New BBM Tunnel Wedge arrived today.

[Drew Pojedinec]

Can the airflow be cheated/sped up with small carbs? 450 cfm maybe? How do you get a manifold like this to idle at 800-900?

Buy a gallon of splashzone



Seems like the air would just get slow under the carbs and the fuel would fall out of suspension.
I would think this would make a killer port injection manifold.

[cjshaker]

Good point on the sheet metal intake, Kevin. I forgot those were allowed. Still, this would be a fair chunk of change less, and just may prove worthy of the effort.

I'm no professional engine builder, but if it has some taper, which it probably does, and match that up with a decent head port taper, I don't see why it wouldn't work on a street engine and maintain a decent idle, with the correct cam. Not saying it would be ideal, just doable.

[FElony]

Can the airflow be cheated/sped up with small carbs? 450 cfm maybe? How do you get a manifold like this to idle at 800-900?

Buy a gallon of splashzone



Seems like the air would just get slow under the carbs and the fuel would fall out of suspension.
I would think this would make a killer port injection manifold.

I guess I'll let somebody else mess with this thing, then. Too much for me. At least I learned what Splash Zone is today. 

[Drew Pojedinec]

SplashZone is handy stuff.  We keep 6 gallons or so on the boat.  Nice stuff in a pinch.

FElony, there is always this option:


Edelbrock Air Gap with adapter plates for fitting Holley carburetors.  Was my plan during my build, but at the last minute someone offered up a BT MR 2x4 so I used that instead.

[Joe-JDC]

First, let me say that I think the tunnel wedge/tunnel port intakes are the most impressive/aggressive looking intakes on any engine outside of possibly the high riser 2 X 4 intakes or SOHC 2 X 4 intake.  It is my all time favorite Ford intake, and I will keep mine to the end.  The new BBM will be very popular, and it will work on a high performance build of just about any cubic inch with the right heads, camshaft, compression, headers, and carburetors or throttle bodies.  It is a very nice piece.  I would have liked to see the ports just a bit smaller and less flow so that it could be ported to help the smaller engine guys.  Would have been simple to add material on the inside walls of every runner to increase the length of the air column, and decrease the cross-sectional area, setting up the air to turn into the head for a better transition.  It could then be ported to whatever flow needed.  However, it meets a need, fills a gap, and is available for sale which is a plus.  Price is a bit of a shock, but again exclusivity has to drive that to some extent as well as demand.  Joe-JDC

[FElony]

SplashZone is handy stuff.  We keep 6 gallons or so on the boat.  Nice stuff in a pinch.

FElony, there is always this option:
(snip)Edelbrock Air Gap with adapter plates for fitting Holley carburetors.  Was my plan during my build, but at the last minute someone offered up a BT MR 2x4 so I used that instead.

Putting anything "Edelbrock" (or any other aftermarket name) on my CS is not acceptable. A ZX will have to do. Decades of looking for a cherry TW for this particular car, and I can't express the level of disappointment I have with this BBM junk.

[FElony]

... The new BBM will be very popular... It is a very nice piece... and is available for sale which is a plus.  Price is a bit of a shock, but again exclusivity has to drive that to some extent as well as demand.  Joe-JDC

Well, good. Mine was one of the very last ones they had, and there will not be another run for who knows. I should have no trouble selling it, or perhaps I may just return it. Still unopened in the box. In the trunk.

[plovett]

Mr. Joe Craine,

You ported my Dove Tunnel Wedge.  How would you say it compares to the BBM Tunnel Wedge?

I don't remember the unported flow numbers, but I do think I remember that the ported flow numbers were 470-474 cfm for each runner.  That sounds close to the as-cast BBM in terms of flow.   I think the unported numbers were in the 410-415 cfm range.   I can find the flow sheet.  It will just take some digging through my garage.

I sent you an intake gasket that was cut to match my cylinder head intake openings.  I believe your ported the intake to more or less match that.  I think you said it basically resembled a moderately ported Medium Riser head?  My heads are ported Edelbrocks.

I think what I am trying to ask is,  how do you think the factory Tunnel Wedge, the ("regular") Dove Tunnel Wedge, the Dove "High Riser" Tunnel Wedge, and the BBM Tunnel Wedge fit in the Tunnel Wedge hierarchy?

Thanks,

paulie

edit:  I have no agenda here.  I am just asking for Joe's opinion on how all these Tunnel Wedge intakes fit into the FE spectrum.  I was astounded at how much more (and balanced) flow Joe got out of my Dove Tunnel Wedge.  That's where I'm coming from.

I am mainly thinking about flow vs. cross sectional area between the intake manifolds.  Do you see any significant trends?

[Joe-JDC]

I think what I am trying to ask is,  how do you think the factory Tunnel Wedge, the ("regular") Dove Tunnel Wedge, the Dove "High Riser" Tunnel Wedge, and the BBM Tunnel Wedge fit in the Tunnel Wedge hierarchy?

