Was a Weiand X-Celerator a bad choice?

65ShelbyClone · Jul 23, 2006

I keep reading about the better dual plane intakes out there and how they really hold their own over a wide rpm range. I've started wondering if maybe my single plane X-Celerator is less than ideal for my engine. It has Edelbrocks and all, but the Crane 2031 is a torquey smog cam and according to card, tops out at 5500rpm. The pistons don't have any extra room for more cam either.

The engine runs well and has lots of power, but I'm not sure if I could improve it somewhere.

fasttback · Jul 23, 2006

IMO: X-Celerator is one of the best mainfolds out there for the street/strip application. Keep it! Just clean up the casting flaws and gasket match. This manifold will give you room to grow. I used one in the late 80's and just switched back to one recently.

Are these your cam specs:
208 / 214, .438 / .452 112 LSA

D.Hearne · Jul 24, 2006

If you don't have any dead spots in the powerband (like off idle) I don't think a dual plane will help you up top. If the power is stopping at 5500, something else is wrong. What headers you have?

gsxrken · Jul 24, 2006

I'd say you are giving up some power across the power band, and just when a single plane would begin to surpass a dual plane, your little cam signs off.

I doubt you'll have dead spots that couldn't be tuned out with the DP to get rid of them. For the $200 or so, I would get it.

FWIW, after much discussion with my custom cam grinder, I went single-plane (Victor Jr Ford Motosport intake) for my 408W in an effort to actually soften the bottom end for traction purposes but come one stronger above 5000RPM. So even this motor with AFR heads and 100 more cubes than yours would pick up power with a dual plane.

D.Hearne · Jul 24, 2006

I can't figure out what cam you have, but I don't think it's the problem with those heads. I ran a B303 roller with 1.7 rockers, the Canfield heads with the same valve sizes plus a Vic Jr , topped with a 650 DP and it would pull to 7500 on a 302 shortblock. The B cam isn't the biggest in the world, it's actually on the small side as far as hyd rollers go. Look maybe at your advance curve. That 5500 rpm cam card figure is based on stock heads, more than likely.

69gmachine · Jul 24, 2006

It's been 20 years since I had a 302, but I used the little Weiand Xcelerator on a 289 in a '67 Galaxie and a 302 in a 78 Mustang II, both used a Comp Cams 268H (which was new at the time). If I was to build a carbureted, powerful but very streetable 302-331, it would be my only choice without a doubt. It pulls hard from 2000 to around 6500, so you don't need to go crazy on the cam. It gives up very little on the bottom end to a dual plane, and has excellent mid to (streetable) upper range. Definetly not worth changing IMHO.

65ShelbyClone · Jul 24, 2006

D.Hearne said:
If you don't have any dead spots in the powerband (like off idle) I don't think a dual plane will help you up top. If the power is stopping at 5500, something else is wrong. What headers you have?

D.Hearne said:
I can't figure out what cam you have, but I don't think it's the problem with those heads. I ran a B303 roller with 1.7 rockers, the Canfield heads with the same valve sizes plus a Vic Jr , topped with a 650 DP and it would pull to 7500 on a 302 shortblock. The B cam isn't the biggest in the world, it's actually on the small side as far as hyd rollers go. Look maybe at your advance curve. That 5500 rpm cam card figure is based on stock heads, more than likely.

It actually lugs along right off idle fairly well, much better than I expected. The aluminum flywheel and 3.00 gears are certainly not doing it any favors, but I'm going to have a 3.50 T-Lok 9" in very soon. The headers are Hooker Comps. Regarding rpm, I'm embarrassed to say it, but I don't have a tach in the car yet(I hacked up my Sun tach to work on a single cylinder bike). I believe the Powermax 2031 is geared more toward E7s and GT-40s, not better heads like the Edelbrocks. That's probably where the "basic" redline is factored in like you said.

Good to know about the Weiand, though. I've been suspecting either the intake or the cam as being a slight bottleneck. Now it looks like more gains could be found in a bumpstick. The 2031 has decent lift, but not much duration. I still had to clearance my slugs for it, though.

D.Hearne · Jul 25, 2006

Still can't comment without specs, but I'm running a Ford factory F4TE hyd roller in the warmed up 5.0 in my Ranger and it pulls clear to valve float at 6000 rpms in it, and I'd bet it would pull more with better heads and/or springs (I'm reluctant to venture into that teritory with the rods in this motor, so I'll leave it be.) Specs on it are: 256/266 duration (advertised, not @.050) and lift is .445/.473 with the Cobra rockers on the ported (by me) E7TE heads. This cam is an EFI grind with a 116 degree LCA and virtually no overlap, it's got the smallest overlap factor of any Ford hyd rollers for small blocks. Works great with a carb. I don't think the cam is your problem. Try looking at the advance curve first.

65ShelbyClone · Jul 25, 2006

D.Hearne said:
Still can't comment without specs,

Click the little highlighted "Powermax 2031" link in my previous post. I should have made it more obvious since it looks like the embedded advertisemnts we got hit with a few weeks ago.

I'll check out the advance in the next day or so as I have time. I've not only been tie up with work, but about 6 to 7 other projects like my turbo Briggs.

D.Hearne · Jul 26, 2006

Ok, I see it now. That's more cam than the F4TE I have, It still should pull farther up the scale with your cubes and heads. IMO

mfp4073 · Jul 26, 2006

Mine opened up my motor. I went from a cobra style dual plane to the weiand xcellorator and gained (or uncorked) 40 hp. Car was tuned on a dyno before...and was not getting the power I was expecting. Tuned on a dyno after and WOW. Its in the high rpm range. Lost a little down low, but gained a BUNCH under the curve at a whole.

Was a Weiand X-Celerator a bad choice?

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