume and flow. Will most likely use stock LT1 head/cam displacement as the base line intake design, but still leave room for improvements.

suicidal racing

iTrader: (14)

i would use a glass filled nylon resin..you better have a big press,for a intake that size to come out in one piece it would have to be atleast a 500 ton injection molding press..that being said he better know how to cut and design a mold because there will need to be a goo bit of vents in there and alot of water run threw her..you could cut the mold out of aluminum at first..you do realize your going to need a chunk of aluminum about 4ft by 4ft to do this? in all reality even in aluminum its a 50k mold..steel you could easly pay 80-100k seeing steel is used in high out put production stuff.

heres a pic to give you the idea of the size the mold would have to be


heres it in the press after i set it..this mold was 10 tons and the nuts we used on the clamps where 2" nuts..i hated tq down them *******


it dont look huge..but to give you an idea im 6.1 and i could stand between the top an bottom rails of that press no problem

illusions

iTrader: (3)

I hate to be a naysayer but I think this would have worked in 98-02 to help the LT1 crowd. Currently most aftermarket companies with pockets deeper than you and I are starting to shift away from the LT1. Why would developing a product now for a limited market be a good investment? Look at the group purchase threads. so many people are wanting the goods but have no money or have to wait for income tax returns.

It might be easier to design the manifold and see if you can sell the idea to a much larger company that has the tooling required to produce the item.

What automotive engineering classes or experience do you or your friends have? You will go through dozens of mock ups before you actually get a product with the airflow results your after. You will also need to show what benefits your intake will have over the competition. Price vs performance. You'll not only need bench test results but track results too.

STOCKTA

iTrader: (8)

I have shipped over 18 of my ported LT1 intakes this past month and a half alone but I would still not consider redesigning the great intake GM gave us. If so it really needs a bigger plenum and a cross section that is matched to the heads it will go on, You would have to make the cross section thick so it could be ported to the heads. You cant just make a one size fits all as every engine requires a different port job and runner length to match the potential cubic inch's to RPM range to have it peak with the complete package. Cough Cough Hogan Cough

Just convert a super vic or vic jr, or hell any SBC intake can pretty much be reworked for a LT1.

wrd1972

iTrader: (12)

on keeping it real.

ttrimz208

What about a composite super vic or super hurricane with lt1 bolt pattern no thermostat housing and efi bungs? I would buy that. I think it would be easier to get someone like professional products to make one of there super hurricane efi manifolds that way.