340 tunnel ram

-
340 8BBL

340 8BBL

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 19, 2009
Messages
699
Reaction score
17
Location
in the woods
any body run an old eddy street tunnel ram on a smallblock?i was wondering if this can be a streetable set up? 70 dart ,10:1 340,j heads ,roller rockers,crower beast cam,2200 stall,390 gears,hooker headers.this is my current combo.i want to go to a more aggresive cam and possibly run the tunnel ram,however ive never used on before and need advice on how to set it up. thanks -wade
 
Running a tunnel ram on the street for anything other than looks is a waste of time.

With that said.... Welcome! Nice to have you here!

Back to your post..... If you want the look, we do have people here running them. Give them time to reply and they should be able to point you in the right direction.

If you want to run one for power.... You will be better off with a conventional single 4 bbl set up.
 
Sure it can be done.......

But.... I still feel its a waste of time for anything other than looks.

No tunnel ram set up will ever beat the simplicity, consistency, and reliability of a conventional single 4 bbl set up.
 
i agree that a single four bbl is the way to go when it comes down to street performance(currently running an x-cellerator with turtle welded in the plenum).but i recently picked up an old eddy street tunnel ram(supposedly the reduced plenum volume and long narrow runners make it more streetable than most tunnel rams) and it came with dual 450 holley carbs.im not normally one to do things just for looks,but this may be the exception to the rule . im willing to go through the tuning process if it will work and i dont have to give up too much low end over my current set up. anyway thanks . happy for any advice and pointers i may receive.
 
i wont get into the argument over t-ram or not...

ok i might....

my BEST incrementals with a ported out stock 4 bbl and a holley 780 cfm vac sec was :
1.86 60'
13.20 @102

My BEST with the 2 holley 390's and eddy street-ram was
1.74 60'
12.56 et
108 mph - the 12.56 and the 108 were at different runs... i generally run 105-106 in the norm

i get 16 mpg with the 2-390 holleys

I RAN the 450's before - they have no secondary pump shot and are a mechanical seconday - i had a bog I could not get rid of

only thing i ever did with my 390's was to put a lighter spring in the vac secondaries and add these : they have a tube that makes both open at the same time.
large20-73.jpg


holley part number - 20-73

the lokar cables made kickdon and throttle control easy !

DSCN4396.jpg


other side
DSCN4394.jpg


For anyone saying they are a waste of time and they dont run and this and that - they have not run them - thats for sure - the t-ram just keeps pulling! AND - i could never get a dual plane and single 4 to 60' even close... so it having no balls down low is a myth as well.....

I have had it on there over 5 years and have about 9000 street and strip miles on it - no problems - i cover the scoop with a shower cap when it rains and keep driving!

I run a mopar 474 lift cam p4459229 small valve heads ( 1978 stock castings ) and a dynmamic 3800 stall 9.5" converter - 3.23 gears out back and 26" tall tires.
 
1968FormulaS340 said:
Running a tunnel ram on the street for anything other than looks is a waste of time.


If you want to run one for power.... You will be better off with a conventional single 4 bbl set up.
Click to expand...

I'll disagree on this one too. I don't think its a waste of time if it works well. I just put on on my 440 in my 66 Coronet. It'll go sideways with a light stab at the pedal, just using the primaries. Low speed operation is great and has more of a mid to upper train like torque curve. It starts better because the carbs are cooler now. With the electric choke it starts flawlessly. I drove it all weekend in town, freeway whatever. Its a 9.4 to 1 440, self ported stock valve size heads, 228-232@050 524-540 Hughes cam. Stock 1970 383 converter and 3.23's. I know lower gearing would help with the 60ft times. I'm going to the strip next Wednesday to test it out if I get my hood on by then.

