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Old 03-05-2021, 09:35 PM
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Default Tripower with ported aluminum heads?

I’ve been doing research on dropping a set of aluminum heads in with a hr. Figured I would shoot for porting at 290 or so. Plan was to continue to use the tripower and factory intake. I know not best way to make power but tripower just looks too cool. Talked with the butler guys today and they said I can’t do any porting on an ehead as the intake ports are too small and will be gobbled up the head ports. I have no reason to doubt them, but my question is- so this means their are no tripowers on the road with ported alu heads? Any options/ideas to retain tripower and have ported alu heads?

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Old 03-05-2021, 09:49 PM
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I believe slowbird's father has a Tri-Power set-up on a engine of large size and good heads.
Not sure if the heads are aluminum. Some of the track times posted were pretty good with the modified Rochester 2-BBL carbs.

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Old 03-05-2021, 10:41 PM
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Usually the hot set up is to use the reproduction aluminum tri-power manifold for higher horsepower builds.

Slowbird's father is making around 750 horsepower with E-heads and a tri-power. I'm sure he'll chime in.

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Old 03-05-2021, 10:50 PM
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They are 100% right on the porting work as any of the factory iron intakes even when ported can not really keep up with a out of the box round port E head or the speed master heads out of the box either!
Will such a set up not power you ask?
It will make power even with out of the box heads but amount of power and the power band will just not be what it could be and porting the heads only makes this issue worse!

The reason for the narrow power band that will result is the change in port area , and this change in area is happening the wrong way as the flow progressed from the intake Plenum on into the head , as the expansion rate that’s needed is the wrong way!

In my poorly drawn example number 1 is drawn as the expansion rate ideally should be, and number 2 is drawn to show what you will be having take place,

If your in need of the Eye candy of having a tripower under the hood that’s your decision and is perfectly fine , but you will be squandering away a good bit of power and a nice wide power band that you could otherwise be having!
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Old 03-05-2021, 10:55 PM
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Thanks guys. I’ve seen that aluminum tripower intake on several sites like Ames, and such, but thought it was pretty much an exact replica of the iron stock one I have now - so would have the same port size issue.

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Old 03-05-2021, 11:00 PM
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I hear u steve. I’m just looking for 12’s one day. It’s a convertible and I’m not putting a roll bar in it. ��.

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Old 03-05-2021, 11:05 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MidnightAuto View Post
Thanks guys. I’ve seen that aluminum tripower intake on several sites like Ames, and such, but thought it was pretty much an exact replica of the iron stock one I have now - so would have the same port size issue.
Not sure I am understanding the issue? If I understood your original post you are willing to sacrifice some power to keep a tri-power on the engine. The tri-power will fully function on a properly set up aluminum head.

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Old 03-05-2021, 11:06 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MidnightAuto View Post
I hear u steve. I’m just looking for 12’s one day. It’s a convertible and I’m not putting a roll bar in it. ��.
Oh poop 12's can be easily accomplished with iron heads and a factory tri-power. You won't even need the big center carb.

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Old 03-05-2021, 11:13 PM
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This is how the complete intake tract should be when drawn out in a linear fashion to maximize the power output.
The intake plenum would be on the right side .
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Last edited by steve25; 03-05-2021 at 11:21 PM.
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Old 03-05-2021, 11:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by steve25 View Post
This is how things should be to maximize the power output.
The intake plenum would be on the right side .
That is nice and all, but not necessary to run twelves with a tri-power.

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Old 03-05-2021, 11:23 PM
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Just fwiw, our 69 GrandPrix (4300lbs) with 60 over 389, port iron heads, hft cam, 65 tri-power ran 12.5s and that's after towing our 65 GTO 200miles to and from the track. So i think tri-powers do ok on power.
We've also done more back to back intake testing with tri-power than most and yet the tri-power remains on the car. So......
Also all tri-powers can be port match to RAIV size gaskets no real reason to go bigger than that for a mild street build. If your porter can't get 290+cfm from aftermarket heads with port size then look for another porter.

