Anyone here have one installed? Looks like a good engine package. Wondering if I should consider it for my upcoming project. What do you guys think? Is it worth the $4.5k price tag?? BTW it's going to replace an L03 5.0 TBI

 

It's supposed to be a pretty flawless package...Just add 45 PSI of fuel pressure(get a Walbro 255LPH 340M fuel pump.roughly $110-140) and a 12 volt battery and off you go That fuel pump can feed quite a good amount of power.

If anyone is into modifying tha tlittle computer like Arizona Speed and Marine, I would install a bigger camshaft. The one they install at GM is like a production L98 cam, maybe worse

Either a Hotcam from GM or a 224/236'ish grind from Comp Cams with more lift(in the .520 .540 range would be nice because the heads are pretty good up to that spec, maybe they flow even more past that amount of lift?)., you might also have to work the heads for bigger valvesprings and cut the valveguides down a little...i dunno, maybe just try it as it cmes shipped I'm greedy hahaha

Set of headers, a homemade cold air intake and a good exhaust would probably help a lot also, Goodluck!

 

I think I'd just be happy with the Ram Jet. It puts out 350 hp as is, but with headers and a good 3" exhaust I'll bet it'll do 375 hp.

That is the extreme limit of what a 700r4 can cope with, so more power will cost you moolah all over the place.

 

I highly doubt GM got their 350HP rating with crappy exhaust manifolds and a restrictive exhaust...My bet is they got the rating with either open headers or a VERY low restriction exhaust setup with a typical 1-5/8" shorty type header while it was on an engine dynamometer.

GM's test car was a 92 Camaro RS with the Ramjet crate, 4.10 gears in a 10 bolt rear, ZF 6 speed trans, custom 1-5/8" headers, aftermarket catback exhaust, factory TPI type airbox with filters, and street tires. While they got it to run a 13.0, it was only 104 MPH...350 flywheel hp souns right on to me, possibly it's even over-rated if that RS was a lightweight car!


Bull,
Did you fry your 700R4 with less than 350 HP? Because there are plenty of guys well past that with no problems. I think my car makes more than that on the juice(150 NX wet shot) and the stock trans is shifting fine. It had already slipped once before also when I had adjusted the kickdown incorrectly I'm lucky i guess

 

it is a great eng. for someone who wants to install it and be done w/it. but for someone like me, its never good enough. I want to be able to play w/it and make upgrades easily. it can be done, but the tune will cost you extra money every time you change something. (yes, custom tuners can change the tune) I dont like the fact that it is a open loop system and it runs off of a MAP sensor, not a MAF. I think youd be better off buying a longblock from someone else and using a mini ram w/stock tpi harness/computer.
the cam in that eng. is tiny. it would have to go for sure if you want to make any power.

I installed one of those in a coworkers monte carlo SS. it runs good on the highway, but off the line its a dog pretty much. the car has 3:73 gears too w/stall and shift kit. also he has longtube headers w/true dual flo. exhaust. all you gotta do is upgrade the fuel pump, make custom fuel lines caus the fuel rail uses S.S. braided lines, and supply power and ground to the new harness. plus you'll need custom air intake system cause it uses a LS1 style Tbody. also you need to make a vac. system. such as a fitting that has lines for the brake booster and to operate the heater system. it only has one vac. port in it and its in a bad spot. it took us a while to find an adapter to work and run both things.

oh yeah, and the eng. is designed to be run w/longtube headers, dual exh., but Im sure it could be done w/shorties and ypipe like the factory test mule was. I think that test car was a ringer. no way that eng. could go that fast "stock" I think.

chris

 

Actually, I was thinking of either the Ram Jet or maybe a ZZ4 with a Mini Ram manifold. I've been reading up on that Mini Ram and from what I read, it seems lilke a kick *** manifold. I figure I could pick any decent 350 longblock and the Mini Ram and still come to about the same price as the Ram Jet, right?

 

yup. I think thatd be a better choice. plus, it has more compression I think. isnt it 9.5 for the ramjet and 10.5 for the zz4? the cam is slightly better in the zz4, but still kinda small. depends on what the main usage of the car is. if its racing/street performance, then switch the cam.

 

i have the ramjet 350 in my car and i love it. that motor is great straight out the crate. im running it with a 700-r4 with no probs. still using my factory rear-end that was behind my v-6. has 3.42's. lots of power let me tell you.

this is me and my car


my motor

 

No, my 305 puts out maybe 275 SAE hp at the flywheel, so I'd need to get some more ponies under the hood to cause a lot of trouble.

Over on www.thirdgen.org the tranny gurus always say after 350 hp at the flywheel you really have to do some tranny mods with a 700r4. Like a TransGo shift kit and higher pressure servos.

 

that would be a awsome engine to get if I had the money and wasn`t so anti FI I`d get one Chevy under rates thier crate engines I`ve read some magazines that tested GM cate engines and there always 10-20 hp more then what they say