418viper,
Replacing heads, intake manifold and TB will make a difference.
However, will you get 600 HP? In a word, no.
The 2008 engine has a very sophisticated engine control module with many multiples of lines of codes over the previous models (think of it as an "engine map" with a much, much higher resolution).
Furthermore, the camshaft is literally a piece of mechanical engineering art, which by itself and the addition of said ECM will be the biggest provider of additional horsepower.
I certainly expect air flow to be substantially improved with the new head, intake manifold and TB and will be curious how much added horsepower and torque will be gained with these three items. My (most generous) guess would be around 35-40 hp by themselves.
Viper Phil
Finally received my summer 2007 edition Viper Quarterly Magazine.
After reading about the new engine, I now have a much better understanding of the 2008 600HP engine and will say this:
I have to revise my previously posted estimate. I would expect north of 560HP with the head & intake manifold/throttle body combo (50HP+).
I do not expect to see 600 HP from this alone. I believe that most people here underestimate the power increase from the new VVT cam system. I also think that the new engine controller with 300,000 lines of code will make a minor performance difference, although the biggest beneficiary from this upgrade will be engine efficiency and favorably low emission output for such a powerful engine. Kudos to the SRT engineers who brought us this powerhouse of an engine and managed to pass emission certification.
Today, there are global automotive industry legislation standards as well as federally mandated standards and on top of it all we have CARB guidelines, also adopted by 5 other states, mostly in the Northeast.
Tuners generally bypass these “tedious limitations” and are held to a much lower environmental standard except for those who go through the trouble and expense to obtain a CARB “EO” certification for their products.
Tuners generally also overstate their HP & torque gains with disclaimers such as “adjusted for atmospheric conditions, etc”, and dubious baseline data acquisition measurement methods.
But on the other hand I have to say that most Viper performance upgrade providers and installers I have met here and in person have exhibited a level of integrity and competence far above the norm for this industry, which is really great for us. I only know of one that I would put in the “rotten apple category”.
This is why I tend to be on the conservative side with power increase estimates. What we hope and expect to gain does not always match what is revealed in real life.
Vypr Phil
