Magnum Intake Shootout

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EvilSpirit

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SPOILER ALERT
Engine Masters show on the Motor Trend channel (David Freiberger and Steve Dulcich) did a dyno test shoot-out on a few Magnum intakes with some interesting results. Test was done on a stock 5.9 with a SMALL hydraulic roller replacement cam and 1 7/8 long tube headers. They tested a stock kegger, a well modified one, the modded one with a larger throttle body, a carbed M1 dual plane, and an RPM Air Gap with various spacer combinations. My impressions of the results from the modded kegger were way less optimistic than theirs were, and not much better with the bigger throttle body results. IMO they pretty much confirmed that the kegger intake is a truck engine intake with limited potential. It wasn't until the put on the (out of production) carbureted M1 dual plane that it showed what I would consider a power increase that you would realistically feel, and the RPM Air Gap showed a reasonably decent gain about to what a stock Hemi is rated at. Now for the spoiler, and these numbers are directly taken from the Motor Trend/Engine Masters show. Stock kegger hp/tq (at flywheel) was 403/326, modded kegger 412/330, modded with big t/b was 414/337. The modded kegger didn't really help or hurt it anywhere in the power range - just SLIGHTLY better through the whole range. The carbed M1 at 410/350 started showing a little promise, and finally (what I consider decent results) with the Air Gap at a best tq of 425 and hp at 365, depending on spacer choice - a best of +20 tq and 40 hp over a stock kegger.
I think it would be interesting to see if a little bigger cam or a little head work would help the kegger, but since the carbed intakes showed better results, I still see an issue with the keggers airflow.
In any case - here's the link to the show if you choose to want to watch it. But like I said - not sure their enthusiasm matched the results I saw, or again, IMO - what you would feel. https://www.motortrendondemand.com/detail/59-magnum-intake-shootout/3863266/
 

Nealuss

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I saw this episode, too. It really makes me wonder how the carbed Air Gap intake would compare to the Hughes FI Air Gap intake. Maybe even with their Steamroller cam or something similar from Comp.
 

crazykid1994

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I did the modded kegger on my 97 318. Granted when I did mod the keg intake it’s because I was repairing a blown plenum gasket. I didn’t do a full cut on the runners. I cut at an angle that was at the longest point 1” and then rounded the edges with a small electric hand grinder. Also changed the O2 sensors and had to pop the catalytic converter due to the plenum failure blowing oil through the cat. New ngk v power plugs gapped at 045 and an MDS blaster coil paired with a summit racing brass distributor cap and dizzy with 8mm wires. Truck felt a lot stronger. I credit most of that to the age of the truck needing a tuneup but I could tell it pulled a bit harder up to the top. Sold the truck with 165,000 on the odometer. Did the work at 153,000. Everything else engine was stock parts. The keg intake was definitely not a racing intake but it definitely made good torque which is what it was designed for. I debated on doing the higher ratio rockers on it but needed money for a house so truck went. Wish I had been able to keep it.
 

dapepper9

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I saw this episode, too. It really makes me wonder how the carbed Air Gap intake would compare to the Hughes FI Air Gap intake. Maybe even with their Steamroller cam or something similar from Comp.
Hughes F1 Airgap and the carved Airgap are the same. The only difference is the Hughes has built up material in place for the injector bungs and the Hughes logo cast into the top. Outside of that, it’s the same intake
 

Nealuss

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I just meant I would like to see the difference with carbed vs fuel injected with the same intake. I doubt there would be much of a power difference but I would like to see the torque curve and power band changes between the two.
 

dapepper9

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I just meant I would like to see the difference with carbed vs fuel injected with the same intake. I doubt there would be much of a power difference but I would like to see the torque curve and power band changes between the two.
The only difference would be the already shown difference of carb vs fuel injection of 5-10 and identical curves. EngineMasters has already done this twice.
S1 E2 and S3 E39 btw
 
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merlinx6

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where can i find a hughes or other 5.9 magnum intake.hughes is out of stock and i can't find one anywhere new or used.fuel injected.want to keep that factory fuel injection.
 

Yeret

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Hughes AirGaps have been on backorder for about as long as I can remember. If I remember it right, they aren't exactly a bolt-and-go part either, something about getting the fuel rails and throttle body stuff to fit right is finicky. Could be wrong though, it's been a while since I read into it.

The M1 2-barrels are our engine's unicorn. I've looked around off and on for years and only ever saw one for auction. It ended up going for somewhere around $750 and I think it needed a bit of TLC.

