i've tried 4 different inlet manifolds and tuned for each one. here's what I found:
the factory 2.2 manifold then I tried the Hahn Racecraft turbo manifold:
not only did the surgetank style manifold prove detrimental to all motor performance, this also didn't provide a vent hole for the pcv, so after blowing oil smoke out of the breather i decided to switch back to stock but the damage to the rings had already been done. this manifold has no velocity stacks inside, so it made me rev out to 7900-8000rpm and really just didn't move very well.
I then switched to the saab 9-3 intake manifold:
it seemed like a better design, and since its cast aluminum you could port it.. but again, it proved to actually hurt performance.
I switched back to stock... I then discovered the 2.4 inlet mani which had just come out at the time and is the manifold I'm still running currently.
After I've had my fun with this one, I'm going to be running 4 55mm throttles from kinsler injection. I'm very anxious to try this out... 8)
I won't be running the external injectors, however.
my mods at the time of my low 14 passes:
-short ram intake
-LZM triflow cams (very VERY mild profile)
-Patriot Stage 2 ported head +1mm oversized stainless valves
-4-2-1 header 2.5" collector flared to 3" exhaust
-440cc injectors
-solid upper and lower engine mounts
-poly trans mounts
-fidanza lightweight flywheel
-SPEC stage 3 clutch
-B&M short throw shifter
-Gravana Tuning Powergrip coilovers
-BFGoodrich G-force drag radials 235 50r15
-factory ignition
-factory intake manifold
-factory bottom end
-factory differential (non-LSD)
-factory fuel pressure regulator
-HPTuners tuning software tuned by myself
-innovate motorsports LC-1 wideband kit
mild ignition advance, knock retard turned off, roughly 12:1 air fuel (oops.. messed up the tune but it ran pretty good)
shifting at 7500rpm, launching at 4500rpm
the red box you see in the pictures is my MSD 6212 ignition box. its mostly based on boosted cars but I liked it for the 2 step integration and i figured out how to make it actually advance my ignition past my ecu's limit of 7000rpm.
basically, I wanted more and more advance but the table on my factory ecu stops at 7000 after which its just kind drool.gif
so using HPT (a kind of reflasher program) I advanced the hell out of my ignition maps, then used the MSD box to retard it back to normal.. then from there slowly released the final value to act as a sort of 'faux' advance. never really got to test it since the rings were fubar.
