Black 86 'bird

Will those of you with setups please show me the pics and/or what equipment was used and how you installed the setup? I am looking for ideas and want to pick and choose from different people's setups what I think is the best. The biggest concern I have is keeping water off of the K&N and out of the motor. Thanks in advance.


BTW, thanks for the help with my clunking problem. All is well. It turned out to be a combo of the hanger rusting off of the old pipe and a bad tranny mount. I'm in good with a local mechanic because we take both mine and my sister's firebirds there for repairs. It only cost me $50 to get everthing back in shape. Thanks again.

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My only mod: Flowmaster 40 series

FAST RS

Right now im runnong the frontair intake that goes in the nose of the car with out any filters at all lol since my other onne is in the grage cuz it came off when i did my tune up tongiht =)no airfilter = ALLOT OF FUNNNNN

mAjInRS

I wouldnt advise driving without your air filter, i know i'm not saying anything new here, but i did that for a couple of days and the outcome wasnt good, ended up spending about $100 for them to clean out the intake manifold.

P.S= does anybody have pics of the way they set up their ram air with the K&N conical with the flexible aluminum piping, because i have SS hood and want to make it functional, thnxs.

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91 Blue RS with ASCD SS hood w/hood pins, Flowmaster 80 series w/3 inch dual exhaust, K&N, Hypertech Power Chip(19 years old and all this bought and paid for by myself, even the car, sorry but i cant stand all those rich little kids who have their mommy and daddy buy all their stuff)

85f-bird

i've heard that while you can make an SS hood functional, it's more difficult than the firebird ram air because it's possitioned towards the rear of the hood. I'd advise running some thing piping from the hood scoop to the K&N filter, and then to the TB, but i don't know if it'd help any because of how many bends there would be in the piping. But at least it'd look cool.

TomP

Glad to hear the repairs weren't costly '86!

My ram air intake is a bit lengthy to describe, so this will be long. (Heh, just like all of my posts, eh? )

I bought a 3" mandrel-bent "180 degree J-bend" exhaust pipe from Summit Racing. A "J-bend" is similar to a "U-bend", but it's tighter. The pipe cost me $40; I cut it in half so I had a 90 degree bend. (It was a Hooker pipe, it's listed in the Summit catalog's exhaust section.)

[edit] Here's the pipe info:
At Holley's (Hooker's) website: http://www.holley.com/HiOctn/ProdLin...A/Mandrel.html
At Summit Racing's website: http://www.summitracing.com $28.99, put in "Hooker" and "12599" in the top boxes.

I found a throttle-body-to-air-cleaner hose from a Camaro that used the dual-snorkel air cleaner. That's the one where the filters are above the radiator..

I then went to the Home Depot Racing Supply Store and picked up two rubber PVC pipe couplings, 3"-to-3".

I then found "air intake hose" at Pep Boys, $15 for a 6-foot-long piece of 3" black hose. I think it was made by Motormite; it came in a green box, and was sold next to the alumized hoses used for a carbeurated engine's "heat stove".

I then bought the K&N Filter Catalog from http://www.knfilters.com and flipped through until I found a large conical with a 3" flange. It ran me $35 from Summit.

I yanked all the air intake stuff from my '86 Firebird.. the intake hose, the stupid rectangular air duct, the MAF, and the air box. I removed the charcoal fuel canister. I removed the bracket that held the air box & canister. I put the canister back into it's spot (I still have to anchor it somehow).

I then, luckily, was able to remove the 45 degree pipe from the end of the MAF sensor. (This, again, is a "Firebird" thing.) Mine was a rebuilt MAF, so it popped off easily. I don't know how well the original GM units are glued together. If you find a Camaro MAF in the junkyards, they won't have that 45 degree pipe on the end.

Order of installation from the throttle body out is: Camaro intake hose, 3" mandrel bent 90 degree pipe, 3"-to-3" coupler, MAF, 3"-to-3" coupler, air intake hose.

I snaked the air intake hose through the frame until it was inside the "front" of the passenger side fender. I moved the charcoal can over a few inches so it wouldn't be in the way of the hose.

I pulled the intake hose down from underneath the car, so it ended above the fender brace (looks like a "Y"). This is where I mounted the conical filter, using very large hose clamps (found at Home Depot, at the opposite end of the same aisle the flex couplings were.) I hooked the intake hose into the K&N.

I still have to make a brace to support the exhaust pipe...

Anyway, I felt a power boost with the filter in it's new spot. Future plans are to connect (or make) an upside-down hood scoop to the black side panels of the air dam. I'll hinge the scoop, and make it workable by either a motor, or one of those push/pull chrome choke cables. This would make a great ram-air.

It took me a while to figure this setup out. I went through lots & lots of drawings.. in fact if you sketch my plan up you'll probably see better how it goes.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

[This message has been edited by TomP (edited December 15, 2000).]

Black 86 'bird

So let me get this straight, you used a piece of exhaust pipe? Why not pvc? Hold up... I just had a thought. If it is possible to get a pipe bigger in diameter than the throttle body, would it help force more air into the motor if you put a reducer to the throttle body and "funnel" the air in? Just a thought. Anyway, I don't have a really local Home Depot Racing Supply, but there are a couple of local hardware stores here in town that I can use. It's 1:30 am now, I'll sketch your set up out later in the day. Thanks man.

I know there are more of you out there, I just want to get all setups in one place for easy reference. Keep 'em flowin' people!!

