Chrysler ShortRams

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quickd100
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Chrysler ShortRams

Post by quickd100 »

Has anyone played with a set of these besides me? I know they are dated and don't make as much hp as a good single plane with a 4 bbl. The thing is they are so unique and eye catching. I dynod a mild 9.2-1 440 last summer the motor featured an old MP .528 solid 241@.050 112© and a set of out of the box Edelbrock E-STREET heads and a set of Doug's 1-3/4" pickup headers.I tried a set of these to compare with some more modern induction systems and here are some of the results.
M-1 750 Edelbrock
455hp@5200&508ftlbs@4400

Weiand TunnelRam 2-750 Edelbrocks
469hp@5400&542ftlbs@4000

Short Rams 2-750 Edelbrocks
429hp@5150&543ftlbs@3800

All tests were done with the same carbs, the Shortrams would have preferred smaller carbs. The thing that blew me away was the torque curve of the Shortrams. 512 ftlbs@2500rpm and it held over 500 ftlbs from 2500 to 4300. The other 2 manifolds beat it in the hp race but the Shortrams blew them away with their torque curve.
I liked them so much I am using them on the same motor installed in my old 81' W-150. It's one snappy little motor.
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Re: Chrysler ShortRams

Post by ChopperScott »

No experience here, but this was an interesting read.

Secrets of Chrysler Ram Induction

https://www.macsmotorcitygarage.com/sec ... induction/
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434 SBC 11:1, 1.294, 6.178 @ 108.87, 9.81 @ 134.93 (3060#, Naturally Aspirated, Sunoco Ultra 94)
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Re: Chrysler ShortRams

Post by frnkeore »

It is kinda timely! I just bought a HR Mag, from June of '62, at a flee mkt, last weekend and they have a lengthy article on the '62 Chrysler 300 with a 405 HP Short Ram engine. They put a 4.56 rear in it, tuned and ran it, quite a few times. It cam with a 284 duration, SFT cam but, there was a optional 292 duration cam available and they swaped for it, expecting more rpm but, got very little increase in rpm, at the lights and less launch. They even put smaller tires on trying for more rpm but, didn't have any improvement it times. The manifold seems to answer why.

After all the work they did with it, they ran it at the '62 Winter Nationals in SS/SA and got 2nd place, after a 421 Pontiac the win. It had run a best of 12.8 and lost with a 13.0.
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Re: Chrysler ShortRams

Post by PackardV8 »

The '62 was a completely different deal than the later short ram intake.

Image

That 413" engine was equipped with the short ram modification of the long ram intake. The long ram had dividers extending all the way to the plenum under the carburetor. The short ram version had the plenum extending down the tubes about half the length. This moved the torque peak from IIRC 2800 RPM up to about 3500.

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Re: Chrysler ShortRams

Post by Truckedup »

How did the long intake do at part throttle in cold weather?
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Re: Chrysler ShortRams

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I noticed on the Dyno that the motor liked some heat in it before it would make max power. On the street I've got electric chokes on the carbs. After it's warmed up it hauls the mail! I've also driven it in below zero weather and it works great
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Re: Chrysler ShortRams

Post by quickd100 »

PackardV8 wrote: Thu Dec 23, 2021 8:15 pm The '62 was a completely different deal than the later short ram intake.

Image

That 413" engine was equipped with the short ram modification of the long ram intake. The long ram had dividers extending all the way to the plenum under the carburetor. The short ram version had the plenum extending down the tubes about half the length. This moved the torque peak from IIRC 2800 RPM up to about 3500.

jack vines
The Shortrams we're available in 1960 also. They also featured a little hotter cam. Another item about the motor, the cam gear was set up 2° retarded to properly tune the manifolds. I tried a few pulls retarding the cam to 115 installed centerline, the motor lost power and torque. I recentered it to 110° and that what it liked best.
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Re: Chrysler ShortRams

Post by Geoff2 »

The long rams gave a 10% tq increase on a 413 engine at around 2800 rpm. Clever design that increased tq, right at cruising speed.
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Re: Chrysler ShortRams

Post by PackardV8 »

Truckedup wrote: Thu Dec 23, 2021 8:41 pm How did the long intake do at part throttle in cold weather?
The plenums sit on top of the exhaust manifolds.
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Re: Chrysler ShortRams

Post by frnkeore »

I would not have wanted to be the one that had to adjust the valves!!!
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Re: Chrysler ShortRams

Post by quickd100 »

I'm not running any heat to the rams, in colder months I have given the carbs a little more pump shot.
Adjusting the valves isn't really that much more work. Can can have the manifolds off in 15 minutes or less. I set the valves cold.
The biggest pain in the butt was moving stuff to accommodate room for the rams and carbs in the chassis. The power brake booster went by-by and I had to move the master cylinder 3" towards the center. Throttle linkage and kickdown linkage had to be fabricated as well. I was probably in and out of the engine compartment 25-30 times. I also fabricated everything for a turbo application, that was easier than the rams.
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Re: Chrysler ShortRams

Post by F-BIRD'88 »

Interesting post.. Good job.👍
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Re: Chrysler ShortRams

Post by ProPower engines »

The '62 was a completely different deal than the later short ram intake.
Image


I remember a similar intake on the 59-60 or 61 Chrysler Imperial. Man that thing was cool for a big boat.
Too long ago to remember if it was the 413 or 426 but a customer's car came into the station in the 70's with a bad vacuum leak from a busted motor mount on the left side and a noisy diff.

The old girl had 5.13's in that baby but it seems the kid was showing off one night and banged a reverse to drive burn out and killed the diff and motor mount. It showed up on the hook monday morning for a look see. The intake we just welded up but it was a neat old car for sure. You just do not see that stuff much anymore ahhhhhhhh the good old days =D> =D>
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Re: Chrysler ShortRams

Post by rebelrouser »

I race nostalgia super stock and have built several of the max wedge type engines using the original cross ram. 500 cid in a 3,200 lb car best I could get it to go was 10.03 @ 138 mph, changed intakes and same engine went 9.70's I built one for a buddy of mine this summer and it made 737HP his 64 Plymouth has also made some low 10 passes, not sure what his car weigh's. I do know one NSS racer who managed to get a stock cross ram faster he has run some 9.80's but it was real picky on the converter, needed a tight 10 inch to take advantage of all that low end torque, he has a big engine 540 inches.
picture of my 64 Dodge.
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Re: Chrysler ShortRams

Post by In-Tech »

Any kind of long ram is super picky on rpm band, even crazier o2's at lower rpm with a bigger/normal cam when efi'd, the carb stuff helps with that.

It's not uncommon to remove a long ram anything and pick up over 100 hp since it is rpm dependent to make hp. When that runner stalls, nothing can be done. :wink:
Heat is energy, energy is horsepower...but you gotta control the heat.
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