For all practical purposes, unless you want to do a carb swap, the factory kegger is all you're gonna get. Plenty of people have done plenty of stuff to it and the end result is the same: it's a truck manifold meant to churn out plenty of torque at low RPM and that's that. It simply doesn't respond well to modifications meant to push the powerband to higher RPM. Shortening the intake runners COULD give a slight increase to mid-range power via manipulating Helmholtz resonance, or some such thing, but I've yet to see a before-after dyno chart on this. The best I've come across is "butt dyno" feel, which I suspect is more placebo than anything (perhaps the new pan gasket you installed in place of the old, toasted one while doing the job had more to do with the engine running stronger than before vs the manifold modification?).

Also, if anything that I mentioned was brought up in the video, I apologize. Can't be bothered to create an account to watch it at the moment, LOL.
 

dapepper9

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Hughes AirGaps have been on backorder for about as long as I can remember. If I remember it right, they aren't exactly a bolt-and-go part either, something about getting the fuel rails and throttle body stuff to fit right is finicky. Could be wrong though, it's been a while since I read into it.
Nah they’re pretty bolt and go. Otherwise about everything you’ve said is pretty spot on
 

Oldassram

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I sent a stock kegger out to Utawsome performance in Utah. I got a stage one port job . It wasn't cheap but there is more midrange power for sure. I did that because the air gap intakes are damn near impossible to find.
 

dapepper9

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I sent a stock kegger out to Utawsome performance in Utah. I got a stage one port job . It wasn't cheap but there is more midrange power for sure. I did that because the air gap intakes are damn near impossible to find.
It’s a lot of money for 8-10 numbers at the crank
 

staycool72

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Hughes AirGaps have been on backorder for about as long as I can remember. If I remember it right, they aren't exactly a bolt-and-go part either, something about getting the fuel rails and throttle body stuff to fit right is finicky. Could be wrong though, it's been a while since I read into it.

The M1 2-barrels are our engine's unicorn. I've looked around off and on for years and only ever saw one for auction. It ended up going for somewhere around $750 and I think it needed a bit of TLC.

For all practical purposes, unless you want to do a carb swap, the factory kegger is all you're gonna get. Plenty of people have done plenty of stuff to it and the end result is the same: it's a truck manifold meant to churn out plenty of torque at low RPM and that's that. It simply doesn't respond well to modifications meant to push the powerband to higher RPM. Shortening the intake runners COULD give a slight increase to mid-range power via manipulating Helmholtz resonance, or some such thing, but I've yet to see a before-after dyno chart on this. The best I've come across is "butt dyno" feel, which I suspect is more placebo than anything (perhaps the new pan gasket you installed in place of the old, toasted one while doing the job had more to do with the engine running stronger than before vs the manifold modification?).

Also, if anything that I mentioned was brought up in the video, I apologize. Can't be bothered to create an account to watch it at the moment, LOL.
The Hughes FI Air Gap intake is plug n play, installed it on my 95 Ram 1500 4x4 5.9L 360 and did not have to tune the PCM or anything, kept the factory injectors and used the 180 degree thermostat, it definitely adds more performance over the factory kegger and mileage is better as well
 

Mysfyt

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FI Airgaps are (were?) available. Got one for my 5.9 last week of June. Going to install it sometime this fall along with a cam that I have not decided on yet.
 

donaldus

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Ordered the air gap and cam from Hughes; air gap was delivered in a week, cam came a month later…anyone know a great shop in DFW area to install the cam? Truck (98 5.2 with 80K manual 4x4) runs great, needs more “oomph”!
 

dapepper9

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Ordered the air gap and cam from Hughes; air gap was delivered in a week, cam came a month later…anyone know a great shop in DFW area to install the cam? Truck (98 5.2 with 80K manual 4x4) runs great, needs more “oomph”!
Can’t recommend an installer but what are you doing for tuning it? Can’t just slap it in and go, I highly recommend contacting FRPTuning. They’re out of Houston/Katy and will get you setup with that. I very much recommend not dealing with the half-assed crap tunes you can get through Hughes
 

donaldus

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Thanks, the Ram “mapped” itself, but I will look for a tuner in my area. The engine ran very smoothly prior to the keg delete and did not use any oil, but you could hear the plenum leak. After the Hughes install the idle dropped from 1100 to 550 rpm. Finding knowledgeable mechanics is an arduous task. Surely someone on the site has a name? Went to lonestarmopars, but seems they are selling, not fixing things.
 

dapepper9

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Thanks, the Ram “mapped” itself, but I will look for a tuner in my area. The engine ran very smoothly prior to the keg delete and did not use any oil, but you could hear the plenum leak. After the Hughes install the idle dropped from 1100 to 550 rpm. Finding knowledgeable mechanics is an arduous task. Surely someone on the site has a name? Went to lonestarmopars, but seems they are selling, not fixing things.
FRP can remote tune it. The cam will need tuned whereas the manifold you can get away with not tuning.
 
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