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My only mod: Flowmaster 40 series

Mike Harvey

Hey guys I just had a thought about that MAF and the whole intake setup. Tom P. what are you going to do when you need to smog the car? They wouldn't take a liking to that intake setup would they?
I also just had another question. Tom P, since we have the same cars don't you have the same sensors or things running into the ribbed stretchable intake tubing that it clamped onto the TB? Going from what you were talking about it sounds like you replaced everything in the intake from the TB to the Air Filter. Got pictures????? I definetly would love to see your setup. Later

- Mike Harvey -

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The '86 Firebird http://www.geocities.com/flash_point2002

Black 86 'bird

I'm just moving this back up for the beginning of the week. I just want to get everyone's setups and ideas in one place for easy reference. BTW, I love the deckercharger idea. Thanks again.

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My only mod: Flowmaster 40 series

Black 86 'bird

I know that there are more of you with one of these. Since no one but a select few will reply, where should I go to find out what people are running?

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My only mod: Flowmaster 40 series

Monkie

Right now I am working on a new cold air intake. If you will give me a while I will have pics of it on here if I think it is worth other people trying.

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1992 Camaro RS 3.1L
T5 Manual 5 speed
Cold/RAM air intake
Z-28 Exhaust
8.5mm MSD Ignition wires
TB Coolant bypass

Soon to be a 3.8L turbo RS

AIM screen name - Stopsign696

Kills:

95 (****) Probe GT
94 Mustang GT
91 CRX (dont ask me why he raced me)
2nd Gen Z28 (350) haha to you V8 guys!
1992 RS 305 TBI (good race)
More to come

Black 86 'bird

Cool! Can't wait to see it. Thanks. Sorry to seem impatient.

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My only mod: Flowmaster 40 series

TomP

Black'86, the PVC is measured as 3 inches "inside diameter". With the thickness of the PVC pipe walls, the Camaro intake hose couldn't fit over it. The exhaust pipe's walls are thin enough that the Camaro hose didn't have trouble mating up.

You can't really run larger hose to the throttle body, since the MAF is only 3" diameter, and needs to be somewhere in between. However, you can run as large of a hose as you want between the MAF and air filter. I actually revised my design later and have 4" flex hose going between the K&N (4 inch mtg flange) and MAF. The MAF has a 3" to 4" coupler instead of the original 3" to 3". I still have to return that 3-to-3 one; I have the receipt. The return lines are too damn long for $5!

Sorry, I don't have pictures. Maybe over winter break I'll work on getting my site up.

Mike, I didn't have any sensors in that convoluted tube. By using a Camaro intake hose I was able to keep the PVC line on the passenger side intact. The only sensors I had were the MAF and the MAT. I hung the MAT by the air filter; it was late and I didn't want to bother rigging up another bracket for it (I hate making brackets).


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

GTKilr

Hey '86!!!!
I dont know if this will help or not, but from the pics it looks like a great idea and it sure falls into the right price range!!!

Good luck!!!!
GTKilr
https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/tech/ramair.shtml

[This message has been edited by GTKilr (edited December 21, 2000).]

Black 86 'bird

I think I follow you Tom. I forgot about the MAF being a fixed 3". The bigger pipe between the filter and MAF would do the same thing, only sooner. Can't wait for the site!

Thanks for the link GTKilr. All I would have to do is adapt it for a Firebird with a 2.8.

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My only mod: Flowmaster 40 series

Black 86 'bird

Remember this post? Well, it's back. I'm getting really close to doing this thing. It's raining here and it got me thinking. Would the filter turn to mush if it got wet? Here is my idea: some kind of intake hose (maybe with some kind of scoop on it) under the front bumper somewhere to get a ram air thing going, intake hose slipped over a K&N conical, hose to MAF, hose to throttle body. Think it would work or is it a flop? I've decided to pool all of my money and do some mods. My friend's dad just got a 2001 'vette and he wants me to go at it with him. I wanna do somethings so I maybe can give him a good run I don't want to look like a TOTAL fool because we are gonna try to get to a drag track in cincy that let's anyone race as many times as they want for like $12. Besides, I'd like to see the timeslip for my car.

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My only mod: Flowmaster 40 series

KED85

I hear you on this set up.
Bummer for you guys where it rains often.
How do you guy work around that natural detail?
In CA, I need only worry about rain, like, now, this time of year.
I still have the stupid suck thru a straw air box.
I've been thinking of making a screen in bumper and sticking air filter behind bumper.
I have all that stuff outta there, I use coat hangers to hold bumper on front end.
Really lightened the front end
Would really like to swap in Camaro air induction system (the two filters & such) seems more sanitary.

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Chat Soon,
KED85
Karl
1985 Firebird 2.8 to 3.4 swap project for Smog Happy LA, CA

Black 86 'bird

Does that set up sound like it would really work?
The only way I work around it is wait for it to stop. It rained for a couple of days straight, then it got REALLY cold, so my locks were frozen and the doors were frozen shut.
So, would the filter disintegrate if it got wet?

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My only mod: Flowmaster 40 series

[This message has been edited by Black 86 'bird (edited February 17, 2001).]

TomP

Black86, what about some kind of trap door? Ever see those hand-controlled "choke cables" in AutoZone/Pep Boys/etc? It's a cable with a handle... when you pull the handle, the cable pulls "in".

You could have it so when you pull the handle, the ram-air-scoop pulls "up" behind the bumper.

I've been thinking of the same thing...

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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

Black 86 'bird

I can honestly say I never thought of that Tom. That would be a great idea. It would keep the rain/snow/rocks/whatever out of the intake until needed. Now all I have to do is wait for some warm weather and some free time from work and college. But still no one has answered one question; what would happen to the filter if it got wet?!?!?! There is a K&N velocity stack in Summit that says that the filter won't break apart if it get's wet. Is this true for their other filters?


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My only mod: Flowmaster 40 series

AlexJH

I thought you were *supposed* to wash K&N's. Never owned one so I'm not sure of the procedure.

Getting waterlogged and then freezing would be a different story altogether.

PS. I hate it when my doors freeze shut and I have to climb from the back. Doh.