t-ram.jpg
 
those are both nice set ups, id agree with some tuning they can run all day and be fast, i always wanted to try 2 4412s holley 500 2 barrels, it would equal to a 4 barrel but on a tunnel ram
 
i installed the t-ram and it works great.however i will be honest i did lose a small amount of torque.but it idles and starts great,and still roasts the tires easily.i think my combo would work better if i had a little more stall and a cam with a quicker lobe profile .(soon to be upgraded).and i want to thank djvcuda and babyblue66 for all the help.
 
glad to hear you tried the tunnelram! ones you get it set up right and with the right converter there will be no turning back!
have run one and have a friend who also has a tunnelram and they truly rock
 
SpeedThrills said:
With respect to everyone's idea's..... If a tunnel ram were better, why doesn't everyone have one?
Click to expand...

i can only see three reasons

1 it takes a good motor that can and will be able to use it, not a stock -75 318.. it needs to be built to take advantage of it

2 the law, yep the law around here doesnt realy like the fact that someone can get hurt by some kind of sharp edges and stuff if you run into them with your car (WTF)

3 way to many people that have never tried one that says they dont work because there uncles litlebrothers wifes exhusbands grandfathers friend from highschools teachers said it didnt work on his motor (back to point 1 the 75 318 being all stock)

ok 4 it does cost more money but hey where playing with cars and thats gonna cost nomather what


reason i wont use mine for now is that i have a lysholm twinscrew blower just waiting for my shortblock to be done :)
 
duster340 said:
ever tried one? and then in wich way was the t ram worse? was it a good and proper setup?
not arguing just looking for facts :)
Click to expand...

My reply was to this question in post #12...

"With respect to everyone's idea's..... If a tunnel ram were better, why doesn't everyone have one?"

I don't need to have ran one... Other posts show that they can be made to run well.

But I stand behind my statement.

Most cars are street cars. You can't beat the simplicity and effectiveness if a single carb set up on duel or single plane manifold on a street car.

A a single carb set up on duel or single plane manifold is easy to set up, maintain, fits under a closed hood, and can deliver equal power......... This is why so few run a tunnel ram.
 
1968FormulaS340 said:
My reply was to this question in post #12...

"With respect to everyone's idea's..... If a tunnel ram were better, why doesn't everyone have one?"

I don't need to have ran one... Other posts show that they can be made to run well.

But I stand behind my statement.

Most cars are street cars. You can't beat the simplicity and effectiveness if a single carb set up on duel or single plane manifold on a street car.

A a single carb set up on duel or single plane manifold is easy to set up, maintain, fits under a closed hood, and can deliver equal power......... This is why so few run a tunnel ram.
Click to expand...
even though im not going to change it back to the single four bbl,i respect your point of veiw.but i must say i was very happy with how well mine works.for the average street car i would probably stick with a single 4.and i dont recomend trying it on a stock engine...
 
"Holleys are better!"

"Edelbrocks are better!"

"Holleys are better!"

"Edelbrocks are better!"

"Holleys are better!"

"Edelbrocks are better!"


:toothy10:It's the same argument and no one will ever win! :toothy10:
 
I always thought that a TR was for hi rpm operation and that doesn't happen on the street. Even most race cars don't have enough motor to sustain one (apparently) or they would have them. That's why Pro Stockers have them as did the old Modified Production cars and Gassers. The 70's Pro Stock guys used to reduce the size of the plenum, cuz it was too big even for them. Fuel atomization at low speed is poor because of the large internal volume.
Also, I grew up believing you should be able to back up the equipment you're running. I yam an oll drag racer...
 
SpeedThrills said:
With respect to everyone's idea's..... If a tunnel ram were better, why doesn't everyone have one?
Click to expand...

Not everyone want to get 2 carbs, buy or make linkage, tune them correctly, cut their hood, or has enough engine to take advantage of one.

My car does pull harder and rev more than it did. I can feel the difference. But I mostly installed it for fun. I had dual quads already that worked great on the low dual plane, and had the intake. I agree a single four is simpler, fits under the hood, and would have better off idle transfer. But for what it is, I feel it works really well. And it looks cool!

