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Intake manifold swap?


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The LT Gen V small block intakes and ports are LS3/L92 inspired/derived so rectangular/square port if you will. There are just some bolts that carried over from the LS engines, otherwise very different beasts from them.

Edited by 15HDriver
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Dang!

 

It's for the best. That manifold would have killed your low and mid range torque. It's likely you'd run into the stock rev limiter before seeing any gains from that manifold.

 

If you want a better manifold, the MSD is a good upgrade, but even its biggest gains come at high RPM (but it won't kill the low RPM torque the way that Ebay manifold would).

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It's for the best. That manifold would have killed your low and mid range torque. It's likely you'd run into the stock rev limiter before seeing any gains from that manifold.

 

If you want a better manifold, the MSD is a good upgrade, but even its biggest gains come at high RPM (but it won't kill the low RPM torque the way that Ebay manifold would).

 

So you are Saying a supercharger it and call it a day!

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  • 2 weeks later...

If you have an L83 (5.3L) you can swap the L86 (6.2L) intake manifold and put an LT1 throttle body on. about $250 in parts and couple hours in labor. Fairly cheap and when tuned will pick up about 25-30hp... You can also swap the LT1 intake manifold and throttle body to an L*3 but it requires a new belt and pulley due to the throttle body angle on that manifold. both options are around $250 and some labor time and will gain about the same hp. tq will be gained more on the L*6 vs LT1.

 

The last option is the MSD Atomic Intake manifold and an lt1 throttle body. Again will require new belt and different pulley but will net maybe 5-10 horsepower more with tuune but lose on the low end side and cost you over $1k.

 

Hope that helps.

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It's for the best. That manifold would have killed your low and mid range torque. It's likely you'd run into the stock rev limiter before seeing any gains from that manifold.

 

If you want a better manifold, the MSD is a good upgrade, but even its biggest gains come at high RPM (but it won't kill the low RPM torque the way that Ebay manifold would).

 

Your comment reminded me a video I watched on discussing LS engines with Tom Nelson from Nelson Racing Engines. Here is the link to where he gives his thoughts on the factory intake vs aftermarket (Jump to 12:10):

 

 

 

Even though they are discussing LS engines I'm sure the theory would apply to the new LT Gen 5 engines.

Edited by gone_fishing
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If you have an L83 (5.3L) you can swap the L86 (6.2L) intake manifold and put an LT1 throttle body on. about $250 in parts and couple hours in labor. Fairly cheap and when tuned will pick up about 25-30hp... You can also swap the LT1 intake manifold and throttle body to an L*3 but it requires a new belt and pulley due to the throttle body angle on that manifold. both options are around $250 and some labor time and will gain about the same hp. tq will be gained more on the L*6 vs LT1.

 

That is not true, the lt1 intake will make considerably more power than the l86 intake.

 

Msd intake makes considerably more power than lt1.

 

L86 to lt1: 15-25hp gain

Lt1 fo msd : 15-25hp gain

 

The dynos don't show much torque loss, but they also don't normally show torque at 1000rpm. That's important to us in our trucks. I have to suspect that you'd be losing some low end torque somewhere. Because it doesn't show much loss on dyno's I've seen, I'm guessing it's at the very low end, which would still effect driveability.

 

I mean everybody knows long runners sacrifice hp for low end torque. You have to lose something down low.

Edited by truckguy82
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have you tested this theory? From my understanding on the trucks especially the l83 when swapping the intake manifolds going from an lt1 to the msd does not increases hp considerably... and the lt1 intake doesn't make considerably more than the l86... I've seen a few people say the l86 intake mani will pick up about 25hp tuned and maybe another 10hp tuned for the lt1 intake mani. But the msd intake mani on the trucks doesn't show any significant gains over the lt1... yes l86 to lt1 will pick up a few more ponies is it worth losing on the low end? Imo no unless of course you're going full race build in which case then yes all available hp is wanted regardless of $$$ and if it loses some tq no big deal.

