Combustion engines are complex systems where air, fuel and a spark meet together to make an explosion but not without the help of compression. Compression is made by a moving piston inside a closed-off cylinder known as a combustion chamber.
Once the mix is made, enough force is made to move the piston down on the crankshaft. From there these moving forces are applied to the transmission and wheels through various linkages and components. More cylinders mean more power but for that, you also need more fuel and air. The latter requires an appropriate intake.
Benefits of Getting a New Intake Manifold
Sound
Inlet manifolds are what connect the throttle body to the cylinders or rather the valves that let air into the cylinders. Therefore you can definitely affect how your car’s intake sounds when you rev it up if you decide to choose from a wide selection of aftermarket intake manifolds. This can be only due to a change in the design of the plenum with the runners being the same.
Performance
If you want to get more air introduced to each cylinder then you should get an intake with larger and possibly a tad longer runners. This way more air can enter and do so in a more streamlined manner which will make bigger explosions and as you know more boom means more power.
Weight
An aftermarket intake can be made of much lighter materials like aluminium, carbon fibre or even plastic which can help get off some weight from the engine and make your car more track-oriented. Weight savings can be a determining factor and with a lighter intake as well as other engine bay components and removal of interior trim you can definitely brush off some seconds of your time.
Efficiency
With the correct plenum and runner dimensions you can definitely improve the efficiency of your engine. Not in a way that you’ll improve fuel economy, but rather in a way that you’re going to improve performance and the burning of fuel which will make other components last longer.
Appearance
If you’re a car enthusiast who wants their engine bay to look like you can eat off of it, you can get an intake that will show that. Painted inlet manifolds are becoming more popular but if you’re after a glorious design more than just a splash of colour you have that option as well.
Types of Intake Manifolds
Single Plane
Talking about intake design there are multiple to choose from with a single plane intake being the most common when it comes to high-revving engines. If you’re going to be on a circle track or go drag racing they are your best option especially if large displacement and high HP values are on your side. With a single-plane intake, you also get to raise the maximum RPM of the engine anywhere from 500 to 1,000.
Dual Plane
If you’re a true performance enthusiast then you’ll definitely be more of a fan of dual plane intakes. Dual plane intakes are made with two different plenum volumes which helps with performance, especially at lower speeds which means better acceleration and a broader torque curve, especially under 6,000 RPM. Aftermarket dual-plane intake manifolds even come with larger ports which makes them an even more suitable performance upgrade.
Tunnel Ram
With a tunnel ram intake, you get a much longer and taller variation of a single-plane engine intake manifold. What this brings is a solution that is only applicable if you’re vehicle is exclusively used for racing. That’s because tunnel rams are just a more straightforward design that sends air directly to the cylinders without beating around the bush with longer runners or a plenum that enhances sound. It basically catapults the air with no stops or whirring around which is not something you want to drive on the street.
What Matters in Intake Manifolds
Runner Length
The distance each runner needs to cover determines the amount of pressure in it as well as air delivery. Longer runners even out pressure better but they are not as performance-oriented as shorter ones. Longer runners are better for low RPM applications while shorter ones give that much-needed boost at a higher RPM.
Runner Taper
Intake runners don’t always have a taper but when they do it changes how air is introduced into the chambers. Depending on the design of the taper, it can help introduce air much quicker and generate a distinct sound too.
Compatibility
The intake you go for should also be usable with the port of the cylinder where the valve opens. If the design is not the same, not only will there be a leak but the engine can suffer immensely in terms of power and it can have other components wear out much quicker.
Throttle Body/ Carburettor Location
The design of an engine intake manifold also depends on the placement of the carburettor or throttle body as it needs to work together with it. If you want a different design than what the stock intake was you’ll need to have one custom-made in order to incorporate that of the carburettor/ throttle body.
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