The Real Deal on the SSI intake

[stang2841]

well I helped a friend install one today. on a stock car , stock intake stock cam, bolt on parts, free flowing exhaust.....



heres what I honestly think of it, the design of it is great and its an awesome buy.... I felt a good SOTP difference, specially between 4700-5600 rpm (didnt feel like it lost any down low either)


I was looking through the few dyno test it has and in the Magazine where they dyno'd SSI it had a cobra with Performer heads w/(2.02x1.60)valves, Long tubes, Mid pipe, deleted smog,Pro M mass air meter, electric fans with a deleted engine driven fan. Now with a STOCK intake it dyno'd at 233rwhp @ 4850rpm and it gained as much as 41rwhp in a few areas with the SSI intake
and 32rwhp Peak to Peak

correct me if im wrong but Ive seen some BONE STOCK cobras put down about 225-230 to the wheels, now add those modifications to a Bone Stock cobra, keep the intake add a throttlebody, and I'll be damned if it doesnt make the 265rwhp the SSI intake made (if not more).


which brings me to my conclusion, that the SSI intake is at par if not worse then the Cobra intake performance wise.


I've been in both cars similarly equipped with the two intakes and felt about the same seat of pants. Now looking at these intakes it looks like the SSI should out flow it by far, and price wise if you add all the pieces the intakes themselves cost about the same new.



here are the pro's and con's


SSI
Pro's

-(arguably) better looking
-More for the money
-75mm opening
-with the purchase you get fuel rails and adjustable fuel pressure regulator priced out as Fuel Pressure Regulator (99.99) and unknown price of Fuel Rails
-will not fit under 94/95 hood
569-99 = 430 and I believe Ive seen if you buy there throttlebody they give you a discounted price on the throttlebody not to mention the nice fuel rails you get with the intake, there is no EGR spacer needed on this intake as well.


Cobra

-Tested and true performance
-400 dollars New without the need for the EGR spacer
-65mm opening
-all over ebay and could be had for less then 400 dollars easily
-plenty of room for porting



there probably is more and I probably didnt explain stuff well on here, but I think you do get the picture with the BBK intake

 

[PhLoBuS]

Yeah for the SSi to really be effective you need alot of engine upgrades if not a supercharger... The TF Street Heat is a much better option

 

[stang2841]

not really....

 

[maverick0716]

The Performer RPM is better than all 3 of those.

 

[Daggar]

I would like to eventually see what "niche" that BBK intake fills when folks start using them to make real power. What I mean is... there are ideal intakes for ideal combinations and desired RPM/Power band ranges. I wonder if the BBK will end up doing any particular thing just a bit better than the other offerings.

 

[PhLoBuS]

The Trick Flow Intakes are the best flowing intake for a 302...

 

[TrickStang37]

The Track Heat is better than all 4 of those.

 

[91RRLX]

My intake can beat up your intake

 

[Michael Yount]

I suspect the real draw of the new BBK piece when all is said and done will simply be that it looks different than everyone else's long runner designs.

 

[tmoss]

LOTS of "generalization" here. I could prove you wrong on some of these better intakes from dyno test swaps compared to the Cobra or Explorer. The best intake is the one that is best for the PARTICULAR combination being used. You CANNOT generalize!

 

[stang2841]

well, I was lookin for input on how I could be wrong and I was waiting for you to speak up, I was going by General Info


and hell I could be wrong about every statement I said.....


what are your views on it Tmoss?


(IMO I think the BBK intake is designed well and is a better intake for the money then a cobra, alot more advantages to it)

 

[PhLoBuS]

Yes for my setup the Street Heat would be the most suitable

 

[stang2841]

huh


your making my thread look stupid

 

[mob]

might be kind of ignorant but the fact that its being compared to the cobra intake dosent make for a good impression, not saying the cobra intake is bad but a brand new intake for 600 dollars being compared to an intake that came from the factory, idk, sounds kinda like the gt40, its all show, but what do i know

another thing, if bbk was going to make an intake i think they should have done it right and made it the best thing on the market, i mean sure the design and look is good and all but for the performance gains im hearing about i dont think its worth almost 600 bucks, a trick flow intake is what in the 500 too, sure it might not look as good but the performance you get out of them is unquestionable

 

[PhLoBuS]

Okay what do you want me to say? good write up!? KEEP IT UP

 

[Daggar]

Personally, I'd still like to know what the SSI is BEST at. The long runner suggest high velocity at low to mid range RPM. I could care less about what the peak HP is. Show me the dyno for the entire power range. Give me some idea of what throttle response is like when you decide to get on it. You know... gimme the "fun factor".

 

[tmoss]

I think it's too early to evaluate what the BBK is capable of. Not enough used on different combos and then track/dyno testing for comparison.

 

[stang2841]

its not quite a 600 dollar intake its 570 LOL,


I'm going by value, the fuel pressure regulator it comes with and the fuel rails realy more then make up for the extra cost.....

it has a 75mm Opening and a discounted Throttlebody with the purchase of the intake and there is NO need for a EGR spacer.


I made this write up comparing it to one of the most popular intakes, yeah Its possible the Trickflow out performs it, as well as the edelbrock. but it doesnt have the Features of the SSI and I dont think it can match the torque down low either.


from the testing I'm pretty sure it flows on par with the cobra in some applications and maybe a little bit better in other aspects. Alot of ppl are aware of what the Cobra intake does as a bolt on thus why I used it as a benchmark.


eitherway, If someone can prove my theory wrong I'd like to see it, or show me something else I missed let me know, I'm in the market for getting an intake and I've been though everything and Believe this is the best.


Believe me I want more tests on it as well, before I got spend 570 dollars on a intake



the test in the mag was with the weak Cobra Cam as well, with that cam it made the same HP/TQ numbers with the Stocker to 3600 rpm (retaining all the low end grunt) and Took off afterwards killing it the rest of the way up Steady 20RWHP for a while and matched torque with about +5lbs the rest of the way up, Flowed Extremely well to 5350 RPM Killing the Stocker.....

now with out a differnet camshaft to up the RPM Range its hard to tell what it can do in the upper RPM's but from the Test it didnt look like it was losing any steam and with a good aftermarket cam the Peak 41RWHP that the SSI made over the stocker could be well over 60 in the upper RPM range.



this is Just what I got from the test, and with this information I want to know why nobody is buying this intake?

 

[mackey]

PHlobus if you are looking for an almost new street heat intake I may have one soon. Been on car for x<3000 miles. It will soon be the biggest restriction on my car.

 

[PhLoBuS]

alright you got any pics?