I am currently putting together my 64 Malibu with a 598 inch BBC with a DART tunnel ram manifold and twin 1050 dominators. I intend to use K&N filters on top of their 5" velocity stacks. The problem is that with the tall filters and 5" of velocity stack all on top of the tunnel ram, I am running up against a problem. A scoop to cover all of this is going to be somewhat taller than the 11" the rules allow.

My question is: Does anyone have any experience with velocity stacks? Is the performance gain worth the hassles. I can do a number of things, but have no experience with this. I can of course lower the stack by 4", use a shorter filter, do both, or just eliminate the scoop, and let the carbs and filter assembly stick out of the hood. (the car looks like "Thomas the tank engine" without a scoop.

Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Ken Gasbarri

Ken, over the years I've tried running velocity stacks and "air straighteners" on lots of different engine combos. They NEVER showed ANY performance gain on ANYTHING I've had. That may be just my stuff, I don't know.

The main thing of importance I've found is that you need as much clearance as you can get between the carb and air cleaner lid or carb and hood. Just run it without filters, run the scoop and maybe experiment with air diverters 'glassed into the inside of the scoop opening.

Randy

Randy;

Thanks for the thoughts. I haven't quite made up my mind, or what's left of it on this one yet.

There are a number of issues I need to consider. The rule states: "The opening can not exceed 11" above the original hood surface. The hood in question is a 4" cowl glass hood. The new scoop opening is 12" above the front of the cowl. If it was a flat hood, it would be about 14", maybe 15". One inch, I can deal with. I can take a section out of the middle of the scoop and glass it back together. I have two inches to play with.

The height of the filters/stacks is secondary, and almost not an issue right now. The reason for the scoop in the first place is to isolate the intake air from the engine compartment. With the tunnel ram intake, the 1050 dominators sitting on top sideways, and of course the linkage, I don't have many options on how to mount the present scoop to the present hood.

To lower the opening more than two inches, I would need a different hood, and another scoop. Time, cost, and stuborn "old fart attitude" suggest that a new hood and scoop will not happen this season.

I have the scoop glassed in, and just about finished, so plan "B" is to leave the scoop off when I take the car through tech. If someone should take exception while I am in the staging lanes, or on track, I will use my best "look of astonishment", and say something like, "well, that's what you get for buying a cheap tape measure." I didn't have any intention of painting the hood this season and am willing to run without a hood if I need to. But, if I get a little lucky, I will get enough passes in to know what I want on top of the carbs. What that will do for my scoop problem, I don't know. Maybe, I will just let the filters/stacks stick up through the hood and settle for looking like "Thomas the Tank Engine" going down the track.

Well, thanks for listening to me ramble on. (Bad habit I have.)

Ken Gasbarri

The Thomas look is OK! graemlins/thumbsup.gif