I'm not saying its better, each intake setup has advantages.
 
Babyblue66 said:
Not everyone want to get 2 carbs, buy or make linkage, tune them correctly, cut their hood, or has enough engine to take advantage of one.

My car does pull harder and rev more than it did. I can feel the difference. But I mostly installed it for fun. I had dual quads already that worked great on the low dual plane, and had the intake. I agree a single four is simpler, fits under the hood, and would have better off idle transfer. But for what it is, I feel it works really well. And it looks cool!

I'm not saying its better, each intake setup has advantages.
Click to expand...

I think you nailed it: It LOOKS COOL! Personal preference. If I had a TR, I would expect that SOB to run like a SOB! If you believe Billy Crystal--- "It's better to look mavaless than to feel (run) mavaless", then, go for it! (Cuz with that big manifold and all those barrels opening, it ain't gonna run like a four barrel. -low end torque-street usable.)
 
LOL, this topic brings back a memory of a demented time. :D
Back in about '93-'94, I had occasion to acquire a 440 tunnel ram and had a nice working pair of Thermoquads, so I stuck it on a stock cammed, stock springed 440, yeah, it had a very narrow useful torque curve, imagine that.
But the giggle part of it?

It was attached to a 440 in a green and woodgrain '71 Chrysler T&C Wagon!!!

To say that it got noticed was an understatement.:lol:

Mark.
 
I too asked this question a while ago. For me wanting to go tunnel ram is purely LOOKS. To say they cant be run on the street is BS. Proper tuning and proper carbs do this for you. Im going Weiand D port with 2 600 VS Holleys atop a 440. I posted a pick of the intake and carb set up. GL with it.

ram.jpg
 
SpeedThrills said:
If I had a TR, I would expect that SOB to run like a SOB!
Click to expand...

It does!

SpeedThrills said:
(Cuz with that big manifold and all those barrels opening, it ain't gonna run like a four barrel. -low end torque-street usable.)
Click to expand...

It runs fine and has tons of low end torque. Sure if I had a massive cam in there I'd lose low end, but that usually happens with having a lot of duration. I can see a small block being more sensitive to a tunnel ram, needing more stall and gearing. But it really does run well on my 440. The low speed torque is very strong on this setup. I've had a single four on hear and the dual quads on a dual plane CH28 Edelbrock manifold. It makes more power, with very little change down low. I run 3.23's an 28inch tires, it shreds the rear tires at will. I am surprised by this. I know if I had more duration I would need more stall and lower gearing. Also I drove to Minneapolis Saturday, about 80 miles on the freeway and got around 15 mpg! This was at 75 mph. I'm not trying to start an argument, I just think they are a lot more streetable than people think and assume.
 
Babyblue66 said:
It does!



It runs fine and has tons of low end torque. Sure if I had a massive cam in there I'd lose low end, but that usually happens with having a lot of duration. I can see a small block being more sensitive to a tunnel ram, needing more stall and gearing. But it really does run well on my 440. The low speed torque is very strong on this setup. I've had a single four on hear and the dual quads on a dual plane CH28 Edelbrock manifold. It makes more power, with very little change down low. I run 3.23's an 28inch tires, it shreds the rear tires at will. I am surprised by this. I know if I had more duration I would need more stall and lower gearing. Also I drove to Minneapolis Saturday, about 80 miles on the freeway and got around 15 mpg! This was at 75 mph. I'm not trying to start an argument, I just think they are a lot more streetable than people think and assume.
Click to expand...
not as sensitive on a small block as one would think.ive had a little time for tuning now and it works great.throttle response is is sharp.i have choke less 450 holleys and it starts an runs no problem.runs on the highway at 65 with a very light throttle,top end is outstanding.no disrespect toward anyones opinion,but it undeniably runs as good as it looks on my set up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top