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have you tested this theory? From my understanding on the trucks especially the l83 when swapping the intake manifolds going from an lt1 to the msd does not increases hp considerably... and the lt1 intake doesn't make considerably more than the l86... I've seen a few people say the l86 intake mani will pick up about 25hp tuned and maybe another 10hp tuned for the lt1 intake mani. But the msd intake mani on the trucks doesn't show any significant gains over the lt1... yes l86 to lt1 will pick up a few more ponies is it worth losing on the low end? Imo no unless of course you're going full race build in which case then yes all available hp is wanted regardless of $$$ and if it loses some tq no big deal.

Well the l86 is the same motor as the corvette lt1

 

L86 picks up about 20-25 hp with the lt1 intake

Vettes - pick up about 20-25 hp with the msd intake over stock

 

Considering there is big gains going from l86 to lt1 intakes, I can only conclude that the l86 intake stinks for max hp.

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If you expect that much you'll be disappointed. The L86 manifold is better than people (including myself) gave it credit for. The natural tendency is to think that the 35-40 HP the Vette and Camaro have over the L86 is all due to the manifold. It's not. Both of them have dual exhausts with much freer flowing mufflers and according to the data I have seen the air intakes are much freer flowing than the trucks'.

 

So, 1/2 or more of the HP comes from those items--it's like they have a CAI and a catback already. The L86 intake doesn't cost much power until you get pretty high in the RPM range.

 

In evaluating all three, I concluded the truck intake (L86) is easily the best truck intake. The LT1 intake will beat the truck intake at high RPM and it's dirt cheap. So if you actually do go to the track and race, especially if you have a cam and shift at 6500+ RPM there are gains to be had, especially with an 8-Speed, and it's dirt cheap.

 

The MSD is easily the best all around (for a car) intake and will blow away the other two racing. It'll work fine on a truck too, but there is an area in the low-mid RPM where the truck intake makes more torque, so if you want the absolute best for towing the L86 manifold will be able to hold 3rd gear better without having to downshift into second, for example with a 6-speed. Other than that the manifold rocks--and gives HUGE gains at high RPM so anybody doing a cam and getting rid of the AFM lifters absolutely should do it. You'll still see gains on a stock engine (if you shift it high enough), especially with the 8-speed, but it really sings when you rev it.

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If you expect that much you'll be disappointed. The L86 manifold is better than people (including myself) gave it credit for. The natural tendency is to think that the 35-40 HP the Vette and Camaro have over the L86 is all due to the manifold. It's not. Both of them have dual exhausts with much freer flowing mufflers and according to the data I have seen the air intakes are much freer flowing than the trucks'.

 

So, 1/2 or more of the HP comes from those items--it's like they have a CAI and a catback already. The L86 intake doesn't cost much power until you get pretty high in the RPM range.

 

In evaluating all three, I concluded the truck intake (L86) is easily the best truck intake. The LT1 intake will beat the truck intake at high RPM and it's dirt cheap. So if you actually do go to the track and race, especially if you have a cam and shift at 6500+ RPM there are gains to be had, especially with an 8-Speed, and it's dirt cheap.

 

The MSD is easily the best all around (for a car) intake and will blow away the other two racing. It'll work fine on a truck too, but there is an area in the low-mid RPM where the truck intake makes more torque, so if you want the absolute best for towing the L86 manifold will be able to hold 3rd gear better without having to downshift into second, for example with a 6-speed. Other than that the manifold rocks--and gives HUGE gains at high RPM so anybody doing a cam and getting rid of the AFM lifters absolutely should do it. You'll still see gains on a stock engine (if you shift it high enough), especially with the 8-speed, but it really sings when you rev it.

I think you just made that all up

 

Nobody thinks that the difference between the lt1 and l86 is just in the intake manifold. We think it's the intake AND exhaust manifold.

 

I will eat my words if you post up your "data" showing the primary hp difference between the two engines is before the intake manifold and after the exhaust manifold, just as you stated.

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