edelbrock performer vs RPM

[KK6695GT]

Look at the Edelbrock web site or a catalog. The Performer is idle to 5500 and the Performer RPM is for 1500-6500. If you're not going above 5500 (and don't actually have the cam and heads to support going above 5500), then you don't need it! Buy the Performer!

"In print" materials based on scientific principles and mathematical formulas (ie not opinions) will tell you too big a carb or too big an intake will actually make your car slower and less responsive.

Seems hard to believe all these cam and intake manufacturers like to spend millions in research and development money to develop this information regarding applications just for the heck of it........

 

[69Rcode_Mach1]

RPM no contest. I have had both.

The performer is a stock intake made of aluminum basically. Also there is no lack in throttle response because the ports on the RPM aren't gigantic, and the stock stall on our cars is around 1500 which works perfectly for pickup into the powerband. On top of that, the RPM will out pull the performer on low, mid, and upper range, the only difference is the performer goes straight from idle and then falls on its face compared to an RPM. Personally I like the Weiand Xcelerator, for being a single plane it loses almost nothing down low, and pulls very hard up top.

 

[Cobain03]

heh, your comparing my 289 to your 351 thats been fixed up some.

 

[thehueypilot]

I also have had both and I did not notice that much difference between them except for physical height. The "air gap" part of it I did not notice a difference in carb temp between the two. Both would burn the #$@!* out of my hands when changing carbs at the track after a run.

 

[D.Hearne]

Another ( better in my opinion) is Edelbrock's older F4B, or it's newer version, Ford's A321. Yea, they've got unequal length runners, and the design is 40+ years old, but STILL performs as well as the RPM.

 

[ddonaca351]

Sigh.....
You already said youre going to a better gear (3.2+)... sooo:

Are you going to get heads someday?
- Then get the rpm now. Compare the dyno graphs on Edel's web site, you dont loose that much bottom end, BUT OH BABY do you gain up top.

Are you going to swap the cam?
- Then buy it now with the manifold and install it as a package. You wont be disappointed, probably 30hp over stock. (if it were 351 it would be 40+ )

Then when you put the heads on down the road, it will make another big jump, probably another 30.

OK, now that being said, if you dont want a meaty idle, if you dont ever want to tune a carb, if you dont ever see redline, then dont kid yourself... put on the performer, put a really small cam in it, and just drive it.

DD

 

[Cobain03]

so, will the rpm cam be too much for my 3 speed autp tranny at a redlight?

 

[Edbert]

Are you going to get heads someday?
- Then get the rpm now. Compare the dyno graphs on Edel's web site, you dont loose that much bottom end, BUT OH BABY do you gain up top.

I think that is the KEY here...if you are only changing the intake and are using a stock cam whatever difference there is between the two manifolds is VERY SMALL. The stock cam cannot provide enough charge for the perf-rpm to shine up top and although the low-end loss exists it also is quite small and may not show up on the seat-of-the-pants-dyno at all.

 

[HammerG26]

So - after reading the entire thread, twice - it begs to ask - which would you do first, the cam, intake, or heads? Which is the most "bang for the buck"? Hope the question is not too open ended...

 

[Alarus]

id start a savings acc. and just save up alot of money and just do it all at once, if you do the intake and cam first your gonna have to tear the intake off agin to get to the heads

 

[Edbert]

id start a savings acc. and just save up alot of money and just do it all at once, if you do the intake and cam first your gonna have to tear the intake off agin to get to the heads

Ditto. If you cannot afford to do them all at once wait until you can.

My $0.02.

 

[dennis112]

id start a savings acc. and just save up alot of money and just do it all at once, if you do the intake and cam first your gonna have to tear the intake off agin to get to the heads

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Dark Knight]

I'd do it all at once too, but if I had to, I'd do the cam 1st... changing the cam later is a bigger PITA to do than heads and intake.

 

[steel1212]

yeah, change the cam while you rebuild the motor. The heads and intake as a group. But if you can't afford the heads right now it will only be about 100$ for new gaskets lol.

 

[Cobain03]

i think im gonna go with the performer setup. im just afraid that the cam is going to be too big for my tranny setup and it will hurt me with my current heads.

 

[ddonaca351]

i think im gonna go with the performer setup. im just afraid that the cam is going to be too big for my tranny setup and it will hurt me with my current heads.

imho.... you will regret it for as long as you own the car.

Dave-

 

[steel1212]

How is he going to regret it? Its a cruiser car that sees no strip action. If he goes with the peformer cam and intake and then gets the performer heads down the road he'll have a car that he can enjoy. Now if he had a t-5 so he could get some 3.50 or bigger gears then yea, the rpm package MIGHT be a little better for him but then his power band will move up as well.

I know I put a 280H in my 311 with 79 stock heads and a performer intake with 2.89 gears. Did I notice a diffrence...yeah but it really came together with the rpm airgap, new heads and 4.11s but it DOES NOT LIKE BELOW 1500 and would rather be above 2k. But I'm shooting for something diffrent than what he is. I also have a t-5 with the 0.63 OD so I can go with the lower gears.

Now if he has plans of taking it to the track.....

 

[KK6695GT]

#1 Go to www.pawengineparts.com and get their catalog for $10.00. It's the best ten bucks you'll ever spend. Puts all the mfgs cam/intake/head specs right in front of you in black and white for comparison and "matching". Excellent prices too.

#2 Be realistic on what you're going to do with the car. You have to drive it for how long until you finally get around to actually completing your dream car? The car will only be as fast and more importantly as drivable as your weakest link. Go too big on any one item and you'll be living with that PITA drivability issue for who knows how long. Avoid the "race" mentality and be realistic about what you're going to be doing.

#3 Tri-Y headers and dual exhaust first, intake second, cam third, heads last. Yeah we'd all like to have the money to do it correct right up front the first time, but money is usually an issue! The car will always only be as good as your weakest link. If you don't have the money to do it all at once, the downside is you'll probably have to replace your intake or cam again down the road to match the heads. But, when the time comes, you can always sell the old intake or cam to a buddy or someone else to help finance your next step up. Could be next year but could also be fifteen years from now so why drive a poor running car in between....

Heads are needed for high RPMs and stroker motors with more cubic inches to support. Realistically if you're only going up to 5000 RPMS on a 289 you don't need them. Again physics and math. Sure a 426 Hemi or a 302/351 Cleveland or a BOSS 429 had huge valves and were great race motors with great bragging rights on the street, but for a street motor, their heads are too big and their intake velocities are too slow. Many a time on the street a good ole440 has outrun a Hemi or 429 Boss. Be realistic about what you want the car to do and how you will use it. Will you really ever need those big heads?

 

[ddonaca351]

sigh....

- how much time do you spend below 1500? not friggin much, and alott of that is decel to a stop.

- how much time do you spend in 2500-4500? probably the vast majority. (3spd auto and 3.2+ gears)

.... i mean Ive got 3.08s and Im above 1500 before Im across the intersection...

In 25-4500 the rpm pulls and when you want to go above that it blows the perf away.

- look at the "hi-po" 289 that people love to idolize, highrise dual plane and a decent cam.

... you already have the headers (although I would take 4-1 in a heart-beat over triY) and a 600 holley, youre already half way there.

If you just want a basic driver, then yeah get the perf stuff, but if you want something that "runs"... get the rpm.

Best of luck.
DD

 

[Edbert]

I understand what you are sating DD,and for my tastes I agree. But for a mild, reliable, economical, daily driver...the performer stuff will be an all-around improvement over a stock c-code build.