Thanks,

paulie

Paulie, I think the factory Tunnel Wedge can be ported to 500 cfm, but not necessary in any current builds.  The BBM will probably be capable of quite a bit more, especially if used on a CJ type head opening, and the Dove TW is also capable of 500+ cfm.  The Dove HR TW is humongous.  When matched up to a BT HR head opening, it hits 585 cfm with ease.   I have ported the Dart Pro Stock intakes, Olds Pro Stock heads, and some of those heads flow 490-540 cfm with a 2.450 intake valve, and can use the Dart intake at 585-600 cfm.  They make in excess of 1200 hp with those heads and those flow numbers on 632-738 cubic inch BBCs.  We don't have a FE head that even comes close to 490 cfm or 540 cfm, so why do we need an intake that is designed for that flow?.  Just my opinion.    On your intake, just to match the ports up, the Dove flow goes up really fast, proving it is too big in volumn for the best performance.  Yes, it works, but it could work a lot better with less intake runner volumn.  Joe-JDC

[CaptCobrajet]

I have the first prototype manifold that BBM cast.   It is very nice.  It was sent to me for fit testing before he did the production run.  The last three inches of the runners were shaped and sized to match the BBM heads with little or no effort. 

In general, the Ford, Dove MR, and BBM tunnel wedges are very similar.  The main reason Joe got bigger "flow" from the BBM is that the cross section of the last three inches or so is a fair amount larger than the OEM as cast.   

The modern application for the TW in my shop for a long time has been high revving OR big cubic inch engines.  That is no different with the BBM.  If you have a combo that wants a tunnel wedge, the BBM will be a darn fine piece.  I asked Doug to add material above the top of the ports to allow us FEers to raise the port very high without having to add weld, which he did.  I also asked him to produce several with the intake pushrod holes not drilled to allow a person to move the port without having to weld, which he also did. 

I have done many engines with the earlier Ford and Dove units.  Depending on where we are trying to go, I modify them as needed.  Yesterday we dynoed a Dove that I heavily modified, welded, moved the pushrod and port, and filled the floors, etc.  We made 838 hp, 736 tq at 511 cubes.  The torque was at 4700, the power at 6800.  With a smallish solid roller, this is about where they shake out.  With very large cams, I have seen 880 hp from a worked tunnel wedge with an iron block.  In these type builds, the added material, and unfinished intake pushrod option will save about $1200 worth of welding and milling in future builds.  That is a HUGE time saver for me, and a huge cost savings for the end user.

For milder engines, the intake will do well.  On big inch street strokers, the BBM will save me (and the customer) a fair amount of grinding.  A tunnel wedge just is not a great choice for a smaller inch street piece.  It never was, and it isn't now.  For any case where an "old" tunnel wedge was the correct choice, the new offering will be just fine.   A person just needs to be sure their combo is one that should need the tunnel wedge in the first place.

I am very glad to have them available.  For several years, my customers and I have had to beat the bushes and look high and low for quality tunnel wedge cores to work with.  Now, we can buy a new one and have it in a few days.  We should all be happy about that!

[FElony]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the most obvious use for the BBM intake yet.

[plovett]

Paulie, I think the factory Tunnel Wedge can be ported to 500 cfm, but not necessary in any current builds.  The BBM will probably be capable of quite a bit more, especially if used on a CJ type head opening, and the Dove TW is also capable of 500+ cfm.  The Dove HR TW is humongous.  When matched up to a BT HR head opening, it hits 585 cfm with ease.   I have ported the Dart Pro Stock intakes, Olds Pro Stock heads, and some of those heads flow 490-540 cfm with a 2.450 intake valve, and can use the Dart intake at 585-600 cfm.  They make in excess of 1200 hp with those heads and those flow numbers on 632-738 cubic inch BBCs.  We don't have a FE head that even comes close to 490 cfm or 540 cfm, so why do we need an intake that is designed for that flow?.  Just my opinion.    On your intake, just to match the ports up, the Dove flow goes up really fast, proving it is too big in volumn for the best performance.  Yes, it works, but it could work a lot better with less intake runner volumn.  Joe-JDC

Thanks Joe!

[Katz427]

I think this intake does fill a niche in the FE scheme of things. But it sure would be nice if there were some new blocks available to make building something like this a viable proposition. The only block I have inquired that had a firm delivery date is from Shelby.

[67gt350]

I am very happy to see this manifold available and receiving attention - I also hope it stays available. In January Doug put me on his list for one of these intakes but no email yet. Not sure if it matters because like Katz427 I think I would like to secure a good aftermarket block first. BBM's cast block was to be back in stock by the 1st quarter of 2016 and the aluminum by the 2nd quarter.

[Joe-JDC]

I did a simple gasket match on the BBM tunnel wedge today using a Fel Pro 1246 and checked it against the Edelbrock 7224 to make sure of the sizing.  The flow came up to 506 cfm average.  I only went into the ports about an inch and simple straightened up the walls without squaring up the corners.  I blended the plenum edges out to open spacer size, and reworked the opening to #1 and #5 ports from the plenum.  The #5 port came up from 466 cfm to 502 cfm with minimum work.  Joe-JDC