I've been considering using an old school offenhauser single 4bl tunnel ram on my T. I'm planning a very mild 350 SBC, and just not sure if I'm building enough HP for this style intake to tune well. I've read a lot of forums where people suggest there is no way to tune one correctly for the street, and others that say they will work fine. Just wondering if anybody has any experience with one, or what carb would be best suited if I go this route. Honestly I'm considering it more for the look, than for functionality, but if it doesn't give me a good drivable setup around town I'll can the idea. Appreciate all the .02$ I can get! Thanks...
IMO the ones with a separate plenum on top are better for a street engine. I am running one on a stock Mustang 302 engine, with a 600 cfm vacuum secondaries, with no ill side effects. Go for it!!
I wouldn't use a tunnel ram on the street, but that's just me. I like motors with good low end torque and reasonable fuel efficiency. I can't afford to drive around town at 5-8 mpg like the old days.
I'm running a tunnel ram with two small 4bls. I didn't know anything about carb tuning, but Railroad and others on this site helped me and it runs fine on the street. Could it be fined tuned some more? Sure, but that's for another day. I also love the looks. My .02$
I can't speak to a single 4 tunnel ram but my 2x4 tunnel ram 388 small block is very responsive around town & will get upwards of 17-18 MPG on the highway.... there are minor driveability issues that you learn to work with & it takes some tuning to get there , if it's the look you want , go for it !! With my setup , anything more than 1500 rpm , it just GOES !!!
dave
I always seem to answer questions the same way,it depends on your setup. I read some people think that a tunnel ram will kill mileage, others say low end power ,still others get good driveability and mileage. Well why would all these be different? It depends on the way the engine is built.
There are plenty of street tunnel rams running around that work well, and there are plenty of them that don't. Most of the time its not the intakes fault, it depends on the combination.
Hope this helps.
I've run tunnel rams on the street. They're fine , like everything else , just takes a bit of tuning to get it dialed in , and it should work great especially in a light car like a T. A double pumper carb may help with throttle response, and you should get decent mileage if you don't drive like an idiot.
I LOVE single 4 tunnels....they were origionall designed for really Hi Torq apps like Boat racing. You have that same wild look with less hassle, running only 1 carb.
2x4's aren't bad if you keep things in prespective and take a systematic approach to sorting things out. That shotgun concept of sorting things out will get you knee deep into trouble and your pockets empty. Personally, I really like the single 4bbl tunnels....classic 70's look....
As far as power is concerned, the diff. between the single top and the dual top is HOW the motor applys the power. The 2x4 will have more topend pull. The single 4 bbl will have a strong mid pull and when close to max rpm is close, will start to run out, so-to-speak. Remember, they were made for boats with wildly cammed car motors in them, and when they took off and at part thottle, the response was terrible with the twin 4's, so they went to 1-4 and got all that torque....a win-win situation. And this is not on drag car motors....this is turning props thru the water.
The TR1Y's and such had less than optimum perf. on the street, they were made for racing. The newer later street rams now have less volume in the plenum and the runner shapes are designed to keep the mixture velocity up, so throttle response is vastly improved. But on topend, the old TR1Y's were hell to beat period!
All it takes to get a 2x4 tunnel going is a leisurely afternoon, glass of ice tea, some tunes on the radio, with some jets, PV's and some bowl/metering gaskets.
On a single 4 top, your looking at about 1/3rd that time. Single 4 tops LOVE doublepumpers. Got a HOT 350? A 650 DP, maybe even a 750 if you detune it slightly.
All tunnles that are street driven like mild cams, also. You can run more cam if you run the bleed-down lifters that will tame the valve timing at lower rpms....
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