C&L Performance is proud to
announce another truly unique and innovative product for owners of 1999-2004
Lightning and 2002-2004 supercharged Harley trucks. This new upper intake
manifold replaces the stock unit that delivers air from the throttle body to the
inlet of the supercharger. During the development of this item, we found many
improvements could be made over the original design. The most obvious of which
is the fact that the opening at the blower end is actually smaller than the
supercharger inlet. Roots style superchargers are extremely sensitive to
restrictions on their inlet, and their actual efficiency can be improved by
simply reducing airflow restrictions at the inlet side of the charger.
After flow testing this new design, we
are happy to report that it has exceeded our expectations. We have supplied a
flow diagram below so that you can understand how this new manifold can benefit
your particular application. Most people who have already upgraded their factory
throttle body to a single blade design have reported gains in performance
ranging from between 7 to as much as 10 additional horsepower. Flow testing has
shown that this arrangement increases airflow through the stock upper manifold
by 10.9%. People who already have the single blade throttle body and upgrade to
our new intake will see a nearly 20% greater improvement in flow, for a total
flow improvement of 29.8 % over the stock throttle body and intake combo.
For those people who do not have an upgrade throttle body and would like to
upgrade the intake manifold, you will be rewarded with a 14% increase in flow
over stock, which is greater than the improvement that people have seen in the
past when installing a single blade throttle body. The suggested price for this
new intake is $299 which makes it a good value as a bolt-on upgrade.
| Intake Configuration |
Flow Rate |
% Increase Over Stock |
| Stock Plenum/TB |
850 CFM |
Baseline |
| Stock Plenum/Single Blade TB |
943 CFM |
10.9% Increase |
| C&L Plenum/Stock TB |
970 CFM |
14% Increase |
| C&L Plenum/Single Blade TB |
1103 CFM |
29.8% Increase |
Dyno testing of this new manifold has already been performed by us and by Jim
D'Amore of JDM Engineering. Both tests were done using mildly modified
Lightnings, and the results were similar. When using a single blade throttle
body, JDM's test vehicle saw a peak HP gain of 21 and a torque increase of 30
ft/lbs. The same test on our local '99 Lightning test vehicle posted a 20 HP
gain and 25 ft/lbs of torque, although we were unable to see the maximum torque
gain in our testing, as it took place in 3rd gear where the RPM's are above peak
torque levels. When JDM tested the upper manifold alone with the stock throttle
body still attached, the results were an increase of 14 HP and 24 ft/lbs of
torque over stock. Testing this intake by itself on a 600 RWHP Lightning with an
upgraded supercharger and a single blade throttle body previously installed
showed an increase of 18 more rear wheel horsepower. The gain over the stock
intake and throttle body was at least 25 RWHP. In case you were wondering,
installation is very straightforward and can be performed by anyone who is
capable of changing the throttle body. The first production units are being
shipped now and you can order directly through us or any of our distributors. If
you have any furthur questions, please feel free to contact us during our
regular business hours at (888) 434-1099.
AUTOMOTIVE FORUM