So you’ve decided that you’re ready to change the intake manifold on your hot rod, but you realize that you have no idea what type or style manifold you need for what you’re trying to do–and that’s where this great video produced by Edelbrock can help.

They cover the finer points of manifold selection, most notably how to choose between a single or dual-plane intake design. It’s typically been the notion of most enthusiasts that a single-plane intake manifold–one that draws from all eight runners simultaneously–is best for racing applications where high rpm is the norm, while a dual-plane manifold, with a smaller, divided plenum area is best for street engines.

This cutaway of a dual-plane manifold shows how each half of the manifold pulls from only one side of the carburetor during operation.

Not necessarily.

“Each manifold type has a purpose in the performance world,” explains Smitty Smith, technical sales coordinator at Edelbrock Performance.

“It’s not just single-plane manifolds are for racing and dual-planes are for street. We have many customers racing with dual-plane manifolds. In some circle track classes, dual-plane manifolds are the spec manifold.”

Runner length directly plays a part in your engine’s breathing ability, and as you watch the video, Edelbrock’s lead intake manifold engineer, Brent McCarthy, explains the concept a bit further. It’s an interesting primer on what makes an intake manifold perform for a given application.

For a much deeper dive into the subject of single versus dual-plane intakes, check out this EngineLabs story. And for more information on the complete line of Edelbrock products, check out their website.