OK - so here's a little history:

I used to be NA - as many of you know - toward my end of NA'ness, I switched from MD MREV+ and 1/2" spacer to the SSV intake plenum. As built as the car was at that time, it was a good choice - as top end really benefited most. I also figured, if I went FI, I'd have 'the solution' already in place.

WELL - I've been Vorteched for about 6 weeks now. Have been able to tune the hell out of the car with the 3.33 pulley, but only with about 5-5.5lbs of boost. After checking everything over and over again, there was no culprit. the car was putting out 400HP and 324TQ, but I STILL wanted a few more pound of boost - after all, it was supposed to put out 8-9lbs. I also know that with my efficiency mods, I would loose 1 - 1.5 lbs of boost - just not 4-5lbs.

SO - I decided to change the manifold back to the MD and tested everything out - there was no boost change and actually slightly lower performance...so I put the SSV back on.

A few weeks later - we put on the 3.12 pulley. I easily expected 1.5 - 2 lbs of boost increase - what did I get....MAYBE a 1/2lb. So I checked all the vacuum lines, hoses (even changed all the clamps to t-bolt style), even pressure tested the gauge to make sure it was good...but still no additional pressure. I felt a power change - but not as much as I expected, and no boost change.

So with this is mind - I decided to change back the MD 1/2" spacer. We checked and tested the MREV+ and stock lower plenum as well. As soon as the stock plenum went back on - BINGO - 7lbs of boost! After tuning and testing, only to 5500RPM (I'll explain this in a sec) and the car gains 44 HP and about 32lbs. of TQ over the SSV!

So here's the thing with the 5500RPM's - I have a fuel delivery issue. It seems as though the in-line pump is not working properly, as when it was being dyno'd, the car went lean at about 5700RPM. So I'm now in process of troubleshooting that.

With all of this said - the car is tuned to basically be efficient to 5500RPM - giving me about 1700RPM left to make power and tune for.

I estimate that I would make another 1.5lbs of boost, carrying me to the 8.5-9 mark, while gaining an additional 30-40HP and 20lbs of TQ.

What I have deduced from the experiment and success - is that the SSV is only effective for FI to a point - about 5lbs of boost, maybe even less. The SSV was the best for ME for NA purposes of high HP readings vs. low-end TQ gains.

The MD product line is effective to AT LEAST 9lbs or so...likely more. It works excellently for both NA and especially FI.

For those of you that really know me - I don't make recommendations lightly and put my reputation out there for just anything...and this time I have to say with the utmost certainty, the Motordyne products are THE BEST OF BREED when it comes intake plenum modification options. There SHOULD be no other choice out there.

For those that do not know me - I have also tested the APS tallboy, Crawford and Kinetix V5's as well...none of them stand up to the results I have gotten from Motordyne! I will post Dyno's after I fix the fuel delivery issue and do the final tune within the next week.

So - TONY - man...you rock! Thanks for being and offering best of breed products!!

Rick

 

Thanks for that. There's a thread about the SSV going around and i keep trying to tell people that its not worth the money over the MD products which will actually gain some raw power. Thank you very much for clearing it all up. +1 for MD, i have the spacer and love it.
-GP-

 

so you're pretty sure the ECU didn't go lean or adjust timing to account for that 44hp and 32 lbs of torque?

and I'm curious how your vortech setup is capable of making 20 lbs of torque more towards redline than at 5500 rpms by your estimates that you mentioned. On my car, peak torque happens at around 4500 rpms and then it more or less stays there until about 6300 rpms then starts to drop. And I have cams, headers, HF cats, exhaust, ported TB, CAI, ECU flash, etc


what I like about the SSV is I can easily see behind and under the manifold unlike the other ones.
10 lbs lighter from the top of the engine
can use stock strut bar
looks cool
less likely to leak since it doesn't use 1 or two gaskets
quick to remove

 

The ECU did not go lean - it was being tuned and as it was made richer and richer, and didn't change at that RPM range - timing was also played with. Nothing else could get in the way other than fuel flow/pressure. I'll know more in the next days as I test the fuel system.

My torque curves keep climbing with the HP. I posted the original dyno at my 'FI'd Beast gets Dyno'd' thread - you can see it there. Why mine would make more TQ than yours, etc...other than it being at AT vs. your MT - perhaps my mods, etc in comparison??? Also - as stated - those additional numbers are estimated - I'll know facts,likely, next week when I re-tune.

The thing I really disliked about the SSV was that it completely covered the tranny dipstick...almosts showing the SSV was designed for and ON an MT...perhaps that's why it doesn't work so well at all on my AT???

I don't know - but we'll all find out sooner or later...and with me...likely sooner.

Rick

P.S. the thing I liked most about the SSV was it's bling factor....

 

ISMSOLUTIONS, so you are running the MREV, MD 1/2 inch plenum spacer and the stock upper plenum?

Very interesting findings.

 

Did you ever dyno test it between stock plenum and spacer vs. just stock plenum and no spacer?

 

yes...






Just kidding...spacer rules all...

 

1/2" space and stock lower now...I had the MREV+, but since going FI, with my other mods, the stock lower has proven best for me.

Rick

 

I know this is old and a bit off topic but what results did you have with the APS plenum vs the MD spacer?

 

Something wasnt right. I had the SSV and the stock Vortech pulley and was able to get 8lbs boost and 400hp and 370tq.

 

OK - whats the rest of your build? The better a car breathes, the less boost it will hold and the engine is that much more efficient to handle the pressure it is getting. I have no problem with less boost and more HP - it's safer, considering how lean I am running at the moment.

Rick

 

Headers, Crawford cats, SSV, Greddy evo exhaust. This is my old setup. Im now TT'ed

 

Spacer? At or MT?

Rick

 

SSV manifold and MT.

 

SSV, duh, sorry

MT's get more boost than AT's - I'm AT, with lower boost and high WHP...then again more work done on the car as well...

Rick