10/15/2026
Limiting or locking vvt & aftermarket intakes, worth it?
REALLY DEPENDS
Most people just assume you should lock your phaser with an aftermarket camshaft & generally speaking that’s not the greatest idea. Same can be said for just assuming you need an aftermarket intake manifold.
Most of the time, running a limiter vs lockout can net an easy 10-15 more peak horsepower.
Here is a prime example. Customer has an A8 S**t Pack, running a MMX V1 camshaft (locked phaser) blueprint intake manifold, other basic bolt ons & ethanol.
His 60-130 draggy times were WAY off for what a cammed s**t should be running, damn near comparable to stock times.
The customer actually took my advance, installed a limiter instead of completely locking the phaser & went back to his original 6.4 intake with active runners active.
Results? Almost a full 2 seconds faster in the 60-130 mph run, which is HUGE on NA vehicle. I also believe with a little more seat time, it will get even faster.
Most cam profiles for stock piston stuff aren’t going to carry power nearly high enough tor a high ram style intake to outshine a 6.4 intake, especially if you’re staying on stock injectors. On top of that, you’re losing a ton of low end/mid range power by switching to these type of intake manifolds.
Vendors such as MMX, 797 Performance, FRP & so on have spent the R&D on their stuff, so ensure to ask when selecting a camshaft, what pairs nicely with it.