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Old 03-05-2021, 11:27 PM
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Ha. I hope so Paul and I do have the big center carb. I suppose in the back of my mind getting alu heads could also be investment on the next engine as well. Probably not worth investing in any port work to my current 77 heads. Next engine probably not a tripower either. But for now, eye candy and kinda quick for street is the desired result.

So I could keep stock intake, use out of box eheads no porting and nice hr cam. Or it sounds like their could be an option to get aluminum intake,port it to match some amount of porting on eheads for another bump in power. I think those are the options I am hearing?

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Old 03-05-2021, 11:35 PM
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Thanks for the feedback slowbird. Very helpfull and inspiring that there is hope! More to come on how this all turns out. So port match intake to a raiv gasket. Got it. And sorry for being numb, but that means eheads match up to the raiv gasket too, I think. I believe they were modeled after the raiv?

I need winter to end so I can get a good baseline at the track and then spend some money on toys...

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Old 03-05-2021, 11:42 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MidnightAuto View Post
Ha. I hope so Paul and I do have the big center carb. I suppose in the back of my mind getting alu heads could also be investment on the next engine as well. Probably not worth investing in any port work to my current 77 heads. Next engine probably not a tripower either. But for now, eye candy and kinda quick for street is the desired result.

So I could keep stock intake, use out of box eheads no porting and nice hr cam. Or it sounds like their could be an option to get aluminum intake,port it to match some amount of porting on eheads for another bump in power. I think those are the options I am hearing?
^^^ all the above^^^ It's mostly about how much money and effort you want to spend. Worst investment would probably be porting your 77's. Stock type Edelbrock heads would work well with your iron manifold. Run it for a while and then when you want to up the power have the heads worked and go with a better manifold. I'm also not sold on the HR set up, especially in the 400-500 up range.

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Old 03-05-2021, 11:44 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slowbird View Post

If your porter can't get 290+cfm from aftermarket heads with port size then look for another porter.

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Old 03-05-2021, 11:46 PM
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Just another example, I had a 1969 Grand Prix Also...one of my favorite cars ever, had a 428, ported 62 D-ports. An unported '66 Tri power.
292 hydraulic cam . ran a best of 12.30 in the 1/4.

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Old 03-05-2021, 11:47 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MidnightAuto View Post
Thanks for the feedback slowbird. Very helpfull and inspiring that there is hope! More to come on how this all turns out. So port match intake to a raiv gasket. Got it. And sorry for being numb, but that means eheads match up to the raiv gasket too, I think. I believe they were modeled after the raiv?

I need winter to end so I can get a good baseline at the track and then spend some money on toys...
E-head round ports come matched to raiv gasket already, i think edelbrock d-ports are stock intake size though. So open up the tri-power (either iron or alum) to match. Preferably have it done by a good head porter (like Paul K) that will open the runners up in the tri-power as far as possible. Then have the heads bowls, short turns probably ports and valve job checked by a good porter. With all that done using a decent cam match with a decent car setup you'll be in the 11s easily

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Old 03-06-2021, 12:20 AM
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Cool. Thanks again guys....eheads are actually on hold till April with edelbrock moving. No inventory at butler. So going to call kre on monday

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Old 03-06-2021, 04:25 AM
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This is mostly an apples to oranges comparison, but will post it anyway. A few years ago one of our club members had me build a 455 for him for his '65 GTO convertible and I port matched an aftermarket Tri-Power manifold to his Kaufman 290 CFM heads. I thought the combo ran very good, but for reasons unknown he wanted to go back to a single carb so I port matched an RPM with a Holley 850, and the Tri-Power went up on the shelf. The Tri-Power and the RPM dyno'd a little less than eight horsepower apart with the RPM inching out the lead. Considering there was a large time span between sessions I'd call it an even push.
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Old 03-06-2021, 06:43 AM
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Thanks lust. Seems totally relevant. I’ve got a performer intake on the shelf and this additionally confirms it’s going to stay there. I’d trade 8 horsepower for tripower bling everyday of the week.

Now if they only made a carb hat for a tripower that a supercharger or turbo could hook up to, I’d be all set for life. And yes, I have seen omt nitrous set up on his tripower...nothing out of the box from any vendor. Some might call it tripower discrimination. ��

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